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All America City Award Promotion Documents
/ THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece nn the Mississippi MEMORANDUM July 10, 2007 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, .City Manager SUBJECT: All-America City Assistant City Manager Cindy Steinhauser has met with the All-America City Committee and delegation members to discuss how best to move forward with promotion of the All- America City Award for our community. The All-America City Award is given to ten communities each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to excellence and an ability to respond to community challenges in a collaborative way that involves citizens, businesses, local government and non-profit organizations. As such, communities that have won the All- America City Award have realized numerous benefits, including national recognition, enhanced community pride, and additional community partnership. Many All-America City Award winners also have experienced significant economic impacts, including new grants, improved bond ratings, increased tourism, and private investment. Cindy is recommending the following items for implementation: • Hold Business Community Breakfast to present the award to Mayor Buol and the City Council, view footage of the presentation in Anaheim and announcement of the award and distribute All-America City marketing kits for businesses to use. Marketing kits will include the media release, brochure content for business recruitment and digital images of the Dubuque All-America City logo for business letterhead; Create traveling display to use at festivals to explain to citizens the significance of this award and what it means for Dubuque. Hand out lapel pins, stickers and temporary tattoos for children. The NCL 2007 All-America City Quilt will be incorporated into this display during the month that it will be displayed in Dubuque; Request permission from the Airport Commission to paint logo at Dubuque Regional Airport; • Create an official Dubuque All-America City webpage off of the City of Dubuque website to showcase Dubuque's winning application and other related content; • Create a speakers bureau of delegation members to present on the All-America City award to civic organizations; • Run Dubuque All-America City documentary and City Journal interview on City Channel 8 and Dubuque Community School District Channel 19; • Purchase banners with the All-America City logo to hang at the Port of Dubuque, Downtown and Cable Car Square; • Purchase City signs to install at City gateways and at key intersections downtown with the All-America City logo; • Dubuque All-America City logo on the City website main page and on each department and division webpage; • Dubuque All-America City logo included on future print orders of City brochures, letterhead and business cards; and • Dubuque All-America City logo included on City publications including Spirit Times, City News, City Focus and the Annual Report. The project budget has $11,799 remaining, which is adequate to cover the costs of these initiatives. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. I l~ Michael C. Van Milligen MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi MEMORANDUM July 3, 2007 TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manag SUBJECT: All-America City summary Introduction The purpose of this memo it to provide you a summary of the All-America City competition and a recommendation on marketing of the award. Background The National Civic League (NCL) has a prestigious annual award program entitled All- American City Award (AAC) to recognize forward-thinking communities. George H. Gallup described the All America City Award program as "...a Nobel prize for constructive citizenship. " This prestigious award is given to 10 communities each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to excellence and an ability to respond to community challenges in a collaborative way that involves citizens, businesses, local government, and nonprofit organizations. As such, communities that have won the All-America City Award have realized numerous benefits, including national recognition, enhanced community pride, and additional community partnerships. Many All-America City Award winners also have experienced significant economic impacts, including new grants, improved bond ratings, increased tourism, and private investment. In 1996 the city of Dubuque submitted an application for this award and was fortunate to be selected as one of 30 National finalists for the award. In 2006 the NCL revised the application process, increasing the standards for communities to become a finalist and narrowed the number of finalist to 20. In 2007 the City of Dubuque became one of twenty finalists from a round of over 60 applicants. Discussion Attached are several documents related to the city of Dubuque's successful application to become an All-America City. The first attachment is a summary of the Finalist Community Projects and the very tough competition Dubuque was up against. The second attachment is an editorial written by Gary Olsen and posted on the Dubuque Community School District webpage. I believe it accurately depicts the three day event, how well our delegation of citizens from Dubuque represented our community and why Dubuque deserved to win the award. Also attached is a summary of the expenses associated with this project. As indicated, the expenses totaled $48,201.74 which included salary expense, travel expenses, hotel, meals, registration, promotional materials production, shipping, advertisement and production of a documentary on the making of an All-America City. The city had a budget of $60,000 for this project and so a balance of $ 11,799 remains. On June 29, the All-America City committee and delegation members met to discuss how best to move forward with promotion of this award in our community. Based upon our discussion, the following items are recommended for implementation: • Hold Business Community Breakfast to present the award to Mayor Buol and the City Council, view footage of the presentation in Anaheim and announcement of the award and distribute AAC marketing kits for businesses to use. Marketing kits will include the media release, brochure content for business recruitment and digital images of the Dubuque AAC logo for business letterhead; • Create traveling display to use at festivals to explain to citizens the significance of this award and what it means for Dubuque. Hand out lapel pins, stickers and temporary tattoos for children. The NCL 2007 AAC Quilt will be incorporated into this display during the month that it will be displayed in Dubuque; • Request permission from the Airport Commission to paint logo at Dubuque Regional Airport; • Create an official Dubuque AAC webpage off of the City of Dubuque website to showcase Dubuque's winning application and other related content; • Create a speakers bureau of delegation members to present on the AAC award to civic organizations; • Run Dubuque AAC documentary and City Journal interview on City Channel 8 and DCSD Channel 19; • Purchase banners with the AAC logo to hang at the Port of Dubuque, Downtown and Cable Car Square; and • Purchase city signs to install at city gateways and at key intersections downtown with the AAC logo. Already promotion of this award has begun with a presentation by committee members to the Lions Civic Group and a taping for City Channel 8. A presentation to Kiwanis is scheduled for August 2007. Attached is a budget sheet that identifies the cost associated with the implementation of each of these recommendations. In addition, Public Information Officer Randy Gehl and I recommend the city implement the Dubuque AAC logo in the following manner: • Dubuque AAC logo on the city website mainpage and on each department and division webpage. This logo will be a live link that feeds back to the Dubuque AAC webpage; • Dubuque AAC logo is included on future print orders of city brochures, letterhead and business cards; and • Dubuque AAC logo is included on city publications including Spirit Times, City News, City Focus and the Annual Report. The committee is currently in the process of developing the community marketing kits and planning the business community breakfast. Lastly, the committee is recommending that the city reapply for this award in 2010, which would require starting the application .process in 2009. Request The request is for you to review and approve the committee recommendation on the use of the remaining AAC budget to promote this award. Cc: Jenny Larsen, Budget Director Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer X11 America City Page 1 of 3 ,i+ ~~ _~~ { 4 3~ _ .__. ' ' r ' `' ,;""~,.'