Main Street Arkansas Update - August 25, 2008

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS

Main Street Arkansas Calendar August 25 -29, 2008
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MONDAY Nancy, Susan & Mark – Sheridan (tech visit); Caroline, Batesville (pm)
TUESDAY Susan, Helena; Cary & Greg, El Dorado
WEDNESDAY Nancy & Cary – Pine Bluff
THURSDAY Susan, Searcy
FRIDAY Cary – off

MONDAY - LABOR DAY, office closed
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IN THIS ISSUE:

MSR LEADERSHIP CHANGE
8 COMMON VALUES OF SUCCESSFUL DOWNTOWNS
REAKONOMICS & SUBURBIA
12 LESSONS ON DOWNTOWN RETAILING
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
BICYCLE RACKS
COLLECTION OF HISTORIC BUSINESS SIGNS
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
BROWNFIELDS INFORMATION
TORUISM IN ARKANSAS
RETAIL PROMOTIONS THAT WORK WEBINAR
2 MORE GRANT OPPORTUNITES

It is with great sadness I share the news that Marge Wolf, executive director of Main Street Rogers, has accepted a new position with the NW Arkansas Food Bank. We will miss her greatly.

Rogers Seeks New Leader
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/234802/

8 Common Values All Successful Downtowns Embrace, per Alex Krieger, formerly of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design
http://www.businessreport.com/news/2008/jul/28/eight-enough-edvl1/

Freakonomics asks “What is the future of Suburbian?”
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/what-is-the-future-of-suburbia-a-freakonomics-quorum/?hp


12 Lessons on Downtown Retailing Today
http://www.lisc.org/content/publications/detail/7410/.

American Trails Education & Information Project Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42647

Creative Bicycle Racks (designed, in part, by David Byrne)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/arts/design/09bike.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=david%20byrne&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
- many of you have used DTR money for bike racks, I encourage those of you who are looking at doing that in the future to be creative in the bike rack’s design. For examples, see the photos of the racks designed by the former Talking Head

Great Collection of Historic Business Signs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/society_in_decline/sets/72157594323475636/detail/

Funding to Promote Food Retail Guide
http://www.healthyplanning.org/foodretailfunding.html

Brownfields Conference Call to Answer FAQs

In anticipation of the soon to be released FY09 Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup, and Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Proposal Guidelines, EPA Region 6 will host conference call sessions to answer grant proposal questions concerning threshold and ranking criteria.
Questions and responses can relate to Threshold Criteria, eligibility of proposed grant budget cost, Cleanup and RLF cost share eligibility, and clarifications on guidelines Ranking Criteria.

Link to FAQs:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/publications/fy2009faqs.pdf

The following conference call sessions have been scheduled:
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Grant Proposals:
Thursday, August 28, 9:30am - 10:30am Central Time
Cleanup Grant Proposals:
Thursday, August 28, 1:30pm - 2:30pm Central Time
Assessment (Coalition) Grant Proposals:
Tuesday, September 9, 9:30am - 10:30am Central Time
Join the conference with the following access number:
Conference Call Number: (866)299-3188
Participants Code: 2146657273

Please contact Dorothy Crawford (214-665-2771) or Karen Peycke
(214-665-7273) if you need additional information.

FYI. Just released publication concerning RLF grants:

The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization just posted, Unlocking Brownfields Redevelopment: Establishing a Local Revolving Loan Fund Program, EPA-560-F-08-280 (August 2008) on our website.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

Arkansas Working to Build Image as Tourist, Business Locale
http://arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=107235

Retail Promotions That Work Webinar
With Kathy LaPlante - National Trust Main Street Center (Read Bio)
Date & Time: Friday, September 26 - 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Sidewalk sales, moonlight madness, holiday open houses... are the “ho-hum” retail events boring even you? Learn from a marketing and promotions innovator about new, more effective retail sales and events that are producing increased revenue for merchants in Main Street communities around the country. Get the basics of how to plan and fund retail activities, and discover new techniques for getting merchants to participate.
If you sign-up for this webinar, we encourage you to invite your Promotions Committee Chair or a couple of leading merchants to join you in your office for the presentation. It's one more way of enlisting support and leadership to help jump start a future retail event in your commercial district.
Register today

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42673

Funds for Skateboard Parks in Low-Income Communities
Tony Hawk Foundation
The mission of the Tony Hawk Foundation is to foster lasting improvements in society, with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youth. The principal focus of the Foundation's grant program is to facilitate the design, development, construction, and operation of new, quality skateboard parks located in low-income communities throughout the United States. The Foundation looks for projects that can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment, particularly in the form of fundraising by local skateboarders and other community groups. Priority is given to projects that are designed and built by qualified and experienced skateboard park contractors and include local skaters in the design process. Upcoming application deadlines are October 1, 2008, and March 2, 2009. Visit the website listed above to access the online application information.