September has been designated National Preparedness Month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As part of its efforts for National Preparedness Month, the State of Alabama will hold its seventh annual Be Ready Day on September 1, 2010 in Birmingham, Alabama. Be Ready Day is hosted by the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, the Alabama Department of Homeland Security, and the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency.
Be Ready Day, provides a unique opportunity for professional and volunteer responders to interact with citizens by exhibiting response equipment, hosting interactive demonstrations, and stressing the importance of citizen preparedness. The goal of Be Ready Day is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for any type of disaster or emergency as well as demonstrating our state's response capabilities.
Governor Bob Riley will be in attendance along with thousands of other Alabamians. We invite and encourage you to invite your faith and community-based organizations, schools, family, and friends to participate in this important statewide event. For additional information please contact Brooke Fussell via email at Brooke.Fussell@ServeAlabama.gov
Be Ready Day, provides a unique opportunity for professional and volunteer responders to interact with citizens by exhibiting response equipment, hosting interactive demonstrations, and stressing the importance of citizen preparedness. The goal of Be Ready Day is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for any type of disaster or emergency as well as demonstrating our state's response capabilities.
Governor Bob Riley will be in attendance along with thousands of other Alabamians. We invite and encourage you to invite your faith and community-based organizations, schools, family, and friends to participate in this important statewide event. For additional information please contact Brooke Fussell via email at Brooke.Fussell@ServeAlabama.gov
WASHINGTON -- Small nonprofit organizations at risk of losing their tax-exempt status because they failed to file required returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009 can preserve their status by filing returns by Oct. 15, 2010, under a one-time relief program, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.
The IRS today posted on a special page of IRS.gov the names and last-known addresses of these at-risk organizations, along with guidance about how to come back into compliance. The organizations on the list have return due dates between May 17 and Oct. 15, 2010, but the IRS has no record that they filed the required returns for any of the past three years.
We are doing everything we can to help organizations comply with the law and keep their valuable tax exemption,‖ IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. ―So if you do not have your filings up to date, now's the time to take action and get back on track.
Two types of relief are available for small exempt organizations - a filing extension for the smallest organizations required to file Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard), and a voluntary compliance program (VCP) for small organizations eligible to file Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.
Small organizations required to file Form 990-N simply need to go to the IRS website, supply the eight information items called for on the form, and electronically file it by Oct. 15. That will bring them back into compliance.
The IRS today posted on a special page of IRS.gov the names and last-known addresses of these at-risk organizations, along with guidance about how to come back into compliance. The organizations on the list have return due dates between May 17 and Oct. 15, 2010, but the IRS has no record that they filed the required returns for any of the past three years.
We are doing everything we can to help organizations comply with the law and keep their valuable tax exemption,‖ IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. ―So if you do not have your filings up to date, now's the time to take action and get back on track.
Two types of relief are available for small exempt organizations - a filing extension for the smallest organizations required to file Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard), and a voluntary compliance program (VCP) for small organizations eligible to file Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.
Small organizations required to file Form 990-N simply need to go to the IRS website, supply the eight information items called for on the form, and electronically file it by Oct. 15. That will bring them back into compliance.
Between 1950 and 2004, the size of the average American home increased from 983 to 2,349 square feet. Consumers are moving toward smaller houses again, entering a ''right-sizing'' trend. Citing multiple earlier reports of a ''McMansion glut'' or ''backlash,'' and new market research, CNBC writer Cindy Perman says the era of giant houses is ''over.'' Case in point: a survey conducted in July 2010 by Harris Interactive for Trulia.com found that just 9 percent of respondents still believe the ideal home should have at least 3,200 square feet.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7762
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7762
The National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse (NTEC) has
published the 2010 report, "Transportation Enhancements: Summary of
Nationwide Spending as of Fiscal Year 2009." The full-color, 40-page
report is available as a free PDF download at: http://www.enhancements.org.
What are the country's transportation funding priorities? What are transportation enhancements? How does your State compare with other States when it comes to spending Federal Transportation Enhancements program funds? This report provides a view into this popular Federal transportation funding program for transparency and valuable comparisons.
What are the country's transportation funding priorities? What are transportation enhancements? How does your State compare with other States when it comes to spending Federal Transportation Enhancements program funds? This report provides a view into this popular Federal transportation funding program for transparency and valuable comparisons.
NTEC has made significant database improvements over the past year. The newly issued report is a complete update. It features a new explanation of the Federal transportation financing lifecycle, a funding report on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and more.
NTEC is a valuable resource with tools and a Web-accessible database on national and State-by-State funding and expenditures. NTEC makes the Transportation Enhancements Program an accountable and transparent transportation funding program.
Visit www.enhancements.org to access numerous tools and publications.
For more information, or for technical assistance with respect to NTEC resources, contact Tracy Hadden Loh, NTEC Program Coordinator, 2121 Ward Ct NW, 5th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20037; or call (202) 974-5155 or e-mail: tracy@enhancements.org.
2010 Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism Awards
Montgomery, Ala. -- The City of Valley and the Cotton Mill Reunion celebration received the 2010 Theme Campaign award by the Alabama Tourism Department. The black-tie awards ceremony took place Tuesday, August 17, at the Renaissance Hotel and Spa in Montgomery.
"Valley excelled above other cities in terms of embracing the Alabama Tourism Department's 2010 campaign, Year of Small Towns and Downtowns," said the celebration's nominator, Marilyn Stamps.
Valley held a two-day Cotton Mill Reunion August 7-8 for its Homecoming Celebration. The city turned the festival into an economic and revitalization project for the area that is expected to have a long-term impact on tourism. Valley also celebrated its 30th anniversary and partnered with Auburn University's Journalism Department to produce a special edition of Valley Vision, a newspaper insert that focused on the city's past and future.