-~ , ' ` " : ~ +;~~li~~~ ~rrr~ ~. a. , r , nr~i QU[t sG„i. , ,.. ~ , , , ~ , , , . ,. ~ Dubuque is an All America c~~y It was the All America City A~-1r~Ctjt Competition, and guess what? you won! Story by Gary Olsen and Photos by Kevln Lynch ast week I was in Anaheim, CA as part of the delegation of Dubuque representatives that made presentations to the National Civic League. I'm doing a documentary about the entire experience. [t was amazing watching the 20 finalist cities compete for ] 0 designations to participate in the branding opportunity that is All America City. Laredo, Texas was in the running, and they brought with them their high school band which was actually a mariachi orchestra. They wore beautiful turquoise shirts and blouses, black pants with silver buttons down the legs, and extraordinary black sombreros with silver brocade. What a sight and what a sound! Their delegation didn't win, however. It took a lot more than show business to win the right to display the red, white and blue Top left column, one of our delegates broughf his family to Anaheim including his daughter who became part of our on-stage presentation. Top: Yours truly and my production partner on this trip, Jim Barefoot, from Mediacom Cable. I'm wearing the http://www.dubuque.k 12.ia.us/allamericacity/ 7/9/2007 :All America City shield. The National Civic League is over 100 years old, and is anon-profit, non-partisan organization of cities from across the nation. The mission of the organization is that real change in American society occurs at the grass-roots small town, community or neighborhood level first and often best. Washington, DC? Not so much. Too much competing agendas by big money lobbies and politicians sadly pre-occupied with campaigning to stay in office. The value of this competition and the designation is multi-faceted. Winning it means you belong to a very special group of cities in America that knows how to get things done. More complex than that, it is a signal to a broad range of organizations from foundations with money to give, to companies looking to locate to a nice can-do community. It means we have set goals for ourselves through collaboration among all types of people and that we met those goals. Simply put, we are a wonderful place to live, learn, and prosper, embracing the democratic ideals for which our nation is admired. So what put Dubuque in the win column? For cities to qualify for the honor, they must have dealt with a profound problem in their community, like providing affordable housing, health care, downtown re- development, and do it with collaboration and inclusion of the affected or afflicted. Our downtown school (Prescott), our free Community Health Center for the uninsured among us, our riverfront re-development of a once blighted industrial area were submitted as evidence we can make things happen collectively and effectively. Each city had to provide a live presentation on stage in front of the judges, and then submit to questions. There were 30 of us on stage representing all walks of life, ages, a broad spectrum of occupations and I couldn't have been [Wore proud of my home town. The people who participated in this effort were volunteers and they had practiced their presentation for hours and hours to get it just right. There were many who helped from behind the scenes and who had to remain back home. There was no AV allowed. No videos, because, after all, if they allowed videos, Hollywood would win every year. They would just call Steven Spielberg to whip something up. Nope, we had to go on stage live. How people on stage responded to questions from the panel of judges counted heavily in the judging. I discovered later that Dubuque was one of only three cities to receive unanimous endorsement in the first ballot by the entire judging panel of eight experts in Page 2 of 3 Steadicam we used to capture the entire week's worth of events including our convention booth here hosted by Amy Wickham with Greater Dubuque Development Corporation. In all, 20 cities made it to the final competition based on their applications, and this is a group from among hundreds of cities nationwide that participate. Each city that makes it to Anaheim and the finals brings out their best people, products, food, culture, and there are some real surprises. Calabasas, California brought their high school jazz band, and they blew the roof off the Marriott Hotel. Calabasas means "pumpkin" incidentally. I've got loads of little pumpkin squeeze balls if you want one. When you consider such programs as the new Dubuque Community Health Center facility constructed from an abandoned warehouse and former casket company, combined with community-wide initiatives such as Every Child, Every Promise, downtown Dubuque re-development, and the fact our school district built a new downtown elementary school with an emphasis on the arts... all of this in the last three years... all we had to do was tell this story on stage in 10 minutes. Hickory, North Carolina is known as a manufacturing center for, of all things, socks. I've got a pair because they were giving lovely pairs of socks to every visitor to their booth. Hickory also makes furniture, but I couldn't see carrying the sofa on display back to Dubuque, and besides, we have Flexsteel. Oh, and Laredo, Texas? They had roasting pans full of hot tamales wrapped in natural com husks. Mui mui fanstico! Dubuque had Trapistine Creamy Caramels and chocolate chip cookies along with these handy blue backpacks with our logo emblazoned on them. People loved them because you could stuff them with creamy caramels among all the other giveaways. My most interesting prize? I would have to say the pefect little miniature baseball from the Hickory Crawdads minor league baseball franchise. I absolutely love it! But the socks are nice. The real value of attending this event was witnessing the presentations from the participating cities. It proved to me that the real action in our democracy is in our country's smallest towns and cities. That's the entry point for participating in democracy and it is where real change for the better originates. The cities that competed well in this event were those that faced their toughest problems head on. They didn't wait for the government to act. Some cities found themselves at the edge of an abyss looking at decaying downtown areas, high crime, drugs, gangs, and an eroding tax base as those with money and intellectual resources fled. This event wasn't designed to be a parade of Convention and Visitors' Bureau hyperbole. It was an endeavor to discover just what your town is doing to save people's lives. The National Civic League then wanted you to prove you used consensus building and that you included representatives from as broad a We shot, we scored. There was this one defining moment in our presentation's question and answer portion when a judge asked us, "You mentioned that you were designated as a city that is "the best example of midwestem charm" (Midwest Living Magazine rating). Tell me, what is Midwestern Charm?" Mercy Hospital CEO Rusty Knight was on stage to answer any questions about health care, but he chose to answer this question since he recited the quote in his carefully rehearsed portion of the script. "I'll answer that question since 1 uttered that phrase," said Rusty (that got a laugh from the judges actually). "I've lived in Dubuque for the past 10 years, and I have always felt welcomed... " Rusty went on to say that he has observed that no one in Dubuque lays claim to any of the great ideas that come along. He said that everyone shares in identifying the needs of the community, shares in the creation. of a solution, but no one person or group takes all the credit even if it was deserved. He said that he has come to love Dubuque and he's staying. I guess it wasn't so much what he said, but how he said it that obviously impressed the judges. Rusty is a much respected business person, but he also displays an "awe shucks" kind of style from time to tune that can be disarming. Here we all were on stage, smiling broadly and ready to deal with soiree tough questions about who and how many we are helping in our community with our great ideas. But those questions really never materialized. Instead it was questions like this golf ball that they graciously teed up for Rusty Knight and he hit it 300 yards down the fairway. http://www. dubuque.k 12.ia.us/allamericacity/ 7/9/2007 X11 America City urban affairs and civic planning. You should be proud. Education factors mightily in all of spectrum as possible to discover and solve these endeavors, and we can certainly share in your problem. the credit. Page 3 of 3 --G.O. Gary Olsen is a national award winning media developer who works for the Dubuque Community Schools. Gary and his production partner Jim Barefoot of Mediacom are currently working on a documentary film of this event featuring clips from most of the participating cities. Stay tuned to this webpage as it will soon feature a streaming