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The GREEN TEAM! (click image for larger version)

Congrats to the Your Town Class of 2010! More photos coming soon.

Your Town 2010: Wednesday, June 2-Friday June 4, 2010. Camp McDowell.

 

Linked below is an application and general information for the annual 2010 Your Town Alabama workshop, scheduled for Wednesday, June 2 - Friday, June 4, 2010 at Camp McDowell. 

This is our 12th year anniversary!  Participants may only attend the workshop ONCE.  Camp McDowell is located near Nauvoo, Alabama, (close to Jasper, AL) and is a delightful retreat location.  The workshop consists of highly informative presentations and problem-solving activities for participants.  It is also a wonderful opportunity to network with other community leaders and make contacts with presenters who work throughout Alabama in the planning, design, economic development, and resource preservation fields.  The focus of the workshop aims specifically to introduce small town and rural technical assistance providers and decision makers to the role of design in community planning. 

Former participants remark that the workshop is FUN and invigorating and opened their minds to many possibilities.  If you or other community leaders are interested in attending this workshop, please complete the application and return by May 3, 2010. 

The number of participants is limited so you are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible. You can now register and securely pay online using a credit card through RegOnline.com. Visit https://www.regonline.com/2010yourtown and simply follow the instructions. If you wish to register via mail, you can download the application in Microsoft Word format here. Please print or type the application and mail it with your check payable to "Your Town Alabama" to the address on the application in the yellow highlighted box.

Participants are responsible for their own travel to and from Camp McDowell.  The workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 2 and ends at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 4.  All participants are expected to stay for the entire workshop; if you can not attend the full 2 ½ days, you will need to register for the next annual workshop.  Feel free to visit the Camp McDowell website at: www.campmcdowell.com for directions and to learn more about the facilities.  Lodging for Wednesday and Thursday are required at Camp McDowell, however if you need overnight lodging for Tuesday, June 1, due to your travel distance, a list of local hotels in Jasper, AL is provided.  Your Town Alabama participants will be housed in Miller Commons, which includes 5 cabins - each cabin includes 11 bedrooms (6 upstairs and 5 downstairs - all rooms have two queen beds/one bath). 

There are no TV's, radios, alarm clocks or telephones in the cabins; but you will be surrounded by a beautiful natural environment.  Feel free to bring your bicycle as we will be walking, cycling or driving to the eating facilities.  Dress for the workshop is very casual (shorts/jeans/T-shirts/tennis shoes, etc.).

The cost for the workshop is $195 per participant for double occupancy (roommates will be assigned) OR $230 per participant for single occupancy.  There are a limited number of single rooms; if you prefer a single room, you are encouraged to apply EARLY as they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  The registration fee includes all workshop materials, lodging and "healthy" meals (lunch and dinner on Wednesday; breakfast, lunch and dinner on Thursday; and breakfast on Friday).  If you do not register on-line, please make checks payable to: "Your Town Alabama" and submit with your application - no refunds will be given after May 3, 2010.  If you need additional information, call (205) 323-3592 and ask for Kay Argo, or e-mail me at Martha@yourtownalabama.org and we for respond to you.

Please feel free to duplicate this information and distribute among citizens in your community that would benefit from the workshop.  Participants must apply for and be accepted to attend the Your Town Alabama workshop prior to arrival.  There will be no on-site registration since extensive preparation must be made well in advance for each participant. 

The workshop is sponsored by a host of organizations including the Alabama Historical Commission, the Alabama Association of Regional Councils, Appalachian Regional Commission, The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, Auburn University Urban Studio, the Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and Alabama Power Company.
Please complete the application and return via US mail or fax to: 205-348-6974 by the May 3rd deadline.  If selected, an information packet will be mailed to you with more specific information.  Late applications will be considered for future classes.

We look forward to a fun, challenging and rewarding workshop.

Sincerely,

Martha W. Whitson
Your Town Alabama, Inc.

Visit this page to view a slideshow of the 2009 Your Town Alabama workshop!

More photos coming soon!

http://www.yourtownalabama.org/calendar/ytacalendar.php

Added dozens of new events in the last few days. Be sure to check the calendar regularly for economic development, planning and community events, workshops and more!