Criteria for the Theme Campaign award include outstanding performance, outstanding economic impact statistics, and continuation of a Year of Alabama marketing campaign. Criteria also include increased appeal to tourists, increased attendance and the enhancement of local, regional or state image as a tourist destination.
The Theme Campaign award is among 14 for 2010 that comprise the Alabama Tourism Awards. The awards were first presented in 1998 and honor outstanding achievements in the state's tourism industry. Each award winner is recognized as a key player in making tourism a strong economic force. Tourism contributed $9.3 Billion to Alabama's economy in 2009; supported 162,000 jobs statewide and an estimated 21 million people visited the state last year.
The Alabama Tourism Department coordinates the awards program. The 14 winners are as follows:
· Lifetime Achievement Award --Dr. David Bronner, CEO Retirement Systems of Alabama * Presented Monday, August 16
· Government Advocate Award--Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange
· Media Advocate Award--Lynn and Milton Fullman
· Governor's Tourism Award--James W. Rane Sr., CEO Great Southern Wood, Abbeville
· Organization of the Year--Gulf Shores Orange Beach Tourism
· Attraction of the Year--Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia.
· Event of the Year--Star Wars exhibit at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville
· Tourism Executive of the Year--Patti Culp, Alabama Travel Council
· Tourism Employee of the Year--Angie Pierce, Alabama Mountain Lakes Association
· Alabama Tourism Department Employee of the Year--Cynthia Flowers
· Partnership Award--Elmore County Economic Development Authority
· Welcome Center of the Year--Grand Bay
· Theme Campaign-- City of Valley & Cotton Mills Reunion
· Rising Star Award--Christine Elmore, Dothan Convention and Visitors Bureau
Montgomery, Ala. -- The City of Valley and the Cotton Mill Reunion celebration received the 2010 Theme Campaign award by the Alabama Tourism Department. The black-tie awards ceremony took place Tuesday, August 17, at the Renaissance Hotel and Spa in Montgomery.
"Valley excelled above other cities in terms of embracing the Alabama Tourism Department's 2010 campaign, Year of Small Towns and Downtowns," said the celebration's nominator, Marilyn Stamps.
Valley held a two-day Cotton Mill Reunion August 7-8 for its Homecoming Celebration. The city turned the festival into an economic and revitalization project for the area that is expected to have a long-term impact on tourism. Valley also celebrated its 30th anniversary and partnered with Auburn University's Journalism Department to produce a special edition of Valley Vision, a newspaper insert that focused on the city's past and future.
Criteria for the Theme Campaign award include outstanding performance, outstanding economic impact statistics, and continuation of a Year of Alabama marketing campaign. Criteria also include increased appeal to tourists, increased attendance and the enhancement of local, regional or state image as a tourist destination.
The Theme Campaign award is among 14 for 2010 that comprise the Alabama Tourism Awards. The awards were first presented in 1998 and honor outstanding achievements in the state's tourism industry. Each award winner is recognized as a key player in making tourism a strong economic force. Tourism contributed $9.3 Billion to Alabama's economy in 2009; supported 162,000 jobs statewide and an estimated 21 million people visited the state last year.
The Alabama Tourism Department coordinates the awards program. The 14 winners are as follows:
· Lifetime Achievement Award --Dr. David Bronner, CEO Retirement Systems of Alabama * Presented Monday, August 16
· Government Advocate Award--Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange
· Media Advocate Award--Lynn and Milton Fullman
· Governor's Tourism Award--James W. Rane Sr., CEO Great Southern Wood, Abbeville
· Organization of the Year--Gulf Shores Orange Beach Tourism
· Attraction of the Year--Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia.
· Event of the Year--Star Wars exhibit at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville
· Tourism Executive of the Year--Patti Culp, Alabama Travel Council
· Tourism Employee of the Year--Angie Pierce, Alabama Mountain Lakes Association
· Alabama Tourism Department Employee of the Year--Cynthia Flowers
· Partnership Award--Elmore County Economic Development Authority
· Welcome Center of the Year--Grand Bay
· Theme Campaign-- City of Valley & Cotton Mills Reunion
· Rising Star Award--Christine Elmore, Dothan Convention and Visitors Bureau
Oct. 6-7, Renaissance Montgomery Hotel
Please make plans to attend the 4th Annual Statewide ACLN Conference. Notable keynote speakers include Dr. Wayne Flynt of Auburn University and gubernatorial candidates Dr. Robert Bentley and Ron Sparks. In addition to the keynote speakers, this conference offers a variety of workshop topics including, attracting young professionals, coalition building, starting a youth debate program, conflict resolution, obesity in Alabama, fundraising, the impact of the BP oil spill, gaming in Alabama and many, many more!!!
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel. For room reservations, call 877-545-0311. Indicate that you are attending the AU ACLN Conference to receive the special group rate.
To register online, download the conference brochure, or for hotel information, please go to: http://www.acln.info/conference.htm
Register by Aug. 31 to take advantage of the early registration fee.
Please make plans to attend the 4th Annual Statewide ACLN Conference. Notable keynote speakers include Dr. Wayne Flynt of Auburn University and gubernatorial candidates Dr. Robert Bentley and Ron Sparks. In addition to the keynote speakers, this conference offers a variety of workshop topics including, attracting young professionals, coalition building, starting a youth debate program, conflict resolution, obesity in Alabama, fundraising, the impact of the BP oil spill, gaming in Alabama and many, many more!!!
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel. For room reservations, call 877-545-0311. Indicate that you are attending the AU ACLN Conference to receive the special group rate.
To register online, download the conference brochure, or for hotel information, please go to: http://www.acln.info/conference.htm
Register by Aug. 31 to take advantage of the early registration fee.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting proposals for up to eight $25,000 cooperative agreements to support the protection of human health and the environment in communities affected by the BP oil spill. Local incorporated non-profit community-based organizations--including faith based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions, environmental justice networks, and local Native American tribal governments--located and working in areas within affected states, are eligible to apply.
