Main Street Arkansas Update - March 30, 2009

NEW - April 8 – next grant quarterly report due

National Volunteer Week is April 19-25. Tips on celebrating your volunteers here: http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/

MAY 14-16 : ARKANSAS PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, EUREKA SPRINGS (next quarterly meeting – details to follow)
SEPTEMBER 14-16: DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, EL DORADO

Main Street Arkansas Calendar March 30 – April 3, 2009
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MONDAY Mark, ill; Susan, annual
TUESDAY Cary, Greg, Caroline, Susan – El Dorado; Mark – Paragould
WEDNESDAY Cary – speaking to the Arkansas Museums Association Conference
THURSDAY Susan, Searcy; Caroline – annual leave, pm
FRIDAY Caroline, annual leave; Mark, Searcy
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IN THIS ISSUE:

State Preservation Tax Credit is now Act 498
State’s Cultural Venues Feeling the Pinch of Tight Budgets
Good DeWitt Press
Stimulus & Sprawl
The Closing of Local Bookstores & Effects on Towns
Arkansas’s Top 25 Destinations
Arkansas’s Top 25 Philanthropists
What Happens When Towns Lose Their Newspapers?
MS County & The Johnny Cash Highway
Grant Opportunity
Act 167
Act 262
National Main Streets Conference Eval & Handouts Links
Arkansas: High Magnet, Low Sticky
Non Profits Flooded with High-Level Volunteers, Thanks to the Economy

HB1953 Becomes Act 498 – This is the state historic preservation tax credit.

State’s Cultural Venues Feeling the Pinch of Tight Budgets
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/255427/

Good DeWitt Press
http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/homepage/x108135899/Showing-PRIDE

The Stimulus & the Unintended Sprawl its Creating
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/us/23sprawl.html?_r=1&hp
But to ensure that the money is spent quickly, the law leaves decisions of how to spend some $27.5 billion in transportation money up to the states — and quite a few are using their shares to build new and wider roads that will spur development away from their most populous centers.
The administration’s desire to change the way the country thinks about development, and to wean it from its dependency on foreign oil, is clashing with its need to spend stimulus money as fast as possible. And its call for creating or saving 3.5 million jobs is bumping up against its wish to curb sprawl, which eats up land but creates jobs in construction and strip malls and fast food restaurants that remain after the road builders have all gone away.

Local Bookstore Closes & the Town is Poorer For It
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/nyregion/22towns.html?emc=eta1

Arkansas’s Top 25 Destinations (according to Arkansas Business)
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aid=113317.54928.125446&view=all
- quite a few Main Street & Network towns represented. Not sure I agree with the entire list, but it makes a good discussion point

Arkansas’s Top 25 Philanthropists
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=113109
- Our non-profits should save this list & investigate to see where your mission lines up with their giving priorities

What Happens When A Town Loses Its Newspaper?
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1886826,00.html

Mississippi County to Consider Naming Highway After Johnny Cash
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=113257

Grant Opportunity
National Endowment for the Humanities
Preservation Education and Training Grants
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=46086

From Arkansas Coalition for Excellence:
SB80 is now Act 167. With special thanks to Senator David Johnson who sponsored and championed the bill in the Senate and Representative Steve Harrelson who championed the bill in the House of Representatives. SB 80 authorizes the use of fax and email to document actions by members and directors, unless the bylaws prohibit that form of documentation. Nonprofits should consider amending their bylaws to make clear that the following actions can be documented electronically:
o Action of Directors by unanimous written consent without a meeting.
o Action of Members by written consent of 80%.
o Action of Members by written ballot.
o Voting of Members at a meeting by proxy.
SB254 is now Act 262. With special thanks to Sponsor Senator David Johnson and Co-sponsors Representative Steve Harrelson, Representative Jonathan Barnett, and Representative Donna Hutchinson. UPMIFA, the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (2006), UPMIFA (2006) provides uniform and fundamental rules for the investment of funds held by charitable institutions and the expenditure of funds donated as "endowments" to those institutions.
Handouts OnLine for National Main Streets Conference
Additional handouts have been uploaded. Just use your confirmation number and go get em! How nice was it to not unpack all that paper when you got home?
http://www.register123.com/event/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x716966e042

Don’t forget to fill out a conference eval
In order to continue to make the National Main Streets Conference a success, we rely on you, our attendees to give us valuable feedback on what worked during this conference. So please tell us! Fill out a conference evaluation and share with us your opinions and ideas, so we can continue to make this conference a successful and worthwhile experience each year.