The annual 2009 YOUR TOWN ALABAMA workshop, scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 - Friday, June 5, 2009 at Camp McDowell.  This is our 11th year anniversary!  Camp McDowell is located near Nauvoo, Alabama, (close to Jasper, AL) and is a delightful retreat location.  The workshop consists of highly informative presentations and problem-solving activities for participants.  It is also a wonderful opportunity to network with other community leaders and make contacts with presenters who work throughout Alabama in the planning, design, economic development, and resource preservation fields.  The focus of the workshop aims specifically to introduce small town and rural technical assistance providers and decision makers to the role of design in community planning.  Former participants remark that the workshop is FUN and invigorating and opened their minds to many possibilities.  If you or other community leaders are interested in attending this workshop, please complete the application and return by April 30, 2009.  Participants are limited so you are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible.  You'll find additional information, a printable application form that you can mail back and a link to apply and pay online at www.yourtownalabama.org/form.htm.

Participants are responsible for their own travel to and from Camp McDowell.  The workshop begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3 and will end at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 5.  All participants are expected to stay for the entire workshop.  Feel free to visit the Camp McDowell website at: www.campmcdowell.com for directions and to learn more about the facilities.  Lodging for Wednesday and Thursday are required at Camp McDowell, however if you need overnight lodging for Tuesday, June 2, a list of local hotels in Jasper, AL is provided.  Your Town Alabama participants will be housed in Miller Commons, which includes 5 cabins - each with 11 bedrooms (6 upstairs and 5 downstairs - all rooms have two queen beds/one bath).  There are no TV's, radios, alarm clocks or telephones in the cabins; but you will be surrounded by a beautiful natural environment.  Feel free to bring your bicycle as we will be walking, cycling or driving to the eating facilities.  Dress for the workshop is very casual (shorts/jeans/T-shirts/tennis shoes, etc.)

The cost for the workshop is $180 per participant for double occupancy (roommates will be assigned) OR $215 per participant for single occupancy.  There are a limited number of single rooms; if you prefer a single room, you are urged to apply early as they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  The registration fee includes all workshop materials, lodging and meals (lunch and dinner on Wednesday; breakfast, lunch and dinner on Thursday; and breakfast on Friday).  If you do not register on-line, please make checks payable to: "Your Town Alabama" and submit with your application - no refunds will be given after April 30, 2009.  Call (205) 323-3592 and ask for Kay Argo, or e-mail me at: Martha@yourtownalabama.org for more information.

Please feel free to duplicate this information and distribute among citizens in your community that would benefit from the workshop.  Participants must apply for and be accepted to attend the Your Town Alabama workshop prior to arrival.  There will be no on-site registration since extensive preparation must be made well in advance for each participant.  In addition, a limited number of scholarships (double occupancy only) are available.  If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please contact Mr. Paul Kennedy at (205) 302-0001.
 
The workshop is sponsored by a host of organizations including the Alabama Historical Commission, the Alabama Association of Regional Councils, Appalachian Regional Commission, The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, Auburn University Urban Studio, the Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and Alabama Power Company.

Please complete the application and return it by the April 30th deadline.  If selected, an information packet will be mailed to you with more specific information.  Late applications will be considered for future classes.

We look forward to a fun, challenging and rewarding workshop.
 

February 3-6, 2009

Join us for the "grand opening" of the Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell!  As a way to welcome friends to our new school, a limited number of adult students will be allowed a rare opportunity to Sample the Arts.  Choose as many as three of the following classes during this one-of-a-kind workshop: quilting, carpentry, photography, pottery, and old-time music (classes for each: fiddle, banjo, guitar, and bass).
 
Whether you have experience with these types of folk art or none at all, you are welcome to join us in sampling these unique 3-hour classes.  You will leave with a project that is well underway and you will be amazed at what you have learned.
 