EPA developed the grant program after meeting with local organizations in the Gulf Region and learning that there was a need for technical assistance to support educational outreach to communities affected by the BP oil spill. The grants will provide funding to help develop educational materials on what seafood is safe to eat, what to do if exposed to oil, and how to address and adapt to the spill's long-term effects. Providing grant funding directly to local organizations will help to ensure that information is distributed through trusted networks of communication and from organizations that will continue to support efforts to rebuild in the wake of disaster.
Organizations that are able to provide accurate and current information to a wide geographic area in the affected region are encouraged to apply by September 13, 2010. To read the request for proposals and for information on how to apply: http://epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/bp-spill-grants.html
EPA developed the grant program after meeting with local organizations in the Gulf Region and learning that there was a need for technical assistance to support educational outreach to communities affected by the BP oil spill. The grants will provide funding to help develop educational materials on what seafood is safe to eat, what to do if exposed to oil, and how to address and adapt to the spill's long-term effects. Providing grant funding directly to local organizations will help to ensure that information is distributed through trusted networks of communication and from organizations that will continue to support efforts to rebuild in the wake of disaster.
Organizations that are able to provide accurate and current information to a wide geographic area in the affected region are encouraged to apply by September 13, 2010. To read the request for proposals and for information on how to apply: http://epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/bp-spill-grants.html
Thursday, October 7- Saturday, October 9, 2010 Historic Montgomery, Alabama
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE A T A GLANCE
The Alabama Preservation Conference is a program of the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, Alabama Historical Commission, Black Heritage Council of Alabama and the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery.
Thursday Evening, October 7
Private Tour, First White House of the Confederacy Reception and Opening Session, Alabama Department of Archives and History Tour, New Exhibitions, forthcoming Museum of Alabama, Alabama Department of Archives and History Special Event benefitting the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, Private Venue
Or Dinner in Historic Downtown Montgomery restaurants and eateries
Friday Morning, October 8
Plenary Session, Key Note Address, Historic Preservation Is Economic Development, Don Rypkema, Alabama Department of Archives and History
Friday Noon, October 8 Key Note Luncheon: Making It Happen: Economic Development in Historic Downtowns by Don
Rypkema. Alley Station Ballroom, Historic Downtown Montgomery. (Open to the public, reservation required, not included in conference registration fee.)
Friday Afternoon, October 8
Concurrent Tracks (Tracks begin late morning, end late afternoon. Track programs include brown bag lunches unless otherwise noted.)
Track 1: Preservation and Economic Development: Making Downtowns Come Alive
What does it take to turn a historic downtown around? Montgomery's lively Lower Commerce area is a case study in preservation and economic development. Meet with preservationists, planners, developers, and business leaders to explore the principles, practices and potential pitfalls in turning historic downtowns into destinations. Sessions offer opportunities for in-depth exploration of topics, including a special session with keynote speaker Don Rypkema on small town downtowns and The Main Street approach. All sessions are in and around The Alleyway, a delightful space that is a key part of Montgomery's downtown revival plan. Tours and meeting spaces include renovated offices, restaurants, event spaces and lofts. (Track includes ticket to Key Note Luncheon with Don Rypkema speaking.)
Track 2: Preserving History and Its Symbolic Structures: Civil Rights and Beyond
Join local Montgomery historians and preservationists on a special in-depth tour to explore some of Montgomery's African American places with historian and archivist at Alabama State University, Dr. Howard Robinson. The tour will showcase historic homes andcommunity institutions that gave birth to and nurtured the nation's greatest movement for social change. See historic churches led by Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy and the homes of key Civil Rights icons Rosa Parks, E. D. Nixon and Johnnie Carr. The tour includes one of Alabama's oldest black universities and a portion of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Voting Rights Trail, including the City of St. Jude where Harry Belafonte and Peter, Paul and Mary, among others, entertained marchers in 1965. Track includes lunch at the Historic Jackson Community House, an antebellum home restored by the Montgomery City Federation of Colored Women Clubs with presentations by project leaders on the process of preserving the building.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE A T A GLANCE
The Alabama Preservation Conference is a program of the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, Alabama Historical Commission, Black Heritage Council of Alabama and the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery.
Thursday Evening, October 7
Private Tour, First White House of the Confederacy Reception and Opening Session, Alabama Department of Archives and History Tour, New Exhibitions, forthcoming Museum of Alabama, Alabama Department of Archives and History Special Event benefitting the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, Private Venue
Or Dinner in Historic Downtown Montgomery restaurants and eateries
Friday Morning, October 8
Plenary Session, Key Note Address, Historic Preservation Is Economic Development, Don Rypkema, Alabama Department of Archives and History
Friday Noon, October 8 Key Note Luncheon: Making It Happen: Economic Development in Historic Downtowns by Don
Rypkema. Alley Station Ballroom, Historic Downtown Montgomery. (Open to the public, reservation required, not included in conference registration fee.)
Friday Afternoon, October 8
Concurrent Tracks (Tracks begin late morning, end late afternoon. Track programs include brown bag lunches unless otherwise noted.)
Track 1: Preservation and Economic Development: Making Downtowns Come Alive
What does it take to turn a historic downtown around? Montgomery's lively Lower Commerce area is a case study in preservation and economic development. Meet with preservationists, planners, developers, and business leaders to explore the principles, practices and potential pitfalls in turning historic downtowns into destinations. Sessions offer opportunities for in-depth exploration of topics, including a special session with keynote speaker Don Rypkema on small town downtowns and The Main Street approach. All sessions are in and around The Alleyway, a delightful space that is a key part of Montgomery's downtown revival plan. Tours and meeting spaces include renovated offices, restaurants, event spaces and lofts. (Track includes ticket to Key Note Luncheon with Don Rypkema speaking.)