media version of the movie as soon as it is available. © Copyright 2005 - 2006 - 2007 Dubuque Community Schools All Rights Reserved. No portion of this website can be reproduced without expressed permission of the Dubuque Community School District. Contact Dubuque Community Schools, Offce of Public Affairs, 2300 Chaney Road, Dubuque, IA 52001. View our Privacy_Statemenf. Phone: 563-552-3000 (main) or 563-552-3032 (web office). http://www.dubuque.kl 2.ia.us/allamericacity/ 7/9/2007 _.p .. .Summa of Finalist Community Projects Flowing Wells, Arizona Flowing Wells District Park The Flowing Wells District Park attracts people from a 5-mile radius. All phases have now been completed. This recently completed community asset includes: a t-ball field, the largest 4-plex basketball court in the county, a volleyball sand court, 2 tot lots, horseshoe pits, 2 ball fields complete with lighting and bleachers, restrooms, picnic tables complete with ramadas and grills. The park is well lit and has great parking capacity as well as neighborhood access. This park is utilized daily by a nearby charter school. It is also the home field of the Northwest Fast Pitch Team. There is aperimeter-walking path and the park feeds into the Rillito River Park that is a divided urban pathway along the bank of the wash. The Curtis Neighborhood Park is a sister park which connects into the Flowing Wells District Park and is smaller in nature and still in the construction phase. Ellie Towne/Flowing Wells Community Center The Ellie Towne/Flowing Wells Community Center will celebrate its grand opening in September of this year. This facility will be the largest community center constructed by the county to date. The 20,000 square foot facility has a campus style layout with four buildings and a central courtyard. The buildings are zoned to house a large dividable multipurpose room, a pair of youth activity rooms, a senior center, and amulti-use small child, art, dance and computer rooms. The central courtyard area will be covered with a unique fabric canopy that will provide shade but allow for air movement within the cool space. The public art portrays a flowing glass stream on the floor of the courtyard. This complex will also house the Flowing Wells Health Center. Flowing Wells Health Center The Flowing Wells Health Center was opened in December 2005 as a result of a strong partnership of two diverse faith-based groups, the school district and the community. The elementary schools in the immediate area serve a population in which 95-98% qualify for free or reduced lunch. The FW School District wanted to assist these children but was unable to find a location that was available at any of their existing campuses. The Victory Assembly of God Church had temporary space. St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a local health clinic operated by Catholic Social Services. All came together for the benefit of the community to meet the health needs of the uninsured. Immunization of children is a very important service provided. The center provided affordable health care and was essential to the recovery of several children suffering from lead poisoning from contaminated soil. Calabasas, California Comprehensive Secondhand Smoke Control Ordinance (C550) The Comprehensive Secondhand Smoke Control Ordinance (CSSO), and the task of implementation and enforcement, has been an extremely successful project for the City of Calabasas in protecting the health of the public. Passed by the City Council on February 15, 2006, the Ordinance went into effect on March 1 S, 2006. CS50 limits public exposure to secondhand smoke in public areas within the City. Smoking is prohibited in all public places where other persons can be exposed to secondhand smoke. These places include indoor and outdoor businesses, hotels, parks, apartment common areas, restaurants and bars where people can be reasonably expected to congregate or meet. Business owners may apply to install a marked "Designated Smoking Area" which designates an area for smoking that is a reasonable distance from non-smokers. The result of the CSSO has been healthier air in public places for all residents and visitors to the City. Recycling and Creek Clean-Up Programs The Recycling and Creek Clean-Up Programs reserve specific days for citizens to gather and recycle materials or volunteer to remove trash from local creeks. The Recycling Program currently consists of three separate components: water-based paint and used oil is collected together; used battery collection sites are located throughout the City; and, E-Waste "round-ups" accept computer and electronic equipment. These programs are well attended and utilized. The E-Waste effort is particularly unique since it is the only recycling site for electronics in the northern portion of Los Angeles County. Creek clean-up efforts have also been organized into two factions. The first project protects the Las Virgenes Creek adjacent to Las Virgenes Road and Malibu Canyon Road. The second program helps Dry Canyon Creek and McCoy Creek further east. Both projects schedule volunteers on weekend days for a combination of entertainment, contests and local creek clean-up. Brandon's Village Playgrounds are vital, providing physical, emotional, and social benefits that enrich lives. Most meet Americans with Disabilities Ad guidelines, but only provide access from the parking lot to the play area Equipment is surrounded by sand or bark, or is narrow and cannot be navigated by children dependent on wheelchairs, walkers, braces, or crutches. In order to play, these children must remove support apparatus and drag themselves around the play structure. This is humiliating, dangerous, and almost always impossible. Calabasas recently opened Brandon's Village, a Universally Accessible Playground serving 5,000 local children with special needs. Universally Accessible Playgrounds provide a rare opportunity for all children to play together at the highest level of their ability. The unique play equipment is over 70% independently playable for children with disabilities. At the same time, it is designed to provide meaningful and stimulating play opportunities that delight able-bodied children. Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa Downtpwn Arts Program The Santa Rosa Downtown Arts Program integrates a wide range of arts and cultural programming into the downtown area, recognizing that art strengthens a community's image and sense of place, increases cultural unity, supports economic development, and builds civic pride. The program creates a downtown arts hub that enriches the lives of residents and attracts visitors. It draws people downtown to live, work and play, which encourages development and increases downtown business.The Downtown Arts Program has a three-prong approach: • Physical Environment: Artists design sculptures, infor- mational kiosks, benches, light poles and news racks. Art facilities, studios, galleries, and exhibition spaces are a priority. • Cultural Programming includes diverse music, dance, theater, film, and literary arts. • Sustainable Resources: Leadership and funding from public and private sector guarantee the program's strength and growth. Measure O Public Safety Quarter-Cent Sales Tax Measure A quarter-cent public safety sales tax measure was placed on the November 2004 ballot, which came to be known as Measure O. The measure generates approxi- mately $7 million per year for Police, Fire, and Gang Prevention and Intervention efforts. The ordinance set up a citizen oversight committee and' has. strict rules preventing any "supplanting" of existing services or .funding in the General Fund. This project has allowed Significant progress to be made in vital areas at a time when core public safety was threatened. Mayors Gang Prevention Task Force Four years ago, the City aggressively moved into action to address a growing gang problem. The City began with public outreach and education on the growing issue. Staff and policy leaders traveled to other cities to learn from their programs. The Mayor's Gang. Prevention Task Force was established to confront the issues and the risk to youth. The Task Force consists of a Policy Team and an Operational Team. The Policy Team is made up of 40 policy leaders from throughout Sonoma County whose agencies work with youth or law enforcement. The Operational Team members work directly with youth. They include 30 vice principals, police sergeants and directors of non-profits offering prevention and intervention services. These programs and services are primarily funded by a quarter-cent sales tax measure that dedicates 20% to gang prevention and intervention measures. Sierra Madre, California Senior Master Plan In 1999-2000, the City of Sierra Madre completed the first Senior Master Plan, with unparalleled input from civic leaders, City and local government members, and most