Beginning with a late afternoon wine and cheese on Tuesday, the workshop will feature nationally and locally recognized folk artists sharing the traditions of their crafts.   Class instructors include NEA National Heritage Fellow, quilter Bettye Kimbrell; renowned musicians Herb Trotman & Kathy Hinkle (of the Herb Trotman Band), and Joyce & Jim Cauthen (of Red Mountain and Flying Jenny); potter Sandra Heaven; professional photographer Kenneth Boone; and carpenters Mark Johnston (Camp Director) and Clyde Pearce.  You can choose to work on:

• a leaf-pounding technique and trapunto hand-quilting,
• fiddle, banjo, guitar, or bass instruction, and a slow jam and singing workshop,
• composition and landscape photography sessions,
• hand-formed pottery with botanical impressions,
• framing a small rustic cabin, Clare's Cottage, which will be a retreat house at Camp McDowell

 
Concluding with a student art exhibition and lunch on Friday, this workshop is offered at a very low, introductory rate of $175.  A typical 4-day session at the Folk School costs $450.  This rate includes meals, lodging, tuition, and art supplies.
 
Please call Danielle Dunbar, at 205-563-9990, to register or for more information--or visit our website at http://www.campmcdowell.com/FolkSchool/index.htm  Call soon as space is limited.
 

330 entries have been made since February 16, 2008 in the Your Town Alabama blog. That's right around one entry per day!

Since July 2008, we've had the following:

* 7,014 Visits
* 5,678 Absolute Unique Visitors
* 11,300 Pageviews

Top keywords include the following:
Your Town Alabama; land and water conservation fund Alabama; year of Alabama history; comprehensive plans Eufaula; Christmas light shows in Alabama; green resource center Birmingham; small town development; history brochure; Alabama small towns (and many, many more)

Referring Sites include: twitter.com; facebook.com; linkedin.com; cadc.auburn.edu; rpcgb.org; cawaco.org; Alabamacommunitiesofexcellence.org; earpdc.org;  yourtowndesign.org; designalabama.org; myecoscapes.org (and many more)

Country Visits:
6,672 visits came from 82 countries/territories

The U.S. has sent the vast majority of those visits with 6,267 visits via 52 regions (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and one undefined area within the U.S.) 3,360 of those visits came from within Alabama.

LOUISVILLE, MS - "This process is one of the best I've seen," said long-time planning consultant John McClure.  Columbus Mayor Robert Smith echoed those remarks.  "Most of the time, we attend workshops where all we do is sit around listening to presenters," said the mayor.   "But this was hands on, and required teamwork, and I enjoyed it."  Mayor Smith also recommended that government officials from all levels attend future workshops.

The focus of these comments was the first WAEM Town Designing Our Future Workshop.  Thirty-nine civic and community leaders from the West Alabama - East Mississippi (WAEM) region joined experts from Alabama and Mississippi to delve into practical planning and problem solving for rural communities.  The highlight of the program, as noted by Mayor Smith, was the presentation of drawings, charts, goals, and vision to re-design and redevelop a hypothetical rural town; work product that resulted from the intensive hands-on work of the participants.

http://www.yourtownalabama.org/calendar/ytacalendar.php

For those of you that read only the blog section of Your Town Alabama's website (by far the most frequently updated portion of the site, you may be missing something. Check out the calendar above for a listing of many events through 2009. Got an event you'd like listed in our calendar or something you think would be useful for readers of the blog, send it our way! info@yourtownalabama.org

The workshop will be held at Camp McDowell from Wednesday, June 3 – Friday, June 5, 2009. Registration will begin shortly after the first of the year. 

Please take note of the buttons on the left hand side of each page. Your Town Alabama is now part of facebook and Linkedin. These social networking groups are there for Your Town Alums and friends to network, continue to learn from each other and just enjoy visiting with people throughout Alabama who have an interest in making our state the best it can be.

Also notice the donation button on the left hand side. Please consider making a donation (anything helps!) to help keep Your Town Alabama going strong. Your Town Alabama is a 501(c)3 organization, so any contribution is tax-deductible. For your convenience, here's the link to donate again!

As a Your Town-er, we are sure that you have taken the Your Town Alabama assets-based concept back to your community and are working to change the world.  We realize that many of the Your Town alumni return to their communities with new ideas and face the: “That’s nice but it can’t be done here,” mentality of the neighbors who haven’t been exposed to the Your Town asset-based principles and “can-do” message. 