Track 2: Preserving History and Its Symbolic Structures: Civil Rights and Beyond
Join local Montgomery historians and preservationists on a special in-depth tour to explore some of Montgomery's African American places with historian and archivist at Alabama State University, Dr. Howard Robinson. The tour will showcase historic homes andcommunity institutions that gave birth to and nurtured the nation's greatest movement for social change. See historic churches led by Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy and the homes of key Civil Rights icons Rosa Parks, E. D. Nixon and Johnnie Carr. The tour includes one of Alabama's oldest black universities and a portion of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Voting Rights Trail, including the City of St. Jude where Harry Belafonte and Peter, Paul and Mary, among others, entertained marchers in 1965. Track includes lunch at the Historic Jackson Community House, an antebellum home restored by the Montgomery City Federation of Colored Women Clubs with presentations by project leaders on the process of preserving the building.
Statewide Arts Education Summit 2010 -- October 6-8, 2010
Alabama's statewide arts education advocacy summit will take place at the Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa, this October with a focus on "Making it Happen." In January 2011 the Merce Cunningham Dance Company plans a legacy tour through Alabama. Cunningham, Cage and Rauschenberg were the first improvisational collaborators to create "Happenings" at Black Mountain College beginning in 1930, and even in the early '70's, "Happenings" were still very much alive. A "Happening" was an arts event (improvisational, multi-disciplinary and non-linear) created by both performers and audience. Boundaries disappeared and the audience became part of the art. Often things were left to chance with no script or plot. "Happenings" developed on the spot.
Everything we are learning today in education research states that when the students are active learners, boundaries dissolve and everyone learns together. Students gain the skills they need for the future, and school culture becomes risk free, innovative and exciting. What better time to reengage the old "Happening" model for our Arts Education Summit!
We are looking for presenters willing to go out on a limb to offer "Happenings" that will engage us in advocacy for arts education. That advocacy should include excellent teaching in the arts both sequential and integrated; building awareness in communities through strong partnerships with schools, and building legislation in our government to create policy stating the arts are essential for every student. We encourage you to envision a "Happening" structured to encourage learning about what you have to offer. That structure should engage a community of learners attending our summit, and enhance their capacity building for our schools, our communities and/or our government.
Break Out Sessions will be 90 minutes. We need sessions on: how to integrate the arts, how to develop community partnerships, and how to influence policy makers. We need sessions on anything that enhances arts education, including technology, assessment, questioning, envisioning, strategic planning, networking, and more. We also need teaching artists to showcase their work. If you have an idea with the capacity to strengthen arts programs in Alabama - we want you!
Please send your proposals immediately to Diana Green at the Alabama State Council on the Arts. You may email proposals to diana.green@arts.alabama.gov. If you have questions or would like to brainstorm by phone, please call me at 334/242-4076 Ext. 241.
Proposals should include objective, planned activities or improvisational direction, and a creative element that uses lessons learned or discoveries made to culminate your session. You may send narratives or lesson plans. Choose your own format for your "Happening" proposal. We may need to call you, so include current contact information.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for all you do for Alabama's students!!!!
Diana F. Green
334/242-4076 Ext. 241
diana.green@arts.alabama.gov
Alabama's statewide arts education advocacy summit will take place at the Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa, this October with a focus on "Making it Happen." In January 2011 the Merce Cunningham Dance Company plans a legacy tour through Alabama. Cunningham, Cage and Rauschenberg were the first improvisational collaborators to create "Happenings" at Black Mountain College beginning in 1930, and even in the early '70's, "Happenings" were still very much alive. A "Happening" was an arts event (improvisational, multi-disciplinary and non-linear) created by both performers and audience. Boundaries disappeared and the audience became part of the art. Often things were left to chance with no script or plot. "Happenings" developed on the spot.
Everything we are learning today in education research states that when the students are active learners, boundaries dissolve and everyone learns together. Students gain the skills they need for the future, and school culture becomes risk free, innovative and exciting. What better time to reengage the old "Happening" model for our Arts Education Summit!
We are looking for presenters willing to go out on a limb to offer "Happenings" that will engage us in advocacy for arts education. That advocacy should include excellent teaching in the arts both sequential and integrated; building awareness in communities through strong partnerships with schools, and building legislation in our government to create policy stating the arts are essential for every student. We encourage you to envision a "Happening" structured to encourage learning about what you have to offer. That structure should engage a community of learners attending our summit, and enhance their capacity building for our schools, our communities and/or our government.
Break Out Sessions will be 90 minutes. We need sessions on: how to integrate the arts, how to develop community partnerships, and how to influence policy makers. We need sessions on anything that enhances arts education, including technology, assessment, questioning, envisioning, strategic planning, networking, and more. We also need teaching artists to showcase their work. If you have an idea with the capacity to strengthen arts programs in Alabama - we want you!
Please send your proposals immediately to Diana Green at the Alabama State Council on the Arts. You may email proposals to diana.green@arts.alabama.gov. If you have questions or would like to brainstorm by phone, please call me at 334/242-4076 Ext. 241.
Proposals should include objective, planned activities or improvisational direction, and a creative element that uses lessons learned or discoveries made to culminate your session. You may send narratives or lesson plans. Choose your own format for your "Happening" proposal. We may need to call you, so include current contact information.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for all you do for Alabama's students!!!!
Diana F. Green
334/242-4076 Ext. 241
diana.green@arts.alabama.gov
United Way of Central Alabama and the Alabama Association of Nonprofits are pleased to offer free training for non-profit organizations. The two-hour sessions include: Grant Writing (August), Outcome Measurements (September), Evaluating Program Effectiveness for Non-Profits (October), Free Tax Assistance Programs and Beehive Alabama (November). For additional information and to register, visit www.uwca.org or www.aanp.org.
