Your Town Alabama Workshop is Next Month!
Workshop Dates: Begins at 9:30 am Wednesday, June 20 – adjourns at 12:00 pm on Friday, June 22
Registration Fee: $150 for double occupancy - $175 for single occupancy
Location: Camp McDowell – Nauvoo, AL
New Community ToolBox
Communities today face real challenges. Jobs, incomes, education, proximity of family members, and general well-being are all tied to a community economy's effectiveness, dynamism and resiliency. More than ever before, citizens, public and provate employers, and civil servants are actively involved in critically examining their local economies as they plan their economic futures. To be successful, everyone involved needs to know how their economy works - its strengths, weaknesses and hidden potential. This web site, with its tools and links to a wide range of economic development literatures, is designed to enable anyone interested in their local economy to use standard indicators to make a first cut at understanding its potential.
A set of tools have been selected that are standard in the field of community economic development. The focus is on understanding elements of a local economy that can often be affected by public policy. In most cases comparisons are provided with the state and the nation to give the user a better sense of the relative circumstances found locally. Suggestions are provided for how to use the results of the tools to formulate a picture of the local area and to consider future options.
The Community Economic Toolbox was developed as a project for communities and individuals by Dr. Amy Glasmeier, Department of Geography at The Pennsylvania State University, for the Web site Proverty in America (http://www.povertyinamerica.psu.edu) SOURCE: Rural Development News. National Central Regional Center for Rural Development-Iowa State University. Volume 29, Number 1, 2007. www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu more>>>
News From Around Alabama's Communities
Walker County Pins Economic Hopes on Success of Corridor X. Some communities elsewhere may hate new highways for inviting more traffic and sprawl, but Walker County puts all transportation and economic hopes in Corridor X, the future I-22 -- its 200-mile northwestern stretch between Jasper and Memphis, Tennessee already open and the 30-mile southeastern leg to Birmingham slated for completion in four or five years -- with many residents also envisioning sidewalks, pedestrian trails, bus stop shelters, a new bridge and even a regional monorail. www.smartgrowth.org
City of Atmore: There is a renewed interest in renovation of older vacant buildings in the downtown business district. Several small retail businesses have opened in the downtown area and remodeling/construction projects are currently underway. Our City offers a number of restaurants including fine dining, several gift shops, health and nutrition store, specialty coffee shop, art gallery, theater and pet store – just to name a few. The City of Atmore recognizes its merchants who try very diligently to keep our tax dollars at home. While Rivercane garners a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm, our downtown business district is thriving and active. Atmore has completed requirements to be recognized as an Alabama Community of Excellence at the upcoming Alabama League of Municipalities 2007 Convention in Huntsville and is working with Alabama Historical Commission to have the downtown district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On May 23, 2007, Atmore turned 100 years old!
more news and events from Alabama's Communities.
In Brief:
The Super Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is published and available. This year HUD will competitively award $2.4 billion through 38 HUD programs to local governments, nonprofits, faith- and community-based organizations. Please go to HUD’s valuable information here.
ALSO, Please be sure to consider applying for one or more of the 20 HUD competitive grant programs that offers bonus points to applicants that commit to providing projects or services in Renewal Communities or Empowerment Zones. These 20 programs make a total of approximately $800 million in grant money available in 2007 for these projects and services. The two bonus points available to you for each of these programs could possibly help a strong application become a winning one. Please review the file below that provides information on each of these 20 programs, including the funding available for 2007, the application deadlines, the dates of webcasts with more information on each program, and web links for more information. The file is arranged chronologically according to the application deadlines. Webcasts with information on these applications are coming up later this month and you will see the webcast dates in the file. In addition, application deadlines are as early as mid-May 2007 and you will see these dates also. It is important to act soon to apply for a share of this substantial grant funding.
Save Our History is a national history education and preservation initiative that raises awareness and support for preserving local heritage. The History Channel® created Save Our History to support local history education and historic preservation efforts in communities across America. 07/08 Grants - Apply Now! Download FREE Lesson Plans. http://www.history.com/minisites/saveourhistory/
Deadline June 1, 2007.
Urban Studio. The new Urban Studio site is live. http://www.cadc.auburn.edu/soa/urban-studio/
Minimize disruptions from downtown eventsDowntown events can create anger and resentment in those who don't take part because of the crowds, blocked traffic, and other disruptions to their normal lives. One solution being explored in Nevada City, CA (pop. 3,000), is to create a dedicated area for special events that will minimize blocking or re-routing normal traffic flow. www.downtowndevelopment.com. |
Keeping Trashcans from becoming an eyesoreAn adequate number of public trashcans is essential to maintaining a clean downtown. Unfortunately, when downtown businesses start using these trashcans for their own rubbish, they can become trashy eyesores themselves. The Hilo, HI (pop. 40,760), Downtown Improvement Association laments that "it is disturbing to hear ... that some merchants are still using these trashcans to dump their commercial rubbish." In fact, these trashcans are often so full that the rubbish is stacked alongside the cans as well. The organization has asked businesses to stop. www.downtowndevelopment.com |
Brookside Greenway Festival A Success |
Introduction to Stream Restoration |
2007 Building Communities Conference – June 14, 2007 State of the Practice in Thoroughfare Design: Rural, Suburban & Urban Applications
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Grant funds make Black Branch remediation project possible In 2006, the Black Warrior Clean Water Partnership assisted the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations (ADIR)-Mining and Reclamation Division to obtain an Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) grant for the Black Branch Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) remediation project. The goal of the project is to improve the water quality at the contribution point of the gob (low-grade coal) pile and to create a passive treatment system to remediate contributions from Red Branch to Black Branch to a level that will support typical stream flora and fauna. Black Branch is a tributary of Cane Creek in Walker County, Alabama. more >>> |
For the first time in many years, Brookside, Alabama had a traffic jam due the success of the first Brookside Greenway Festival on March 17, 2007. The small west Jefferson County town made over $10,000. Most of the operating expenses were covered by generous donations from local business, utilities and personal donations. The food was so good that the wild game concession at the pavilion closed early. Hamburgers and hot dog booths ran out of food late in the day. The Miss Greenway pageant brought in hundreds of family members who squeezed into the huge pageant tent to see over seventy girls compete in six age categories. The Regions 5k Run and Brookside Russian Boar Scramble mountain bike race drew contestants from Hoover, Gardendale, McCalla, Jacksonville, Vestavia and Tuscaloosa. The proceeds will go to the development of the Brookside Greenway as Brookside reinvents itself as a recreation destination. Cawaco RC&D Council and the Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership provided support for the event. 
This 2 day workshop will introduce basics concepts of stream restoration using natural channel design. Time will be split between classroom and extensive field work, including project / data summaries and evening work sessions. Classroom work will review natural channel design principles, restoration case studies, and the Rosgen classification system. Field techniques for stream condition assessment and the Rosgen classification system will be covered in detail. Workshop limited to 35 participants. Cost is $225 for government / non-profit and $350 for general registration. Local accommodations include the Mountain Brook Hampton Inn. Reservations can be made by calling 1-205-870-7822. CEUs from Auburn University will be available. Contact Kellie Johnston to register for seminar — 205-264-8461 or 