importantly, the seniors of Sierra Madre. Five major areas of need for seniors were identified at that time, and plans were put in place to address those needs. These five major areas included: Housing; Transportation; Health & Safety; Recreation; and Resources. In 2006, the community thought it valuable to re-visit those senior needs and craft an updated Senior Master Plan based upon prior accomplishments and new challenges. Parks Master Plan The adoption of the Parks Master Plan was the culmination of a long history of Sierra Madre's dedication to protect and preserve open space throughout the City. By formalizing these ideals in a master plan, the City has been mandated by its residents to actively pursue these three recommenda- tions: • Any new building in the parks should not infringe upon the open space that currently exists. • The Cityshould explore alternatives for joint-use agreements with area schools to fuifil'I the need for additional alive youth space. • Any vacant parcels of land that become available should be explored for purchase thcough alternative funding sources. Youth Activity Center During the 1998 Youth Master Plan process, the Steering Committee stated that a Youth Activity Center was among the greatest needs identified for 12-18 year old youths in the City. At that time, the City created a temporary Youth Activity Center (YAC) for teenagers to have a place to talk to other young adults about issues affecting their lives, while also providing counseling services, c-asses and social. activities. The previous YAC was an old church in the middle of a residential neighborhood. This facility was only considered a temporary solution, so after extensive study by the community, the City Council approved moving the YAC to the Community Recreation. Center as a second-story addition in order to preserve open space in the park. Hollywood, Florida Hollywood Housing and Neighborhood Development Strategy (Hollywood HANDS) Hollywood Housing and Neighborhood Development Strategy (Hollywood HANDS )is a multi-faceted community-based approach to address affordable housing issues and neighborhood development concerns. In 2000, the City of Hollywood created the Department of Housing and Community Redevelopment specifically to evaluate the importance and visibility of neighborhood and housing issues in the City. Through the involvement of neighborhood associations, non-profit agencies, local businesses and local government, tremendous improvements have been made in the quality of life and appearance of Hollywood's most distressed neighborhoods. Under the over-arching mantle of the Hollywood HANDS philosophy, new affordable housing was developed, individual homes were improved, streetscapes were enhanced, new homebuyers were assisted, crime rates fell, and neighborhoods coalesced around the core values of empowerment, responsibility, accountability, authority and focus. Hollywood Partnerships Represented In Diverse Environments (Hollywood PRIDE) Hollywood Partnerships Represented In Diverse Environments (Hollywood PRIDE) is designed to bring together all of Hollywood's diverse cultural segments to work for a better Hollywood by sharing their varied skills, attitudes, languages, and behaviors.. All can benefit from being immersed in new cultures: In order to accomplish this goal in the most effective , possible manner the City has created one of tfie. most extensive volunteer programs in the country known as Volunteer Hollywood. Cultural diversity and the opportunity to work together through volunteerism is a natural match. The alignment can only happen; however, when the forum is created to allow the `< community to work jointly to solve common concerns. .Hollywood has provided that forum. Born to Read Program The Born to Read Program breaks the Lytle of illiteracy and the lack of home-based educational support from the pre-natal stages through youth in lovv-income families. By encouraging parents to read to their children from the very earliest time°of their lives, the level of literacy so often lacking in low- income households is raised and the human capita(. of young people is enhanced and enabled to pursue all the creativity and skills a child may possess. The goal is accomplished through the innovative approach of positioning afull-time librarian at the Memorial Primary Care Clinic who interacts with each family with young children. Each family is given a library application, a resource guide and the child's first book. New parents are instructed how to improve their child's intellectual abilities through reading. The instruction is reinforced with every health care visit the family makes to the clinic. Kissimmee/Osceola County, Florida Mobile Medical Express Community Vision's Health Issues collaborative is at the forefront of a myriad of Kissimmee/Osceola County betterment efforts. In September of 2004, Community Vision was selected to participate in a competitive, national process. The Community Vision Health Access Project (CV HAP) received a Federal HRSA grant to fund a Mobile Medical Express (MME). This 205 square foot bus travels to under-served areas and provides primary and chronic healthcare to uninsured and underinsured patients, free-of-charge. The MME is equipped with a waiting area, nurse station, caseworker room, and an exam room. The Osceola Council on Aging is partnering with the CV HAP for clinical services. A Nurse Practitioner, Licensed Practical Nurse, Case Manager, Chronic Care Assistant Manager, and Driver operate the vehicle full time. Physicians volunteer and play a vital role in supporting the specialty care needs as well as the primary care needs of Kissimmee/Osceola County's uninsured and under-insured. Community Connectivity A community can only be successful when its stake- holders have a clear picture of its amenities and challenges. Community Vision publishes a Community Report Card that provides a snapshot of vital indicators, measuring items related to the quality of life. It's easy to get lost in the details of the data and miss the big picture- a community's social capital. The Community Report Card enables citizens to take ownership of the community's challenges and opportunities, work collab- oratively to facilitate change and leverage resources. The Neighborhood Block Party Express (NBPE) will roll out on May 1, 2007. This is a trailer designed for the purpose of building social capital by bringing leadership programming and civic involvement information into the neighborhoods-disguised as a block party on wheels! The NBPE will be available to neighborhood associations and clubs to bring people together in the spirit of community unity and connec- tiveness. Osceola Children Campaign- Flee to be Free The Osceola Children Campaign, affectionately known as "Flee to be Free," spawned from the abduction of a four-year-old. She was reported missing by her parents, who last saw her playing in the front yard. The five-day search ended with the gruesome discovery at the home of her next-door neighbor. The senseless death of this youngster rocked the Kissimmee/Osceola County community to its core. Devastated by this tragedy, the little girl's family wanted to know what could be done to prevent this from happening to another child. The parents asked that a community program be established that would help keep children safe from strangers and child predators. In 1997, the community taskforce was formed. The objective of the Osceola Children Campaign is to provide education and awareness to children and parents with implementa- tion through our schools. Polk County, Florida Prosperity Through Partnerships For the past three years, the Board of County Commissioners has charged the Central Florida Development Council of Polk County -its economic and tourism department - to mobilize and create programs designed to meet the needs of citizens and businesses impaled by the three major hurricanes. The Prosperity Through Partnerships campaign was launched to bring civic organizations, government agencies and businesses together to share resources, market assets, network and develop strategies to revitalize the economy. Two new key initiatives employed to spark recovery through this projel are the Polk County Bonus Incentive Program which rewards quality job generation and the award-winning Hurricane Heroes campaign which thanks and markets. Polk County to the thousands of out of county electric company Line workers, insurance adjustors-and FEMA staff who assisted with the 2004 hurricane. recovery. Park Partners Park Partners, created in 2003 as a pilot program to enlist neighborhood volunteers, focuses on park rejuve- nation in fow-income high-crime areas prone to - vandalism. The program asks community members to assume ownership of a park by signing an adoption pledge to care for and maintain park facilities. A parks. staff volunteer from Polk County Leisure