Arkansas: High Magnet, Low Sticky
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1146/magnet-sticky-states-typology
"Magnet" states are those in which a high share of the adults who live there now moved there from some other state.
"Sticky" states are those in which a high share of the adults who were born there live there now.1

Non Profits Flooded with High-Level, Formerly Employed Volunteers
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/nyregion/16volunteers.html?_r=3&ref=us

Every Business Has A Billboard

Mark Miller & Susan Shaddox final presentation can be downloaded here

HB 1953 Becomes Act 498

Main Street Arkansas Update - March 23, 2009

NEW - April 8 – next grant quarterly report due

National Volunteer Week is April 19-25. Tips on celebrating your volunteers here: http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/

MAY 14-16 : ARKANSAS PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, EUREKA SPRINGS (next quarterly training – details to follow)

SEPTEMBER 14-16: DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, EL DORADO

Main Street Arkansas Calendar March 23 - 27, 2009
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MONDAY
TUESDAY HB1953 Signing Ceremony; Greg, Mark – Hardy
WEDNESDAY Mark – Blytheville; Susan, annual
THURSDAY Susan, annual
FRIDAY Susan, annual
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IN THIS ISSUE:

MSA Wins Henry Award
State Preservation Tax Credit Passes
Arkansas DeltaMade Press
OutdoorGrants.com
Good Main Street Rogers Press
Farmers Market Grant Opportunity
NTHP Conference Diversity Scholarship
Small Town, Big Ideas (thanks Denisa Pennington)

Main Street Arkansas Wins Henry Award:
http://www.arkindustryinsider.com/announcements/detail.asp?id=51

PASSED! HB1953, the State Historic Preservation Tax Credit
The state preservation tax credit passed! There will be a signing ceremony at 1:15 tomorrow (Tuesday) in State Capitol Room 250. We hope to have a big crowd. If you haven’t already, please let me know if you’re attending. I’m trying to coordinate travel as parking can be challenging.

Arkansas DeltaMade Press:
http://clintonschoolblog.com/cblog/?p=1104
- DeltaMade is a project of the RHDI which we were a founding partner & evolved from an idea in our 2004 Delta Initiative report (pg. 28)

Nice Website I learned about at the Governor’s Conference:
http://www.outdoorgrants.com/

Good Main Street Rogers Press:
http://www.recordtimes.com/rhtn/News/4938/

Farmers Market Grant Opportunity
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) invites proposals for the 2009 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant program. The Notice of Funds Available for the FMPP was published in the Federal Register on March 13, 2009. This is the fourth year of the FMPP grant program, which is authorized under the recently amended Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976.

AMS will award approximately $5 million in competitive funds for FMPP in Fiscal Year 2009. FMPP grants are available at levels not less than $2,500 and not more than $100,000; no matching funds are required. Proposal submitted for funding should be designed to assist in promoting, expanding, and improving domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agritourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities.

Eligible entities for the 2009 FMPP grants include agricultural cooperatives, producer networks, producer associations, local governments, non-profit organizations, public benefit corporations, economic development corporations, regional farmers, market authorities, and Tribal governments to consider developing proposals for this grant program. Eligible entities must be owned, operated, and located within one or more of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Applications must be submitted to AMS and postmarked by April 27, 2009. For information on applying for FMPP grant funds, please visit our website: www.ams.usda.gov/fmpp

NTHP Diversity Scholarship Program

Since 1992, the Diversity Scholarship Program (DSP) has provided financial assistance to individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds. The goal of the Diversity Scholarship Program is to increase the diversity of participants at the annual National Preservation Conference on October 13-17, 2009 in Nashville, TN. The Program provides financial assistance to approximately 60 community leaders from diverse social, economic, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to attend the National Preservation Conference.

The National Trust seeks culturally diverse applicants whose attendance at the Conference will benefit their communities and whose commitment to historic preservation will be reinforced by their participation. Recipients will have an opportunity to express their perspectives during the Conference and to take advantage of National Trust programs after the Conference.