The Jefferson County Department of Health invites you to attend its Leadership Breakfast & Tour
Guest Speaker: Mark Fenton, Host of America's Walking on PBS
Join Fenton on a bus tour following breakfast as he discusses how community design and the built environment can improve health, safety, and quality of life.
Tuesday, August 10th
Energen Plaza Conference Center 605 Richard Arrington Jr., Boulevard North
Public parking lot behind Energen Plaza (the rate is $3.00); metered parking on street.
7:30AM Breakfast • 8:30AM Bus Tour
Contact Flo Fleming at 930-1480 or Flo.Fleming@jcdh.org to reserve your spot today!
Guest Speaker: Mark Fenton, Host of America's Walking on PBS
Join Fenton on a bus tour following breakfast as he discusses how community design and the built environment can improve health, safety, and quality of life.
Tuesday, August 10th
Energen Plaza Conference Center 605 Richard Arrington Jr., Boulevard North
Public parking lot behind Energen Plaza (the rate is $3.00); metered parking on street.
7:30AM Breakfast • 8:30AM Bus Tour
Contact Flo Fleming at 930-1480 or Flo.Fleming@jcdh.org to reserve your spot today!
Top Events for August 2010
Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival - Aug 5-8Thurs., Aug 5, Evening of Poetry; Fri., Aug. 6, Jazz Music Workshop; Sat., Aug. 7, Jazz in the Square (Dauphin St.) with national, regional and local bands; and Sun., Aug. 8, Jazz Jam Session
24th Annual World's Longest Yard Sale - Aug 5-8
"America's Most Scenic Shopping Mall," featuring more than 450 miles of yard sale bargains stretching from Gadsden, Alabama, to Covington, Kentucky. Enjoy scenic vistas, waterfalls and canyons, and meet friendly people along the way.
Fairfield Music Festival - Aug 7
Celebrate the Year of Small Towns and Downtowns with a variety of jazz, blues, R&B and gospel music in Fairfield's historic downtown.
Rickwood Centennial - Aug 18
Come out to this free event at Rickwood this summer to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rickwood Field, which opened on August 18, 1910!
Buckmasters Expo - Aug 20-22
More than 30,000 consumers and hunters from around the country attend the expo. Activities include Buckmasters Trophy Records Scoring and Display; Buckmasters Top Bow Indoor World Championship where the country's best 3-D archers compete for cash, prizes and the coveted title; and kids activities, including archery shooting and laser shot hunting and target simulating.
Franklin County Watermelon Festival - Aug 20-21
This festival is a celebration, a time for families and friends to gather and eat, play and have fun. We offer a wide variety of activities to enjoy: watermelon contests, car/truck/motorcycle show, antique tractor show, rides & games for kids, 5K/1K Run, Kiwanis Bike Ride, arts & crafts and fabulous food.
Stokin' the Fire BBQ & Music Festival, 6th Annual - Aug 20-21
At the cornerstone of the two-day event is a world-class barbecue competition, sanctioned by the prestigious Kansas City Barbeque Society. The competition will feature more than 80 local amateur barbecue teams. Each will compete for the braggin' rights to the best Q in Birmingham. The festival has something for everyone! In addition to the barbecue battles, visitors can enjoy all-day headliner music at the Stokin' stage, purchase barbecue from nationally acclaimed barbecue vendors, enjoy global grilling demonstrations by chefs from some of Birmingham's best restaurants, and participate in a Sloss metal arts iron pour. Kids also will have plenty of rib ticklin' fun in the kids zone, with a variety of free activities and entertainment under the water tower stage.
Muster on the Tallapoosa - Aug 21
Living history at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. The 10th Annual Muster on the Tallapoosa begins at 9:30 am. Features various activities during the day, including living history camps of the Creek and Cherokee Indians and the Tennessee Militia. Guest speakers offer insight into the Creek War. This free event is a must for historians.
Killen Founders Day - Aug 27-28
Killen Park--Celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the town of Killen with a parade, 5k run, artisans, food vendors, live entertainment, children's activities, a working Colonial village, Native American demonstrations, classic vehicles and fireworks. Free. (256) 757-1158; www.visitflorenceal.com
Annual Okra Festival - Aug 28
Enjoy fresh vegetables, okra, food, vendors, arts and crafts, music, and more.
Black Belt Folk Roots Festival - Aug 28-29
Handmade quilts, baskets and crafts, with blues on Saturday and gospel on Sunday. Down-home cooking, soul food, fish and homemade ice cream. Children's tent with dancing, drumming, storytelling and face painting.
11:30-2:45, Friday, August 27, 2010, St. James Hotel, Selma, Alabama
MAIN STREET ALABAMA AND THE ALABAMA BLACK BELT HERITAGE AREA INVITE YOU TO A HALF-DAY WORKSHOP FEATURING BOB WILSON
Director, Mississippi Main Street Association Board Member, Heritage Hills Heritage Area
The Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area has more than 50 towns that could qualify for a local Main Street Program. Created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation over 25 years ago, Main Street is the nation's most effective downtown revitalization strategy. Join us in Selma to learn how this program could benefit Black Belt communities.
AGENDA All sessions held in St. James Hotel
11:30 - 12:00 Welcome and updates on the Heritage Area and Main Street Alabama
12:00 - 1:00 What Can Main Street Do for Me? Bob Wilson, Keynote Luncheon speaker
1:15 - 2:30 Concurrent Workshops
Information: Shebra Kidd, Downtown Selma Association / Main Street 334-874-2169 Wimberly Comer, Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area, 205-532-9582 Ellen Mertins, Alabama Historical Commission, 334-230-2657
PLEASE REGISTER BY FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2010
Download the registration form: mainstreet2010.pdf
MAIN STREET ALABAMA AND THE ALABAMA BLACK BELT HERITAGE AREA INVITE YOU TO A HALF-DAY WORKSHOP FEATURING BOB WILSON
Director, Mississippi Main Street Association Board Member, Heritage Hills Heritage Area
The Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area has more than 50 towns that could qualify for a local Main Street Program. Created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation over 25 years ago, Main Street is the nation's most effective downtown revitalization strategy. Join us in Selma to learn how this program could benefit Black Belt communities.
