Answering the Call: Thorsby Restoring Historical School
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Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council is working with the Town of Thorsby and the Thorsby Historical Preservation Committee to clean up, restore and renovate the historic Thorsby Elementary School. The ten-thousand square foot structure, located in the heart of town, was erected in 1925 and has been vacant for several years. Since the Town of Thorsby has no Community Center, the Thorsby Historical Preservation Committee recognized the potential for the building to be transformed into the Town Community Center, library and museum.
The Preservation Committee has submitted the necessary documents to the Alabama Historical Commission for the building to be listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. The Alabama Register is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts worthy of preservation. These properties, which may be of national, state, and local significance, are deemed worthy of preservation by the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC). more>>>
Statewide Transportation Plan Meetings Scheduled
The Alabama Department of Transportation will hold a second round of public meetings to inform the public about the Statewide Transportation Plan Update. The meetings will be at the following locations beginning on Tuesday, November 6.
Planning Area |
Date / Time |
Locations |
Central – Tuscaloosa |
November 6 |
ALDOT Division Conference Room |
North –Muscle Shoals |
November 6 |
NW Alabama Regional Council of Local Governments Board Room |
Southeast – Dothan |
November 8 |
Westgate Park Recreation Center |
Southwest – Monroeville |
November 8 |
Monroeville Water Tower Conference Center |
The public meetings are held in four geographic areas around Alabama as a way of facilitating public involvement. The first round of meetings, held in August, focused on informing the public about the Statewide Planning process and its importance to the state’s transportation program. In the second round of meetings, the public will have an opportunity to review study results to date, which analyze existing transportation conditions. Meeting topics include review of multimodal transportation system operations, the current level of use of all modes, system condition and current improvements. As part of the Statewide Transportation Plan Update, the study has developed new tools, such as a statewide travel demand model, that will be used to analyze transportation needs and test potential solutions. The public’s comments and input are helpful in understanding transportation challenges and identifying potential solutions.
The public is encouraged to attend because public participation is important to ensure study success. In addition to the opportunity to attend one of four public meetings across the state, the public can visit the ALDOT website for more information (www.dot.state.al.us), or send comments to altransplans@dot.state.al.us .
Its a Small Town All Over the World
Your Town Alabama President Paul Kennedy met with a 10-person Russian delegation visiting the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area this week to explain the concept of Your Town Alabama and small town community leadership in general. Your Town was recognized as an example worth their precious time in the United States. (read the full story at al.com)
Dates Set for 2008 Your Town Alabama (10 Years Strong in 2008)
Any Alabama Citizen is eligible to participate in Your Town Alabama. Deadline is usually about 30 days prior to the next workshop but last year's class filled up way before the deadline. Next workshop is June 18-20, 2008 at Camp McDowell. Watch www.yourtownAlabama.org for news that we are accepting applicants.
Alabama Association of Regional Councils Annual Conference
October, 21 – 24, 2007, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Alabama
Training sessions on Planning, Economic Development, Transportation, Medicaid Waiver, Senior Services, Title V and Fiscal. For more information visit www.alarc.org
In Brief and News from Alabama Communities
Competition Honors Community Efforts for Youth. America's Promise Alliance: 100 Best Communities for Young People
The 100 Best Communities for Young People, an annual competition administered by America's Promise Alliance, recognizes outstanding community-wide efforts that improve the well-being of youth. Winning communities, both urban and rural, have developed innovative ways to solve problems that will improve the lives of children and young people through the power of the Five Promises. The communities selected receive national recognition and media exposure and are eligible to participate in post-competition request for proposal process for $300,000 in grant funds. The online application deadline is November 2, 2007. Visit the website for program details.
Argo begins community planning process
The RPC staff will lead a Planning Issues Workshop for the Town of Argo on Thursday September 13th and a Vision Plan Development Workshop on Thursday September 27th in the Argo Town Hall. Both meetings will begin at 6:30pm. The Planning Issues Workshop and the Vision Plan Development Workshop are planning exercises aimed at assisting the Town of Argo establish a land use Policy Plan and a zoning ordinance, the Policy Plan’s supporting regulatory tool. For additional information please contact Darrell L. Howard, AICP at 251-8139 ext. 441 or dhoward@rpcgb.org.