Applications for the 2009 conference are available now! Apply online by clicking here. Questions? Please contact the Diversity Scholarship Program at conference@nthp.org.

thanks to Denisa Pennington of AEDC for passing this along
Small Town, Big Ideas
The report includes 45 case studies of small towns across the United States that are using a wide range of community and economic development strategies to advance their communities' vision for prosperity. The entire report can be downloaded from www.cednc.unc.edu/stbi.

According to the study, seven themes emerged that offer take-away lessons for other communities hoping to learn from small towns with big ideas. Those include:
1. In small towns, community development is economic development. Communities that incorporate economic and broader, longer-term, community development goals stand to gain more than small towns that take a piecemeal approach.
2. Small towns with the most dramatic outcomes tend to be proactive and future-oriented; they embrace change and assume risk. Being proactive (as opposed to reactive) can be measured by a small town's willingness and ability to act on a particular challenge before it becomes a problem.
3. Successful community economic development strategies are guided by a broadly held local vision. Case after case has demonstrated that people (as opposed to money or other resources) are the one absolutely necessary ingredient to successful development. A committed group of local residents who are willing to work hard for their community's interests can change the fate of an otherwise hopeless community.
4. Defining assets and opportunities broadly can yield innovative strategies that capitalize on a community's competitive advantage. Assets for small town development might include individual people, nonprofit organizations, businesses, open space, farms, parks, landfills (biomass), museums, schools, historic architecture, local attitudes or any number of other things.
5. Innovative local governance, partnerships and organizations significantly enhance the capacity for community economic development. The key to innovative local governance is to think creatively, but always keep the community's overall net benefits in mind. Regionalism and partnerships beyond municipal boundaries can help small towns to pool resources toward shared objectives.
6. Effective communities identify, measure and celebrate short-term successes to sustain support for long-term community economic development. Leaders in small towns must repeatedly make the case for the importance of their efforts to maintain momentum, invigorate volunteers and donors, convince skeptics and, most importantly, keep the focus on the vision or the goals established in a community's strategic plan.
7. Viable community economic development involves the use of a comprehensive package of strategies and tools, rather than a piecemeal approach. Successful development in small towns is always multifaceted. Successful communities tend to have evolved to the point where they have a comprehensive package of strategies and tools that are aligned with the core assets, challenges and opportunities with their regional context.

Henry Awards Photo

Main Street Arkansas Update - March 16, 2009

National Volunteer Week is April 19-25. Tips on celebrating your volunteers here: http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/

MAY 14-16 : ARKANSAS PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, EUREKA SPRINGS (next quarterly meeting – details to follow)
SEPTEMBER 14-16: DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, EL DORADO

Main Street Arkansas Calendar March 16 - 20, 2009
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MONDAY Cary, Ft. Smith – Gov’s Conference; Caroline, El Dorado; Assessment; Susan & Mark – Rogers
TUESDAY Cary, Ft. Smith – Gov’s Conference; Caroline, El Dorado; Assessment; Susan & Mark – Rogers
WEDNESDAY Cary, Susan & Mark - Ft. Smith; Greg, Searcy – Assessment
THURSDAY
FRIDAY Cary – UALR pm.
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Arkansas Stimulus Website
Downtown Branding Blog
Grant Opportunity
SoMa Press
El Dorado Press
8 Ways to Grow A Nonprofit Seminar (soon to be online)

Arkansas Stimulus Website
http://www.recovery.arkansas.gov/
$10.5 million is dedicated to Transportation Enhancement. $235.5 million is discretionary. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Discretionary Dollars will be directed by the Highway Commission. Project funding questions should be directed to info@arkansashighways.com or 501-569-2000.