AGENDA All sessions held in St. James Hotel
11:30 - 12:00 Welcome and updates on the Heritage Area and Main Street Alabama
12:00 - 1:00 What Can Main Street Do for Me? Bob Wilson, Keynote Luncheon speaker
1:15 - 2:30 Concurrent Workshops
2:30 - 2:45 Wrap Upa) Getting Ready for Main Street
Bob Wilson and Main Street Alabama Board Member Sanquenetta Thompson tell you what steps to take nowb) Enhancing the Visitor Experience in Your Community
Tourism consultant Mary Jeanne Packer shares ways to use signage, existing facilities, and local people to enhance the visitor experience
Information: Shebra Kidd, Downtown Selma Association / Main Street 334-874-2169 Wimberly Comer, Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area, 205-532-9582 Ellen Mertins, Alabama Historical Commission, 334-230-2657
PLEASE REGISTER BY FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2010
Download the registration form: mainstreet2010.pdf
HUD Secretary Shawn Donovan
has announced a Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) that gives
grantees priority for buying foreclosed Federal Housing Administration
(FHA)-insured homes. Called FHA's First Look Sales Method, the
initiative also offers NSP participants - states, localities and
nonprofits - a 10-percent price discount for about 14 days from the
transfer of foreclosed properties to FHA. After the 14-day period, those
properties remaining will be listed for sale under FHA's standard
procedure. The initiative will be effective until May 31, 2013.
''We believe FHA First Look will provide communities with a
powerful tool to help them convert these vacant properties into the
affordable homes families need to thrive and our local economies need to
recover,'' Secretary Donovan told the National Council of La Raza
Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas. ''The truth is, as hard as it
is right now, it's even harder to imagine what would have happened had
we not acted when we took office - when we were losing 753,000 jobs a
month, home prices had declined for 30 straight months and Americans had
lost $6 trillion in home equity.''
Thanks largely to the joint HUD-Treasury Home Affordable
Modification Program (HAMP) and FHA's loss mitigation options, which
together ''helped set a standard across the industry,'' the secretary
pointed out, ''nearly 3 million borrowers have received restructured
mortgages since April of 2009,'' almost three times more than lost their
homes during that time. 7/12/2010
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The U.S. Department of
Energy has announced 15 research and deployment partnerships to help
dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes. These
highly-qualified, multidisciplinary teams will receive a total of up to
$30 million for the initial 18 months of the projects to deliver
innovative energy-efficiency strategies to the residential market and
address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach for all
Americans.
A total of up to $20 million per year will also be made
available for the partnerships for three potential one-year extensions.
These research and deployment partnerships will provide technical
assistance to retrofit projects and will leverage industry expertise and
funding to support DOE's energy efficiency retrofit programs. This
effort will support the Department's Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative,
announced by Vice President Joe Biden in April, which brings
communities, governments, private sector companies and non-profit
organizations together to deliver energy-efficiency upgrades--or
retrofits--to whole neighborhoods and cities.
''Home energy efficiency is one of the easiest, most immediate
and most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon pollution and save money
on energy bills, while creating new jobs,'' said Secretary of Energy
Steven Chu. ''By developing and using tools to reduce residential energy
use, we will spur economic growth here in America and help homeowners
make cost-cutting improvements in their homes.''
7/20/2010
Resource(s): http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/
ICMA has released a new report, "Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities," which focuses on how to adapt smart growth strategies to rural communities. Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Sustainable Communities, the report examines the challenges rural communities face, including rapid growth at metropolitan edges, declining rural populations, and the loss of working lands. It highlights smart growth strategies that can help guide rural growth while preserving the unique rural character of existing communities.
The report focuses on three central goals: 1) support the rural landscape by creating an economic climate that enhances the viability of working lands and conserves natural lands; 2) help existing places to thrive by taking care of assets and investments such as downtowns, Main Streets, existing infrastructure, and places that the community values; and 3) create great new places by building vibrant, enduring neighborhoods and communities that people, especially young people, don't want to leave. Featuring case studies from across the country, the report highlights how local governments, states, and non-profits have successfully implemented smart growth strategies to support rural lands, revitalize existing communities, and create great new places for residents and visitors.
To read the full report, visit: www.icma.org/ruralsmartgrowth. Hard copies of the report will be available later this summer. Stay posted to ICMA's website for information on ordering hard copies of the report.
The report focuses on three central goals: 1) support the rural landscape by creating an economic climate that enhances the viability of working lands and conserves natural lands; 2) help existing places to thrive by taking care of assets and investments such as downtowns, Main Streets, existing infrastructure, and places that the community values; and 3) create great new places by building vibrant, enduring neighborhoods and communities that people, especially young people, don't want to leave. Featuring case studies from across the country, the report highlights how local governments, states, and non-profits have successfully implemented smart growth strategies to support rural lands, revitalize existing communities, and create great new places for residents and visitors.
To read the full report, visit: www.icma.org/ruralsmartgrowth. Hard copies of the report will be available later this summer. Stay posted to ICMA's website for information on ordering hard copies of the report.