Services oversees the program and meets monthly on-site to :. work with community participants to layout and maintain the landscaping. Park Partners has developed a system by which plants can be propagated, planted and maintained solely through neighborhood and community volunteers. The program accomplishes this by encouraging personal involvement, one citizen. at e time through incentives and programs such as Backyard Nurseries, Schoolyard Nurseries, Boot Camp Nursery,' "How To" Clinics, preferred customer discounts, free membership offers, a plant delivery network and more. Youth Leadership Team (YLT) The Youth Leadership Team (YLT) is a committee that provides outreach and education to teens through school and community-based events. Collaborating with school personnel and community leaders, YLT's mission is to educate teens and encourage them to set healthy goals and make appropriate and responsible choices. As a division of the Healthy Start Coalition's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Alliance (TPPA), team members are also asked to advise the Alliance on many aspects of their work and to give a voice to the unique perspective and opinions of teens throughout Polk County. The YLT is comprised of an ethnically diverse group of local students, ranging in ages from 10 to 19 years, representing 19 public and private schools, and home schooled students. These students are passion- ately committed to making a difference in the lives of their peers. Covington, Georgia The Livable Centers Initiative Highway 278 Corridor Study The LCI program is intended to promote greater livability, mobility and development alternatives in existing corridors, employment centers, and town centers. In this context, the City of Covington sought to develop along-term vision for promoting the growth of historic Downtown Covington, revitalizing US 278, and protecting neighborhoods and historic (NMRMA) showcases the. beauty of the river while and natural resources. It also established.. a mix of teaching the word about the. river's importance to lend uses, ensured multiple transportation options, the. environment and commerce, and provided a and supported economic development. much needed. boost to Dubuque's struggling . ' economy, tourism, and image. Visitors are able to The Newton County Leadership Collaborative More than 40 leaders representing Newton County, including. the City of Covington, the. Newton County- Board of Commissioners, the Newton County Board of Education, fhe Newton County Water end Sewerage Authority, and other Newton County municipalities, are engaged in an innovative approach. to growth management planning. Faced with rapid growth stemming from the greater Atlanta Metropolitan Region, these leaders come in their respective roles,: prepared to cross traditional jurisdictional and departmental lines to lay a path towards sustainability of their common community. This unprecedented approach to managing growth is called the Leadership Collaborative. The three objectives of the Leadership Collaborative are: • To offer an opportunity for Newton County leadership to share each other's issues and initiatives; • To explore how various interests and responsibili- ties are related to growth; and • To devise ways through which growth management might be better coordinated countywide. Washington Street Community Center The Washington Street Community Center, Inc. is a non-profit community development corporation whose mission is to encourage the development of programs by which the residents of the local area may through self-help and overall community empowerment, improve the quality of their economic and social participation in community life. The center specifically targets children and youth. WSCC provides comprehensive programs for young and old alike that address juvenile delinquency, school drop outs, increasing parent involvement in school and at home, leadership and character building for teens, as well as an appreciation for cultural arts, health and fitness. Dubuque, Iowa America's River Project The America's River project created aworld-class venue to experience the Mississippi River. Designated as a National Interpretive Center for the Upper Mississippi River U.S. Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the recipient of a Smithsonian affiliation, the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium walk on the nverwalk, interact with the aver through hands-on displays and aquariums, experience how the river boosts the economy, and explore the genius of the river -its backwaters - in .; wetland environment. People learn about the river' in a classroom setting. at the Grand River Center, a conference center built to enhance the educational efforts of the NMRMA. The 200-room Grand Harbor Resort is Iowa's first indoor waterpark_ The resort offers stunning views of Dubuque and the Mississippi River. _, Downtown Master Plan ~ ;'' " The Downtown Master Plan resulted from two _ "Housing Summits." The summits were community-: wide discussions bringing together a variety of stakeholder groups with concerns`aboui the condition of downtown. housing. Participants quickly realized that addressing housing issues in the downtown required a larger view -looking at associated challenges. like transportation and open , spaces, delivery of city services,. employment oppor- tunities and entertainment. The Downtown Master Plan was crafted through afour-year process that included over 2,000 individuals involved in community meetings, a citizen questionnaire, reactor group session, and validation survey. In 2004, the City Council approved the Downtown Dubuque Master Plan that was born from this process. The plan has six elements of downtown revitalization that incorpo- rates a "live, work and play" spirit, each representing a major focus of activity. Crescent Community Health Center The Crescent Community Health Center is a free- standing health clinic that provides medical, optical and dental care for the community's underinsured and uninsured citizens, individuals on Medicare and Medicaid including 40% of the community's children under the age of six. The CCHC exists to improve and maintain the health and well being of the community by providing affordable, client-friendly and comprehensive, high quality services in collabo- ration with other organizations and resources. The CCHC employs an executive director, afull-time physician, a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, two dentists, three hygienists, three dental assistants and support staff. The 7300 square foot facility is housed in aloes-income neighborhood. The actual building site was an abandoned warehouse that has been restored to its original beauty. The first floor houses the CCHC, while the upper three floors are renovated creating 36 affordable apartments. The CCHC values include accessibility, collaboration, diversity anddignity, quality, advocacy,. service and. support. Fort Wayne-Allen County, Indiana Renaissance Pointe Development The Renaissance Pointe redevelopment initiative represents an opportunity to transform a distressed, inner-city neighborhood into a healthy, mixed-income,.. diverse community. Located in the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood, Renaissance Pointe will encompass approximately 36 total blocks covering 67 acres. Upon completion, Renaissance Pointe will bring over 400 ne homeowners to the neighborhood. Equally as important, Renaissance. Pointe will include the rehabili- tation of up to 100 existing owner-occupied homes. Prior to 1997, the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood had experienced a history of steady decline culminating in the evacuation of hundreds of residents when a tire- filled warehouse caught fire and burned for several days. Since then, public and private commitments to the neighborhood have produced a beautiful campus setting that features a public library branch, the Fort Wayne Urban League, and CANT Head Start. Further investment will bring a new YMCA facility to the site of the fire and surround it with a healthy, revitalized community. - The Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana The Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana is the first of its kind in the nation to link hands-on emergency response training involving disparate local, state and federal agencies to aseven-member local educational consortium. The consortium provides vocational/technicaltvaining through three emergency response associate degree programs delivered by Ivy Tech State Community College and bachelor and masters degree offerings from 5 additional accredited colleges and universities. This unique combination will make this facility and programming the choice for best practices in emergency response. Additionally, these programming applications envision mentor and cadet programs to foster long-term