To assist you in your quest, Your Town Alabama, through funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, has produced a web-based video.  The video provides an introduction to:

• Alabama the Beautiful - Alabama is a beautiful State, full of natural resources and economic opportunities, and is worthy of preservation.  These concepts represent an economic engine for communities.
• They Can Do It – Why Can’t We? – Showcases Alabama examples of good community development practices.
• Economics of Great Community Planning – Provides case examples of the economic benefit of creative community planning.

It is hoped that this project will provide support to alumni, provide education on sustainable asset-based economic development to the local community and encourage participation in Your Town Alabama events. 

The 10 minute introduction video – Planning to Succeed: Asset-Based Planning in Small Town and Rural Alabama is available for viewing below and on the Your Town Alabama website (www.yourtownalabama.org).   A longer, more detailed DVD version is available through the Your Town Alabama website which includes:
ß 10 minute introduction web-based video
ß 20 minute complete version

You may download the 10 minute web-based version free by completing the request form at www.yourtownalabama.org/videorequest.html.   Copies of the DVD are free to Your Town Alumni by indicating your graduating class.  If you are not a Your Town Alumni, a $10 contribution is requested to offset duplication, processing and postage.

We encourage you to take advantage of this resource to educate civic leaders, elected officials and others about asset-based planning.  Please share your success, progress and needs through the Your Town Alabama blog on our website.

As always, with warmest regards,
Paul Kennedy, President



You can also view the video in a larger format by visiting it on Google Video.

 


Wonder how many people YourTown Alabama has reached? Take a look at the map at left (click it for a larger version). So far, in our 10 year history, we've reached 620 people through the workshops held.

Watch in the coming days for one of the latest Your Town Alabama projects: a video presentation that conveys a brief version of the Your Town philosophy. Coming Soon!

Since we started the Your Town Alabama blog approximately six months ago, we've been working hard to provide information that people will find helpful. We hope you have. Our main goal has always been to help Alabama be all that it can be. However, we've discovered that people from all across the country are on occasion turning to the Your Town Alabama website for information. Here's a map detailing where they've been coming from in just the last month (most visits are still from Alabama, of course--as it should be).

Thanks for dropping by. And, if you noticed the site was down for a little while yesterday, sorry. That doesn't happen often. We're in the process of changing our email routing to a more robust junk mail filter and that's where the problem happened.

Well, time to mark your calendars for the next workshop. June 17-19, 2009. It will be here before you know it!

Here's another number that should make you stop and think: 620. That's the number of people who have attended the Your Town Alabama workshops over the last 10 years.

Gina Clifford, director of Design Alabama,  interviews Cheryl Morgan, Professor at Auburn University and Director of the Center for Architecture and Urban Studies, about  the Your Town Alabama Workshop.

In addition to this interview, there are dozens of additional interviews you might enjoy listening to, including Joey Brackner interviewing some of the Gees Bend Quilters, Birmingham, Alabama's Sidewalk Moving Pictures Festival, and much, much more as far back as 2003. Enjoy!

http://arts.state.al.us/actc/1/radioseries.html

One of the those things that makes Your Town Alabama great is the ability to network with people to get different perspectives on the same problems. We've created two growing networks using social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook to help Your Town alums and those interested in Your Town Alabama and preserving the unique qualities of their communities. Just click the links below to join up!

For those of you who would like photos that can be printed, there is a large (and slow-to-load) slideshow with over 100 images located here. Simply click on the image you want and it will open up in another browser window. For those of you who simply want to enjoy a few photos, just watch the slideshow below!

Your Town Alabama is in the news again. (Anytime you notice Your Town in the news, please let us know at info@yourtownalabama.org.)

Your Town Alabama has been working with small towns for 10 years.  The West Alabama – East Mississippi (WAEM) Regional Initiative is seeking ways to help its small towns be more competitive.  As a result, WAEM and Your Town are partnering to bring a new program to the WAEM Region.  It is called “WAEM Town.”

“WAEM Town will greatly resemble Your Town,” explained Bill Crawford, director of the WAEM Regional Initiative.  “But while it embodies the best of Your Town, WAEM Town will also add steps from Mississippi’s Main Street Program and from recent initiatives by the Appalachian Regional Commission.”

http://waem.tmi.ms/yourtown.html

more workshop photos coming soon!

The recently completed Your Town Alabama workshop marks the 10 year anniversary for the workshop. Check back soon for photos of the workshop!