Some 215 towns across Alabama welcome you home this year during the Great Alabama Homecoming. It's all part of the Year of Alabama Small Towns & Downtowns- a celebration of everything that is Sweet Home Alabama. There are homecoming events and festivals going on practically every weekend through mid-December. Upcoming events include:
July Fest- Vina- July 31
Harpersville Homecoming- Harpersville- July 31-Aug. 1
Fairfield Music Festival- Fairfield- Aug. 7
Cotton Mill Reunion- Valley- Aug. 7
Back-to-School Homecoming- Five Points- Aug. 13-14
Centennial Celebration- Lipscomb- Aug. 13-15
Founders Day Celebration- Hobson City- Aug. 14-15
Littleville Fun Fest- Littleville- Aug. 14
Rickwood Centennial- Birmingham- Aug. 18
Homecoming Celebration- Athens- Aug. 20-21
Founder's Day Festival- Fultondale- Aug. 21
Priceville Annual Cruise-In- Priceville- Aug. 21
Watermelon Festival- Russellville- Aug. 21
Killen Founder's Day- Killen- Aug. 27-28
A Homecoming Celebration- Wadley- Aug. 28
For a complete list of Great Alabama Homecoming Events please see www.alabama.travel/homecoming
July Fest- Vina- July 31
Harpersville Homecoming- Harpersville- July 31-Aug. 1
Fairfield Music Festival- Fairfield- Aug. 7
Cotton Mill Reunion- Valley- Aug. 7
Back-to-School Homecoming- Five Points- Aug. 13-14
Centennial Celebration- Lipscomb- Aug. 13-15
Founders Day Celebration- Hobson City- Aug. 14-15
Littleville Fun Fest- Littleville- Aug. 14
Rickwood Centennial- Birmingham- Aug. 18
Homecoming Celebration- Athens- Aug. 20-21
Founder's Day Festival- Fultondale- Aug. 21
Priceville Annual Cruise-In- Priceville- Aug. 21
Watermelon Festival- Russellville- Aug. 21
Killen Founder's Day- Killen- Aug. 27-28
A Homecoming Celebration- Wadley- Aug. 28
For a complete list of Great Alabama Homecoming Events please see www.alabama.travel/homecoming
The August issue of Travel + Leisure magazine ranks the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clearat No. 31 on its list of the Top 50 Resorts in the U.S. and Canada. The list is a part of Travel + Leisure magazine's annual World's Best Awards. The Grand Hotel is featured on the cover of this year's Alabama Vacation Guide as recognition of it being named the top spa for guest satisfaction by Marriott. For more information on Travel + Leisure magazine's World's Best Awards please see http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2010/hotels/resorts-us-canada/33. For more information on the Grand Hotel please see www.marriottgrand.com.
Dr. Robert Bentley and Commissioner Ron Sparks will speak at the Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism Aug. 14-17 in Montgomery. Other conference speakers include Dr. David Bronner, CEO, Retirement Systems of Alabama; Roger Dow, President and CEO of the US Travel Association; Roger Brooks, CEO Destination Development International. Bentley and Sparks will speak during the Gubernatorial Luncheon on Aug. 17. There will also be educational sessions on how to bring travelers to your town/hotel/attraction/event/B&B/museum, managing social media, branding your entity, workshops with the state tourism department; and an update on the Alabama gulf coast. The Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism is being held at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa. Please see www.algovernorsconference.com for registration information.
The National Education Association is offering Green Across America grants of up to $1,000 each to help K-12 teachers across the United States implement their innovative education program, activity, lesson, or event to increase environmental awareness, create positive learning programs, and excite students about ways to create a better planet.
The program will award a total of $50,000, in grants of up to $1,000 each (dependent on the cost of developing the activity, lesson, or event). Information on the grantees' programs will also be posted on the NEA Member Benefits Web site for use by the education community.
The program is open to any educator employed by a public or private school (K-12) located in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia.
Grant award program applications are available at the NEA Member Benefits Web site.
Contact:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=298900029
The program will award a total of $50,000, in grants of up to $1,000 each (dependent on the cost of developing the activity, lesson, or event). Information on the grantees' programs will also be posted on the NEA Member Benefits Web site for use by the education community.
The program is open to any educator employed by a public or private school (K-12) located in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia.
Grant award program applications are available at the NEA Member Benefits Web site.
Contact:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=298900029
The CFSA has grants available for programs that address the unmet basic needs of fisherman and individuals working in the seafood industry that are struggling as a result of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill. The Disaster Relief Fund will support programs that address the economic, environmental and cultural affects of the oil spill disaster by providing critical response activities and long term support to affected communities. Nonprofit organizations, located within Baldwin and Mobile counties are invited to submit a proposal.
Interested nonprofit organizations should submit a proposal using the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Disaster Relief Grant Application. Details about the requirements for submitting a proposal and the review process can be found online at www.communityendowment.com. For more information contact Janine Phillips, Program Officer, The Community Foundation of South Alabama, at 251-438-5591.
Interested nonprofit organizations should submit a proposal using the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Disaster Relief Grant Application. Details about the requirements for submitting a proposal and the review process can be found online at www.communityendowment.com. For more information contact Janine Phillips, Program Officer, The Community Foundation of South Alabama, at 251-438-5591.