respect for first responders, enhance educational development of our younger citizens and foster long term Police/Fire/EMS recruiting efforts, especially among diverse population groups. Youth Day of Caring and Allen County United Youth Summit Beginning in 2001, United Way of Allen County has held Youth Day of Caring as a local celebration of National & Global Youth Service Day. Last year, over .1.0,000 students in K-12 completed a variety of service ..projects aimed at improving lines in the community. Students cleani:d Lp yards and neighborhoods, vvorked at the homes of elderly residents,.collected much- needed items for local agencies;,_and played games with nursing home residents. Youth Day of Caring is -one of the largest local youth service events in the country.. In 2006, building on the success of Youth Day of Caring; community leaders-and. youth began developing plans for the first Allen County United Youth Summit. `Middle and high school students will have the opportunity to participate in leadership development workshops and discuss community ' problems in town. hall forums. Student teams can also .apply for Youth as Resources grants to support service projects aimed at changing and, improving community w conditions. Through both of these efforts, the community is investing in a generation of servant- - "leaders. Allen County is providing them with a venue to serve, change conditions and make a difference. La Porte, Indiana New Approaches to Ethnic and Racial Change EI Puente is a group dedicated to "opening the door" to opportunity for Hispanic/Latiho residents of the community. After early success and a major presence in ' the community, EI Puente receded into an organiza- tional slump. Their Executive Director resigned and their Board of Directors had difficulty. rallying the strength to revitalize the group. As the city's Strategic Planning Committee wrestled with its analysis of the ethnic and racial changes in the community, they invited EI Puente leaders to join the process and engaged a faculty member from Purdue University to assist the Committee (and EI Puente) in evolving a strategy for the future. The City has offered to provide EI Puente with office space and the Strategic Planning Committee has provided assistance in helping EI Puente to refine its role and develop a comprehensive business plan. NewPorte Landing Much of the growth of the City of La Porte was fueled by the evolution of the M. Rumely Company from a blacksmith shop to a world renowned manufacturer of farm equipment. In 1912, they built a huge new man- ufacturing complex in the center of the city for the production of the revolutionary OilPull Tractor. The Rumely Company became a part of the Allis-Chalmers Corporation from 1931 to its closing in 1983. In its wake arose environmental issues that resulted in nearly 100 acres of blighted area in the center of the city. Adjacent to that was 50 acres of vacant industrial land and 50 acres of the former city landfill. All of it obstructed development and contributed to decline in property values in the surrounding area. After more than four years of planning and community dialogue, the combined area of nearly 200 acres is now emerging as NewPorte Landing,. a planned development that will include retail and commercial areas, residential development and new recreational areas. Covering Kids and Families Council The Covering Kids and Families Council, sponsored by Healthy Communities of La Porte County, brings together resources to increase the number of children enrolled in the Hoosier Healthwise program, and to ensure that they remain in the program. This is the seventh Covering Kids and Families project in the state, and the first one accepted as an "unfunded pilot," not receiving funds through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant. A major focus is finding innovative ways to educate eligible families that they may apply for Hoosier Healthwise insurance for their children, and ensuring that they reapply to remain enrolled in the program. Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence Community Land and Housing Trust The Lawrence Community Land and Housing Trust (Trust) is a model used across the country but the first of its kind in Kansas. The Trust and the homebuyer are partners in homeownership. In exchange for up front subsidy, Trust homeowners agree to keep the house affordable for the next buyers. The homeowners retain title to the home and the Trust owns title to the land. The Trust gives homeowners the right to use the land through a 99- yearground lease. This long-term lease protects the owners from the instability of renting and allows them to earn equity, but limits the resale price of the home. Thus, the Trust home remains permanently affordable in the community and the initial subsidy is forever recycled. The Trust balances the goals of providing a fair return on a family's housing investment while ensuring that the house will remain affordable for the next buyer. Strengthening Downtown An important goal of the Lawrence City Commission is to protect the integrity of Downtown while maintaining it as a unique community resource. To that end, the City has provided support to various Downtown development projects and events undertaken by other organizations. The City partnered with the Lawrence Arts Center (Arts Center) to build a new home after the Arts Center outgrew its historic Carnegie Library location. The Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market, owned and operated by local vendors, has operated ince 1976.. The City arranged for relocation to a larger Downtown parking lot and built additional pedestrian safety measures when the Saturday market outgrew its old location. Plans for permanent .public restroom facilities are in progress.ln 2006 a local developer completed a significant redevelop merit in downtown. The City, developer, and a neighboring business brokered an agreement to provide adequate parking for the new loft. residences. Success by 6 Coalition of Douglas County,. Inc. Success By 6 Coalition of Douglas County, lnc. (566) is committed to fulfilling the promise of a Healthy Start and Future. Its mission is that local "families of children under 6 have what they need to successfully parent their young children, thereby fostering positive parent-child relationships and preparing children for success in school and in life." Through a collaborative network of early childhood practition- ers, health care and social service providers, educators, faith community and government repre- sentatives, business entities and caring individuals, S66 provides myriad professional and community resources in three broad implementation areas: early childhood care and education; public awareness; and family support systems. Originally an unfunded network of early childhood professionals seeking to better meet the needs of young children and their families in Lawrence, 5B6 is now a 501(c)(3) organiza- tion and United Way member agency managing over 5928,000 in early childhood investments throughout the Lawrence-Douglas County area Shawnee, Kansas Shawnee Downtown Partnership The major tool for revitalization has been the Shawnee Downtown Partnership, an official City advisory board made up of elected officials, City staff, business owners, neighborhood residents and property owners. This organization helps guide City policy by making recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. In addition, this organization sponsors multiple downtown events and activities, works to create incentive programs to encourage redevelopment and reinvestment, leads an effort to create an improved streetscape, and identifies other revitalization strategies. Leaders' Summit To assess the needs of the community and create a vision to meet the growing demands for services and infrastructure, the City in partnership with the w t Shawnee Chamber of Commerce convened the first anti-hunger solutions,, Lots-to Gardens believes ,. ever, Leaders' Summit in November 2006. In 2002 immediate needs must be coupled with long-term during a strategic planning session, the Governing solutions to effectively break the cycles of poverty and Body set the goal to generate at least 35% of the city's hunger. Fifteen community gardens located primarily ' assessed valuation from commercial/industrial within the Lewiston's most impoverished areas assist in development at full city build out, reaching 30% by improving health, developing useful skills, fostering 2008. The purpose of the Leaders' Summit uvas to bring self-reliance, and building towards positive community- together community and business leaders and provide wide change. Believing it's effective for those a forum to exchange key information on regional impacted by hunger to participate in addressing alivities. Representatives from the Kansas City Area hunger's root causes, Lots