City of Graysville - Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE)
Preliminary work is underway in the City of Graysville to kick off the Alabama Communities of Excellence program. Graysville was selected to be one of three communities to participate in its Class of 2007. Also included are Evergreen and York. ACE provides technical assistance to select communities in order to strengthen their long-term economic success. Upon completion of the program’s three phases, communities are designated an “Alabama Community of Excellence” and receive a grant for further community and economic development efforts. The three phases are: Community Assessment; Leadership Development and Strategic Planning; and Implementation and Comprehensive Planning. For further information, contact Kay Argo, RPC Principal Planner and ACE co-captain for the Graysville project. Email: kargo@rpcgb.org. For more information on the ACE program, visit www.alabamacommunitiesofexcellence.org.
Local community featured in national magazine
The community of Mt. Laurel is featured in the September 2007 issue of Cottage Living. Mt. Laurel is located south of Birmingham in Shelby County. Cottage Living website is www.cottageliving.com.
more news from Alabama's Communities>>>
Investing and Improving Appalachia’s Infrastructure seminarOctober 24-25, 2007, Charleston, West Virginia, Sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The focus is how communities can build, improve and better manage the basic components of physical infrastructure systems to provide clean drinking water, wastewater management and telecommunications. Topics: Financing options for small communities; training and management strategies for small water systems; improving services through energy efficiency; providing access to broadband networks in rural areas and alternative wastewater technologies. For program and registration visit www.arc.gov/backtobasics |
Kentuck FestivalOn October 20 and 21 more than 300 artists and tens of thousands of art enthusiasts will converge under the shady trees of Kentuck Park in Northport, Alabama to celebrate the 36th annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Nationally recognized for its quality and diversity, a stroll through the Kentuck Festival brings visitors eye-to-art with a variety of artistic styles ranging from folk to contemporary art and craft. Traditional and heritage craft artists such as basket weavers, blacksmiths, potters and quilters invite visitors to watch them carve, cane and quilt. Essentially, demonstrating their skill and sharing the secrets of their craft. www.kentuck.org |
Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association outreachThe Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association is a non-profit public organization dedicated to providing general support to local planners, elected officials, volunteers and citizens involved with rural and urban planning initiatives. The local Chapter has planned several outreach efforts to raise public awareness about the role that planning plays in supporting development patterns and design that promotes life, health, safety and general welfare. Please note the following dates and activities:
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Calming Global Climate Change Symposium Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, in conjunction with Davey Tree and Trees for Alabama, announce a Calming Global Climate Change Symposium to be held at The Gardens. The October 30, 2007 event will include lectures, discussions and debates from some of the area’s top experts in the field of Global Warming. The day-long event will take place in the Linn Henley Lecture Hall at Birmingham Botanical Gardens (BBG) from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Admission to the event is $25 and includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and $10 to be used for planting a tree on public land. Environmentalists, educators and the general public are all invited to attend the event. Registration is available online by visiting www.bbgardens.org/Calming-Climate-Change_197_ev.htm or by phone, (205) 414-3950 Come be a part of the conversation on global climate change. We will explore the issues with the experts and address what is being done in other cities, as well as the greening of our own Birmingham region. Finally and importantly, discover ways we can energize ourselves for change. |
ALDOT Transportation Enhancement GrantsAlabama Department of Transportation is soliciting Transportation Enhancement Projects for FY 2008. The proposed projects must be related to the surface transportation system and must be one of the following eligible activities: 1) construction of a pedestrian, bicycle, or multi-use transportation facility; 2) provision of safety and education activities for pedestrian and bicyclists; 3) acquire scenic or historic easement or site; 4) Scenic or Highway Program; 5) landscaping/scenic beautification; 6) historic preservation; 7) rehabilitation of historic transportation facility; 8) preservation of abandoned railway corridor; 9) control or removal of outdoor advertising; 10) archaeological planning and research; 11) environmental mitigation to address water pollution due to highway runoff or reduce vehicle caused wildlife mortality while maintaining habitat connectivity; and 12) establishment of transportation museum.
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Cooperative Purchasing Association Lee-Russell Council of Governments is exploring the possibility of forming a purchasing cooperative association with the member governments and other government agencies in Lee and Russell Counties. A regional purchasing cooperative would allow local governments and other agencies to pool their purchasing power to receive discounted prices on a wide range of supplies and services. There are currently four purchasing cooperatives in Alabama with members from local governments, boards of education, water and sewer boards, volunteer fire departments, community colleges, housing authorities, regional councils, and other government agencies. |
