Main Street Arkansas Update - March 17, 2008

DATES TO REMEMBER:

LETTERS OF AGREEMENT, WORKPLAN, ETC SHOULD BE IN OUR OFFICE. PROGRAMS THAT HAVE NOT SUBMITTED THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK BY THE DEADLINE (OR HAVE NOT SPOKEN WITH US EXPLAINING THE NEED FOR AN EXTENSION) WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL GRANT APPLICANTS.

MARCH 30-APRIL 2 – NATIONAL MAIN STREETS CONFERENCE, PHILADELPHIA, PA

April 24 – PRESERVATION CRUSTACEANS – ANNUAL CRAWSFISH BOIL TO BENEFIT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF ARKANSAS – NLR 6:30 PM

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS
October 21-25 - National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference, Tulsa, OK

The Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas’s annual Ramble is March 29. This year’s destination is the Arkansas Delta. Please contact HPAA at office@preservearkansas.org for more information or call 501.372.4757 More information here:
http://www.preservearkansas.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=13&cntnt01returnid=51

The Alliance is also accepting nominations to Arkansas’s Most Endangered Places list. Nominations are due April 25. More information here:
http://www.preservearkansas.org/index.php?page=most-endangered-places

Main Street Arkansas Calendar March 17-21
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MONDAY
TUESDAY Cary - Helena
WEDNESDAY Cary – Helena; Susan & Mark – Rogers, Window Display Workshop
THURSDAY Cary – South Arkansas; Susan & Mark – Rogers, Window Display Workshop
FRIDAY Cary – Arkansas Delta; Cary – off
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IN THIS ISSUE:

DeltaMade Press
Main Street Rogers Press
Main Street Texarkana update
Downtown Fort Smith Parking
Walnut Ridge & the Arkansas Downtown Network
Main Street Programs Using Google Earth
The Walkability Revival
What Do City Rankings Really Mean
NPR’s New Series on Sprawl
Maryland Backs a Preservation Brawl
Wal Mart CEO: “We’re Not Green” (but we’re trying)
Fayetteville, Sprawl & Education
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Great DeltaMade Press:
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=62379 (look for the photo of Missy)
http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/?cid=67212
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=4d62b505-4eb0-47ae-a3c6-1918647f4d52
- the Arkansas DeltaMade Market Place held at the Clinton Center yesterday was a tremendous success! Marvelous turnout, a great venue and terrific products. Great work by Beth, the Clinton School & the RHDI.

Good Main Street Rogers Press:
http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/59702/

Main Street Texarkana Keeps Good Communication with their State Rep.
http://www.underthedome.com/2008/03/main-street-texarkana.html
- we appreciate all the support Rep. Steve Harrelson gives Main Street

Downtown Fort Smith Parking Story
http://www.kfsm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8007479

Walnut Ridge May apply for ADN
http://www.thetd.com/freepages/2008-03-12/news/story4.php

Check out the Google Earth 3D rendering of downtown McMinnville, TN here:
http://www.mainstreetmcminnville.org/invest/technical_assistance/downtown_3d.php
Nancy went to a Google Earth 3D seminar at a recent conference & can give you more information if you have questions. Or you can attend McMinnville’s session at the National Conference April 1.
- this is a project of Main Street McMinnville

The Walkability Revival
http://www.governing.com/articles/0802assess.htm

Do You Really Want To Be The Best?
Cities see both benefits and drawbacks to being ranked a top place to live.
http://www.governing.com/articles/0802places.htm
Money Magazine’s 2007 Best Place to Live
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2007/
- no Arkansas cities are listed in the Top 100

NPR’s New Series on Sprawl and the difficult choices confronting communities as they cope with change and try to shape a better future:
http://www.shifting-ground.com/Home.html

Maryland Backs a Preservation Bond
http://www.governing.com/archive/2008/feb/finbrfs.txt

In an effort to save and grow its affordable housing stock, Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development is putting up $75 million. Developers can tap that money, which will be raised through tax-exempt bonds, if they agree to preserve existing but deteriorating market-rate rental housing. The $75 million represents half of the tax-exempt debt the department can issue this year.

Wal Mart CEO: “We are not green” (but we’re trying)
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/03/13/walmart-we-are-not-green/?mod=googlenews_wsj

Interesting story on sprawl, education in Fayetteville
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/print.aspx?ArticleID=9d921a2a-83e6-48ce-ac53-3e882913f09b