to Gardens provides youth Development Council participated in a discussion of and adults with hands-on experience in food systems ~ regional economic initiatives. and anti-hunger vvork by building urban gardens and raising awareness of healthy eating and the value of Parks and Recreation Department eating locally grown produce. Over 200 residents ages y 3-80, nearly ali who are low-income, regularly - Park and recreation services play a vital role in creating participate. Adult and senior gardeners are diverse, active and healthy communities. The City of Shawnee is with 55% being Somali and 90%° women, and more ~`_ fortunate to be able to offer hundreds of activities and than half of those in children/youth programs are '' cultural events for residents of all ages through our refugees.. _ outstanding Parks and Recreation Department. Before the City had a Parks and Recreation Department and - before recreational activities were abundant in the community, .a group of volunteers came together to form the Shawnee Soccer Club. For over 30 years, the club has developed a strong partnership with the City to offer many soccer programs to the youth in the community. Lewiston, Maine Take the Money; You've Earned It Since 2004, Lewiston has stepped outside the traditional municipal government role by leading a volunteer-based Coalition targeted at enhancing eligible LMI residents' quality of life by advocating the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). As a result: • 2004 - 2006: $2,274,089 refunded to area residents; • Thus far for 2007 tax season: $1,489,624 has been claimed in refunds Three Lewiston city councilors visited Boston in 2003 to learn about its successful EITC campaign and returned with news of a "step towards prosperity" for LMI workers. EITC provides increased financial stability by reducing the tax burden, supplementing wages, and assisting in the welfare-to-work transition. Lewiston's leadership was recognized through a United States Conference of Mayors °Outstanding Achievement" City Livability Award in 2006. Coalition members establish FREE tax preparation sites, provide training/IRS certifi- cation for volunteer preparers, a-file returns, and provide asset-building opportunities and follow-up. Lots to Gardens Lots to Gardens is a youth/community-driven organiza- tion utilizing sustainable urban gardens to improve access to fresh food for at-risk populations. Unlike most Lewiston Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) The Lewiston Youth Advisory Council (LYAC}, enacted by the City Council, consists of 12 high school and 1 college student. LYAC engages youth to improve the community and enhance their own lives. Members experience municipal government/civic engagement. by initiating community projects-partnering with _ state/local officials, City of Lewiston staff, and peers. Following LYAC's leadership of Lewiston's 2006 All- America City quest, in the fall of 2006, LYAC began developing its own "youth-to-youth" initiative regarding the consequences/health-related dangers of underaged drinking. Entitled U BOOZE U LOOZE, Maine's Attorney General lauded it "the first of its kind in Maine." Seven months later, LYAC applauded the US Surgeon General's March 6, 2007, "Call to Action" to prevent/reduce underage drinking and spoke at the State Capitol to further advocate UBUL. A 2006 National Harris Woffard Award "Top 6 Finalist" for service learning/civic engagement, the Maine Department of Education Citizenship Education Task Force touts LYAC as an effective youth engagement model. Barnstable, Massachusetts Economic Development Stimulus Plan Faced with sprawling residential developments adversely impaling upon the town's natural resources, unbearable traffic jams on the town's major arteries and blighted and under-performing properties in downtown Hyannis, there was community consensus that Barnstable's growth had to be direled in a more thoughtful manner. The Town along with non-profits, the business community, and the citizens as a whole collaborated to develop a vision for Barnstable's future, ~~g - - .. K ~-~ ~?__ F MY> - ,~- which encouraged and concentrated development in one of Amenca's Promise ';7 (l0 Best Communities for downtown; Hyannis where the infrastructure exists to Young People." The Youth Services'Div~s~ora'assisted ~ accommodate denser growth on smaller environ- ~ ~~, with the award submission; ~` ~ mental footprints. Consistent with smart growth '' v" -;~ + - principles, the resulting Economic Development " -' Stimulus Plan encourages mixed-use'development ~ '. - ~ ~ ~_ ~' . .and walkable neighborhoods, creates new ., C~IntOn, NOlrth Cat'O~Ind >, ~ ~ ;. .. :, _: streetscape improvements and arts and culture ulations ment re r i i d ;_ _, ;, ' ? ~N S t ~~ 3 ~` _ g uctures govern es, an rest activ t liflion March to a These broad. goals have-.been translated into a k' ~ - - ~ ~~ ~ ~ °- ~ varie of land use and economic develo ment ty P ° March to a Million was to rally the entire The goal of ; strategies that have focused growth where it is envi- community to raise`$1,400,000 in four months, ~~ p ronmentally and socially appropriate and has led to 'ensuring that the`new public highschool contained the renaissance of downtown Hyannis. all the elements the students and community need st '; ' and, deserve. The goal was to f F~~ j ~,. - ~~~ Affordable Housin Plan - g `Ensure adequate up-to-date teach4ng space loran ~ ..t ,, ' - ~ ~~ '~ ` expanding student population =~ ~~"`" ~s~ ~"-` With business and community groups urging that ~ ; =- • Ensure iricfusion of a 650.seat auditorium,fo~ ~ ~'' °'A unless the town's housing crisis was addressed there ' cu{turatart opportunities for students grid the' would be negative consequences, the Barnstable entire community. _ ~ Town Council unanimously approved the Town of Ensure inclusion of an auxiliary gym to relieve ,;~~ ,. Barnstable's "Affordable Housing Plan" on January space constraints. 31, 2001, with the ability to periodically amendthe Instill a feeling of ownership forthe new Llinton Plan to reflect changing needs. The objective of the High School (CHS). Plan is to ensure that at least 10% of the town's March to a Million skyrocketed past its goal of year-round housing stock is affordable to those. $1,400,000 because of a dedicated, totally-involved. residents earning 80% or less of the area median community, led by a 36-membercommittee which income. The Plan outlined the methods by which the involved the entire community, including businesses; Town would strive to increase its inventory of school employees and students, civic organizations, affordable housing. units, with the ambitious goal of churches, individuals, alumni, booster clubs and producing 1,000 units of housing over aten-year government agencies to accomplish its goal period. In crafting the Plan,. the town's housing committee,. which includes members of the business, Fitness Renaissance housing and human services communities, proposed innovative strategies to meet this goal including the dedication of town-owned land, the conversion of existing market rate units, and changes in land use regulations. Barnstable Youth Commission In 2004, the Town created a Youth Services Division within its Community Services Department for the purpose of creating youth and family service programs and to provide support to the Town's newly formed Youth Commission. These programs include the Youth Advisory Group and five committees: Prevention, Skills Education, Youth Center, Caring Adults and Service Learning. The Barnstable Youth Commission is comprised of five voting members, who must be residents of the town aged between 13 and 19, and two non-voting adult members. The Youth Commission serves as an advisory committee to the Barnstable Town Council, putting forward ideas and making recommendations for programs and legislation that will benefit the town's youth and their families. The Youth Commission is based on the Five Promises of the 'America's Promise" program. Barnstable County was recently selected for the second consecutive year as An innovative, school-based program called Fitness Renaissance was combined with astate-of-the-art community-based Center for Health and Wellness to lead the fight against obesity and lack of physical exercise. Fitness Renaissance is an exercise and awards program designed for children in grades K-5 in which Physical Education teachers assess and assign individual student's fitness goals in five different exercises: the V-sit reach, the quarter-mile run, the flex-arm hang, push-ups, and the shuttle run. Based on overall performance to goals, children are presented gold, silver, or bronze awards at school-wide assemblies. The Center for Health and Wellness is a 28,000 sq. ft. exercise and aquatic center with a membership representative of a broad spectrum of individuals and businesses. The Center offers