To see Stimulus projects approved by the Highway Commission, including the Welcome Center in West Memphis, click here (pdf document):
http://www.arkansashighways.com/ARRA2009/ARRA%20List%203-13-09%20FOR%20WEB.pdf

Downtown Branding Blog
http://www.downtownbranding.blogspot.com/

Community Economic Development Projects Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=45786

Lots of SoMa Mardi Gras Parade Photos here:
http://focus.arkansasonline.com/galleries/index.php?id=321848

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=6a2i994o.5cao6y1k&x=0&y=-pevja4&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_album

El Dorado Rock, Paper, Scissors Competition Press:
http://www.arkansas.com/blog/entry/121.aspx

The Charismatic Organization: 8 Ways to Grow a Nonprofit

Remember – you can watch this session on www.clintonspeakerseries.com

Former AmeriCorps director Deborah Jospin and children's policy expert Shirley Sagawa will discuss their book, "The Charismatic Organization: 8 Ways to Grow a Nonprofit That Builds Buzz, Delights Donors and Energizes Employees," which details techniques in coalition building and social entrepreneurship for nonprofits.

Jospin and Sagawa are cofounders of sagawa/jospin, a consulting group that provides foundations and nonprofit organizations with expertise in strategic planning, board development, public policy and program design, business partnership development, coalition building and social entrepreneurship.

When: Monday, March 16, 2009 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. – Lecture *Book signing to follow
Where: Clinton School of Public Service Sturgis Hall
*Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501.683.5239.

Main Street Arkansas Update - March 9, 2009

National Volunteer Week is April 19-25. Tips on celebrating your volunteers here: http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/

MARCH 15-17: GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM, FORT SMITH
MAY 14-16 : ARKANSAS PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, EUREKA SPRINGS
SEPTEMBER 14-16: DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, EL DORADO

Main Street Arkansas Calendar March 9 - 13, 2009
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MONDAY
TUESDAY Mark, Caroline – Texarkana – ER workshops
WEDNESDAY Susan, Batesville
THURSDAY Cary, annual leave; Susan, DeWitt
FRIDAY Cary, annual leave; Susan, Batesville
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IN THIS ISSUE:

El Dorado Wins GAMSA
Excellent Paragould Press
Rock & Roll Highway in NE AR?
Legislative Awareness
Governor’s Institute Endorses Main Street Programs as Policy
Purpose Prize
Downtown Revitalization on Smart City
AR’s Economy Profiled in USA Today
Grant Opportunity

El Dorado Win Great American Main Street Award
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=112628

Excellent Main Street Paragould Press
http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9957405

Rock & Roll Highway in NE Arkansas?
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=112657

$7 Million in CDBG Funding Coming to Arkansas
http://lincoln.senate.gov/newsroom/2009-2-27-3.cfm

Legislative Awareness
HB1953 Preservation Tax Credit


HB1939 Film Incentives
- this is relative in that our historic downtowns often are ‘sets’ for films. Louisiana is a good example of downtowns becoming filming locations

HB 1599-Sponsor: Representative Carter. To encourage additional charitable donations in Arkansas. The bill proposes that a taxpayer who makes a charitable donation to a nonprofit (501 c3) organization would be allowed a deduction of 125% of the actual amount of the charitable contribution to the nonprofit organization.

Thanks to Thom Guzman of Iowa for this
Governor’s Institute on Community Design
http://www.govinstitute.org/policyguide/EconomicDevelopment/04.html
Governor’s Guide to Policy’s That Work, Policy # 4 Create or Support a State Main Street Program
- this endorsement can’t be overstated.

The Purpose Prize
The Purpose Prize® is accepting nominations, including self-nominations, at www.encore.org/prize until March 5th.
The Purpose Prize® provides ten awards of up to $100,000 to social entrepreneurs, 60 years and older, who are solving some of our most pressing social issues – from health care to the environment, poverty to education.

Revitalizing Downtown on Smart City Radio
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?showsmartcityID=449&PageNum_getsmartshows=1
This week on Smart City: Is it possible to design a downtown that boosts the economy and helps people get around without their cars?
Urban designers George Crandall and Don Arambula of the firm Crandall Arambula think so. They join us this week to talk about 21st century retail, re-concentrating a city's downtown and why parking is still important, even when you want people to drive less.
And we'll check in with Donique Nobles. Donique is an alumnus from Teach For America who now serves as the organization's recruitment director. She'll tell us about completing the program, and how she is now working to bring other bright young college graduates into the teaching profession.

Arkansas’s Economy Is Relatively Stable, All Things Considered
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-02-25-ark-economy_N.htm

Grant Opportunity
Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration EDA Recovery Act Funding
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=45786