Main Street Arkansas Update - December 10, 2007

December 10 – 15, 2007
Monday
Tuesday Cary & Caroline – Texarkana (board meeting); Susan – Searcy (site visit)
Wednesday Mark & Susan – Dumas (site visit)
Thursday Susan & Mark – Russellville (site visit)
Friday


Sandi Thomas has joined Main Street Harrison as the New Executive Director
http://www.harrisondaily.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19087093&BRD=1815&PAG=461&dept_id=516928&rfi=6

MSH Awarded AT&T Grant
http://www.helena-arkansas.com/articles/2007/12/03/news/news1.txt

Eureka Springs is highlighted in February’s issue of American Style magazine. Sorry no web link yet. Check out the issue on newsstands now.

Congratulations to Arkansas Delta Byways. They were recently notified on their receipt of a National Scenic Byway program grant that the Great River Road group proposed for West Memphis. The award is for $296,000 for the first phase of their improved Missouri Street overpass. Particular kudos to Janine Earney who prepared the application.

IN THIS ISSUE:
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No City Funding for Main Street Harrison
Riverfront RV Park Proposed for NLR
Have You Signed the ShopMainStreet.org Pledge Yet?
Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Events Publication Opportunity
Literary Tourism Article
7 Grant Opportunities
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No City Funding for Main Street Harrison
http://www.harrisondaily.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19082799&BRD=1815&PAG=461&dept_id=516928&rfi=6
excerpt of the article “With city tax collections not increasing but actually decreasing, there will be no new money in the 2009 budget. . .” (emphasis added)

Riverfront RV Park Proposed for NLR
http://www.nlrtimes.com/articles/2007/12/04/news/nws02.txt

Have You Signed the ShopMainStreet.org Pledge Yet?
From Doug Loescher, Director, National Trust Main Street Center

As part of our growing marketing efforts for ShopMainStreet.org, we have issued the “Shop Main Street Holiday Challenge,” which challenges all friends of Main Street to support independent businesses by purchasing at least one of their holiday gifts this season from a Main Street retailer.
We invite you to sign our pledge to take the challenge at www.shopmainstreet.org/challenge. And we hope you will ask everyone in your community to do so as well.
You can shop in person at a Main Street District near you or online at www.ShopMainStreet.org, our online Main Street business directory.
We welcome your feedback about ShopMainStreet.org so we can continue improving it in 2008.
Happy shopping!

Thanks to Kristine Puckett of Parks & Tourism for this one -
Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Events Publication
Festival & Event Producers –

Since 1985 the Southeast Tourism Society has published the Top 20 Events publication. Through a nomination process, the society chooses the Top 20 events going on in the Southeast for each month of the year, and publishes this list of winners quarterly. This publication is sent to over 300 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, and others, as well as 125 AAA publications. The combined circulation runs into the millions. Current Top 20 Events are listed online at http://southeasttourism.org/top20/top20_octdec07.html.

Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism is now a member of the Southeast Tourism Society. As a result, festivals and events in Arkansas may be submitted for the Top 20 Events publication, if they meet the following requirements set forth by the Southeast Tourism Society:

• 1,000 in attendance
• 3rd year in existence
• Payment of $10 nomination fee per event

Top 20 Events strongly encourages you to strengthen your nomination by providing supporting material such as:

• Photos
• Posters
• Brochures
• Press Releases
• News Clippings
• Volunteer Programs


Deadlines for Applications:

Event Occurring In: Submit by:
July/August/September 2008 January 11, 2008
October/November/December 2008 April 11, 2008
January/February/March 2009 July 11, 2008
April/May/June 2009 October 10, 2008
July/August/September 2009 January 9, 2009
October/November/December 2009 May 8, 2009


If you would like to nominate your event, contact the Tourism Development Section at (501) 682-5240 or e-mail kristine.puckett@arkansas.gov.

Literary Tourism
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/getaways/12/04/nyc.christmas.ap/index.html

7 Grant Opportunities:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/cf/cp.htm
USDA Rural Development - Community Facilities Grant Program
Deadline: January 18 2008
USDA Rural Development is currently soliciting applications for their Community Facility Loan and Grant programs for the 2008 fiscal year. These programs provide grants and/or long term, low-interest loans to non-profit and municipal entities to purchase or repair equipment, or repair, purchase or construct buildings. The facility financed must provide an essential community service to a rural community or communities that have a population of 20,000 or less.
Read more...

http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our_company/sponsorship/Sponsorship_main.html
Barnes and Noble Sponsorships and Charitable Donations Program
Deadline: None
As part of their commitment to good corporate citizenship, Barnes & Noble considers local and national support requests from non-profit organizations that focus on literacy, the arts or education (pre-K – 12). They also consider sponsorship opportunities where they can partner with organizations that focus their core businesses on higher learning, literacy and the arts.
Read more...


Conference Grant
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=16152
Note the grant opportunity to produce conferences on economics and sustainability. Main Street & historic preservation fit directly into this category, IMHO.
Description
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) soliciting applications from eligible applicants for the planning, arranging, administering and/or conducting of conferences, workshops, and/or meetings (hereinafter referred to as “conferences”) that focus on research to protect human health and safeguard the environment. Specifically, EPA is interested in supporting scientific and technical research conferences that address the following research program areas: (1) human health; (2) ecosystems; water and security; (3) economics and sustainability; (4) air and global climate change; and (5) technology. This BAA is open from December 10, 2007 through December 9, 2008. Applications must be received by January 7, 2008; June 5, 2008; and December 9, 2008 depending upon the cycle (as identified in Section II of this BAA) for which the applicant is requesting funding.
Link to Full Announcement
Broad Agency Announcement for Conferences, Workshops, and/or Meetings

NPS American Battlefield Protection Program Grant
The National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program grants provide seed money for projects that lead directly to the identification, preservation and interpretation of battlefield land and/or historic sites associated with battlefields. Eligible recipients include nonprofit groups, academic institutions, and local, regional, state, and tribal governments. In recent years, grants have averaged $32,000. More information is online http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp
Deadline January 18, 2008:

NEH Interpreting America’s Historic Places Grant
The deadline for the National Endowment for the Humanities' (NEH) "Interpreting America's Historic Places" Planning and Implementation grants is Jan. 23, 2008, for projects beginning October 2008. Follow the links for more information on planning or implementation grants.

NTHP Grant
National Trust Preservation Funds: Administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, these grants are designed to encourage preservation at the local level by providing seed money for preservation projects focused on preservation planning or education efforts. Support is offered for obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archeology, engineering, preservation planning, and fundraising. Grant funds may also be used to support preservation education activities. Grants range from $500 to $5,000, with the average grant ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. For more information, contact Joseph McGill at joseph_mcgill@nthp.org or 843-722-8552. Due February 1, 2008