Some 215 towns across Alabama welcome you home this year during the Great Alabama Homecoming. It's all part of the Year of Alabama Small Towns & Downtowns- a celebration of everything that is Sweet Home Alabama. There are homecoming events and festivals going on practically every weekend through mid-December. Upcoming events include:
Mayberry Days- Graysville- July 10
Summer Celebration- Opelika- July 17
Tallassee Homecoming Weekend- Tallassee- July 17
Founders Day- Hayneville- July 17-18
Function at Tuxedo Junction- Ensley- July 23-24
July Fest- Vina- July 31
Harpersville Homecoming- Harpersville- July 31-August 1
Fairfield Music Festival- Fairfield- August 7
Cotton Mill Reunion- Valley- August 7
For a complete list of Great Alabama Homecoming Events please see www.alabamahomecoming.com
Mayberry Days- Graysville- July 10
Summer Celebration- Opelika- July 17
Tallassee Homecoming Weekend- Tallassee- July 17
Founders Day- Hayneville- July 17-18
Function at Tuxedo Junction- Ensley- July 23-24
July Fest- Vina- July 31
Harpersville Homecoming- Harpersville- July 31-August 1
Fairfield Music Festival- Fairfield- August 7
Cotton Mill Reunion- Valley- August 7
For a complete list of Great Alabama Homecoming Events please see www.alabamahomecoming.com
The state's Forever Wild program has recently acquired hundreds of acres of biologically important forest in Jackson County, Ala. The 535-acre Sims, Swaim and Johnson addition to the Walls of Jericho Forever Wild tract was purchased in May 2010 from the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy with support from a $640,000 Forest Legacy grant from the USDA Forest Service. The land is located along the Estill Fork tributary to the Paint Rock River and isadjacent to the James D. Martin-Skyline Wildlife Management Area. The Sims, Swaim and Johnson addition will be used for public recreation and conservation efforts, and will increase public access to the popular Walls of Jericho trail system located near the communities of Skyline and Hytop. State lands managers have documented more than 15,000 hiking and horse trail users annually on the growing trail system. New land acquisitions such as this ensure the public's access to the property and enhance the quality of life that state lands afford Alabamians. Considered one of the most biologically diverse and important regions in the United States, the Walls of Jericho Tract supports several species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and plants recognized under the Alabama Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy as species of highest conservation concern. As part of the Paint Rock River watershed, this area contains several springs and more than 3,000 feet of perennial stream habitat along Estill Fork Creek. The habitats within and along the Estill Fork waterway support some of the last remaining populations of several species of fish and mussels protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The plan to purchase the land was developed in 2008 through a partnership formed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Forever Wild Program, the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC), the Alabama Forest Resources Center (AFRC), the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and the State of Tennessee's Wildlife Resources Agency. Working cooperatively with the AFC to administer the Forest Legacy Program, the AFRC helped direct the project grant towards this purchase. For more information about the Forest Legacy Program, visit either the AFRC website, www.alfrc.org or the AFC website, www.forestry.alabama.gov. Forever Wild has secured more than 210,000 acres for public use and conservation efforts since its inception in 1992. The program also provides affordable and accessible hunting opportunities for all Alabamians, and helps to generate $1.4 billion of annual economic impact throughout the state. To learn more about the Forever Wild Program, visit www.alabamaforeverwild.com.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. For more information please see www.outdooralabama.com.
The plan to purchase the land was developed in 2008 through a partnership formed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Forever Wild Program, the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC), the Alabama Forest Resources Center (AFRC), the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and the State of Tennessee's Wildlife Resources Agency. Working cooperatively with the AFC to administer the Forest Legacy Program, the AFRC helped direct the project grant towards this purchase. For more information about the Forest Legacy Program, visit either the AFRC website, www.alfrc.org or the AFC website, www.forestry.alabama.gov. Forever Wild has secured more than 210,000 acres for public use and conservation efforts since its inception in 1992. The program also provides affordable and accessible hunting opportunities for all Alabamians, and helps to generate $1.4 billion of annual economic impact throughout the state. To learn more about the Forever Wild Program, visit www.alabamaforeverwild.com.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. For more information please see www.outdooralabama.com.
Last week NASAA alerted you to new arts opportunities available through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program.
HUD and the National Endowment for the Arts will be co-hosting a webinar on Wednesday July 7th to provide information for arts organizations that are interested in joining application consortia for the grants.
Please see the link to the press release below for more information and details on how to join the webinar.
http://www.nea.gov/news/news10/HUD.html
Jesse Rye
Policy and Program Associate
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Phone: 202-347-6352 ext. 118
Email: jesse.rye@nasaa-arts.org
Website: www.nasaa-arts.org
Save the Date: NASAA Assembly 2010, October 14-16
HUD and the National Endowment for the Arts will be co-hosting a webinar on Wednesday July 7th to provide information for arts organizations that are interested in joining application consortia for the grants.
Please see the link to the press release below for more information and details on how to join the webinar.
http://www.nea.gov/news/news10/HUD.html
Jesse Rye
Policy and Program Associate
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Phone: 202-347-6352 ext. 118
Email: jesse.rye@nasaa-arts.org
Website: www.nasaa-arts.org
Save the Date: NASAA Assembly 2010, October 14-16
Did you know Alabama's nonprofit sector now employs more than 126,000 people and generates $12.4 billion in annual revenue? Nonprofits in communities throughout Alabama are working each day to make a profound impact through the missions they believe in.
There is no question nonprofits play an important role in our state's overall economy, and without our sector a monumental and devastating void would occur. Thanks to the feedback of many nonprofit leaders, we believe it's time we come together, unified as one, to leverage the strength of our sector as a whole to create a greater understanding and recognition of the vital role we play at the local, state and national levels.
Please make every effort to attend a forum nearest your community. This is the defining moment for nonprofits in Alabama! This is our opportunity, working together, to demonstrate our worth and openness to excel on all levels within each of our organizations.
Come join John Stone, Association President, and Russell Jackson, Director of Member Services, as they unveil several new initiatives of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits. This is open to the public and we encourage you to invite your top volunteers and board members to attend. For more information on how you can register for a forum near you: http://www.alabamanonprofits.org/training/calendar.aspx
There is no question nonprofits play an important role in our state's overall economy, and without our sector a monumental and devastating void would occur. Thanks to the feedback of many nonprofit leaders, we believe it's time we come together, unified as one, to leverage the strength of our sector as a whole to create a greater understanding and recognition of the vital role we play at the local, state and national levels.
Please make every effort to attend a forum nearest your community. This is the defining moment for nonprofits in Alabama! This is our opportunity, working together, to demonstrate our worth and openness to excel on all levels within each of our organizations.
Come join John Stone, Association President, and Russell Jackson, Director of Member Services, as they unveil several new initiatives of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits. This is open to the public and we encourage you to invite your top volunteers and board members to attend. For more information on how you can register for a forum near you: http://www.alabamanonprofits.org/training/calendar.aspx
