Congratulations to Eureka Springs. Thursday our Advisory Board approved their application to move up to Main Street status.
Additional congratulations to Arkadelphia, Clarksville, Warren & Wynne. Their applications to the Arkansas Downtown Network were approved Thursday.
Mark Your Calendar: May 1 – Preservation Crustaceans, Downtown Little Rock
Main Street Arkansas Calendar – April 23 – 27, 2012
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MONDAY Nancy – annual leave
TUESDAY Mark & Susan – Russellville (merchant visits); Sam – Batesville (city council); Cary, Greg, Nancy – annual leave
WEDNESDAY Greg, Susan, Mark – Rogers (Destination Downtown & merchant visits); Cary & Nancy – annual leave
THURSDAY Greg, Susan, Mark – Rogers (Destination Downtown & merchant visits; Sam – Volunteerism Summit
FRIDAY Sam – Volunteerism Summit
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IN THIS ISSUE:
#14 Best Small Town in America – Siloam Springs
#14 Greatest Main Street? Eureka Springs
Main Street Russellville Celebrates 20 Years of Success
Concert with American Idol Finalist Benefits Downtown Walnut Ridge
JOBS Act Allows Crowdfunding
New Cable Show to Feature Vacant Properties
Grant Opportunity
#14 Best Small Town in America? That’s Siloam Springs
(with a nice mention of its Main Street status as a part of the selection)
#14 America’s Greatest Main Streets? Eureka Springs
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-greatest-main-streets/14
I’m not sure why we’re stuck at #14 this week
Main Street Russellville Celebrates 20 Years of Success
Concert with American Idol Finalist Benefits Downtown Walnut Ridge
http://www.imbodenlive.com/2012/04/16/downtown-walnut-ridge-benefit-featuring-lauren-gray/
JOBS Act Allows Crowdfunding, Eases Small Business Access to Capital
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, signed into law April 5, aims to make it easier for small businesses and entrepreneurs to obtain access to capital and reduces regulatory burdens, according to the Small Business Administration.
JOBS creates more opportunities for small business to raise money from investors in their communities. Previously, entrepreneurs were limited to Securities Exchange Commission-accredited investors or angel investors. Firms can raise up to $1 million, with investors limited to $10,000 or 10% of their annual income. The act also allows "crowdfunding," in which entrepreneurs can raise up to $1 million online from individual investors.
The new measure raises the shareholder limit for financial disclosures from 500 employees to 2,000, with the shareholder cap excluding most employees. Hedge funds and private equity firms will now be allowed to advertise themselves to the public and to directly solicit investors. The act also streamlines the process and eases some regulations for small businesses seeking an initial public offering.
For more information from SBA on how the JOBS Act will impact small businesses, click here, or watch this video clip from CNBC.
NEW CABLE SHOW SEEKING VACANT OR ABANDONED PROPERTIES:
Pictureshack Entertainment is starting a new show on a national cable network and is looking for vacant or abandoned properties—factories, theaters, mansions, churches, hotels—with tons of history. The buildings must still have some artifacts/objects/architectural details left behind. The more the better!
The host of the show, Jay Chaikin, is a history fanatic. He makes a living as a carpenter and wood worker at his shop in Allentown, PA. In each program, Jay and his team explore a different location in search of items of historical value. Through these items, Jay paints a picture of what it was like to work/live/stay in that location when it was open. The hosts on our show will be purchasing a few of the items and refurbishing them so the owners of the building must be willing to contemplate selling some of the artifacts left in the building. Their goal is to honor the items found in these buildings and tell their story that might otherwise be lost forever. Jay is not simply hunting for treasure he can flip for a profit. Rather, he is looking for items and elements that the untrained eye would surely disregard.
Ideally, they want at least a few rooms in these buildings to look like they were lost in time, or like people disappeared in the middle of the work day. They want to enter a lost world—a time capsule of sorts. If you know of a building that fits the bill, please submit a brief description and any photos to Dan@pictureshackentertainment.com.
Support for Innovative Organizational Changes for Museums
Innovation Lab for Museums
The Innovation Lab for Museums, supported by MetLife Foundation and administered by EmcArts, helps museums incubate and test innovative strategies to address major adaptive challenges in all areas of their operations. In the current funding round, three museums from throughout the U.S. will be selected to participate in the program. Preference will be given to proposals addressing innovation in one of the following three areas: Youth Education: how museums can play a key role in a rapidly changing educational landscape; Demographic Transformation: how museums can close this gap and serve a broader, more inclusive representation of American society; and Participatory Experiences: how museums can meet the desire of audiences for participatory and social activities in museums. The Lab is an 18-24 month program that provides individual coaching, group facilitation, an Intensive Retreat, and a variety of extended support systems tailored to the needs of each organization. Support Grants of $40,000 toward project prototyping are also provided. The application deadline is May 14, 2012. Visit the EmcArts website to download the Request for Proposals.
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