afree-form exercise and structured programs seven days a week that include fitness classes, exercise sessions, and aquatic sessions Community Technology Learning Center (CTLC) In December of 2001, Clinton City Schools (CCS) opened a Community Technology Learning Center (CTLC). The center was opened with two purposes: 1): provide CCS's students in grades K-12 with a free, uP to meet an urgent need forsupportive housing that after-schoolprogram that assists students with was identified n9997 by the Catawba Courrty Faith homework and technology; and 2) provide the entire Community Task Force on Poverty. Exodus has become community with access to technology. In the CTLC an ally in helping the community meet its challenge to After-School Program, high school students work atthe promote safety for all citizens. center as tutors. These tutors provide homework ` assistance, with a special emphasis on improvement in Project Potential ~-~' the areas of reading, writing, mathematics and ~~ technology skills. The tutors serve as positive role Project Potential is a scholarship program designed to models for students they help. Students vuho atten- d reach young people who, because of their circum- the center are motivated by their tutors and stances, may not expel or envision a successful future encouraged to reach their full potential. The CTLC also- either in high school ok in higher education.. Therefore,- - has a community component in which free adult it is aimed. at 8th. grade students who show promise for technology classes are offered to community members higher achievement,. but who are considered "at risk" and local business and civic groups, encouraging life- of dropping outof high school. To remain in the long learning and improving marketability in the ` program, students are required to maintain a 2:0 workforce. average and graduate from Hickory Public Schools. Hickory, North Carolina Hickory Metro Higher Education Center Hickory Metro Higher Education Center (HMHEC) is a collaborative partnership among institutions of higher education including Appalachian State University (ASU), Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), Lenoir Rhyne College, University of North Carolina Charlotte, University ofi North Carolina Chapel Hill, Western Carolina University, and WinstonSalem State University. Located in Hickory, its mission is to enhance the educational attainment of residents as well as the economic development of the Hickory region by offering a broad range of college and university degree programs identified and requested by local businesses and learners in the community. Its creation was a quick and direct response by Hickory area leaders to economic downturns of unprecedented dimensions in the early 2000s. HMHEC is the first higher education center to be established in North Carolina and more than 500 students now are enrolled. It has been cited by Governor Mike Easley as a model of educational innovation. Exodus Homes Exodus Homes is a nine-year -old nonprofit agency that provides 76 beds of transitional to permanent supportive housing for homeless recovering addicts, alcoholics, and formerly incarcerated people who are returning to the community from treatment or prison. Exodus now owns and occupies two apartment complexes, one apartment building, and three houses, all previously public nuisance properties. Exodus also rents a duplex in partnership with a local church. Including the Exodus church and a warehouse, Exodus is located in five neighborhoods in Hickory. Exodus endeavors to rebuild the community as the lives of its residents are restored. tt is the quintessential example of a faith-based grassroots organization that stepped They must participate in service projects.and monthly activities offered. They may not. be involved in any criminal activity. Upon graduation, a $2,500 scholarship is provided to assist students in continuing their education at a community college or other institution of higher education. The unique aspect of the program is that every student chosen is paired with a volunteer mentor from the community who encourages him or her through their four years of high school Independence, Oregon Independence Riverview Park Amphitheater The Independence Riverview Park Amphitheater was a 9 year, $2 million undertaking that was completed in 2005. The project completely renovated Riverview Park, the 20-acre keystone of the Independence Parks system located in downtown Independence. Work included installing a large new playground and terraced brick and grass amphitheater with a seating capacity of up to 3500. The park entrance on Main Street was developed into a community plaza, creating an everyday gathering space for citizens as well as an eye-catching entrance to the amphitheater. The project was capped by the purchase of a mobile stage and sound system that is used for concerts and movies at the amphitheater and in other communities as well. Independence Downtown Revitalization The 1997 Downtown Development Plan gave people the vision, but the Independence Downtown Revitalization physically began with a new restroom. With the creative use of partnerships and funding sources, as well as strong public participation, the City of Independence completely remodeled its four-block downtown. The City built a new public restroom, located to serve Main Street pedestrians as well as Riverview Park. Sidewalks were widened and pedestrian amenities such as bulb-outs, street trees and benches were installed. The city also installed new utilities, such as stormwater and sewer pipes, and community residents: Event organizers wanted local historic-style streetlights that support colorful students and the community to physically see-the banners or flower baskets depending on the season, challenges involved vvith the handling of municipal Citizens re-started the Hop and Heritage Festival, solid waste, recycling materials, branches, scrap which dates back to the turn of the century,. and the, metal, and used oil. The idea was that if the children Independence Downtown Association started a were educated in the importance of recycling, and Holiday Parade of Lights in Decemberand a Spring the proper disposal of waste, they would'take the Fling celebration in April. Local business owners message home and encourage their families to y remodeled their storefronts, and a new amphithe- participate in the effort. Event organizers felt that ~='~ ater and library were built in the heart of their message would have a greater impact if the " downtown. '" event were held at the landfill and the Material Recovery Center facility. Through a partnership with ,_. Independence Public Library Project Jocal non-profit organizations, businesses and school districts, and the successful implementation. of this The Independence Public Library project is a collabo- event, the mission of educating environmental- ration between the City of Independence and its related public health issues`was accomplished. , citizens seeking to build a library for the community. ,; The old library was the most undersized library in Community Service Volunteer and City ~`~= the state serving a similar population size, with no Beautification Program public seating area or study tables, and inadequate.: space for collections and technology. The new public This program involves teaching strong work ethics, ' library was the epitome of a community effort. community service, and community pride and spirit Literally hundreds of people participated in the in youth by involving them in volunteer service, initial planning, fundraising and design of the community beautification, and clean-up campaigns. project. Now that the library is built, a strong group Different areas of the community have been of volunteers continues to ensure that the library targeted for clean-up and other beautification provides the highest level of service to the - projects such as tree planting, yard maintenance for community. In this project, the City operated in a the elderly and disabled, and the removal of support role, securing federal grants and working unsightly grafitti throughout the community. with state agencies to ensure the project met all the Volunteers have also aided in clean-up efforts after necessary permits. The Independence Public Library charitable and other special community events have is a community project from start to finish. been held. These campaigns were coordinated through the City of Laredo Volunteer Center and are supported by local business groups, judges, and City Laredo, TeXaS leaders with a special emphasis by "Keep Laredo Beautiful." Bethany House Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing Center Radford, Virginia The Bethany House Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing Center, an 8,000 sq. ft. facility, opened its doors in January 2006, to address the reality of homelessness in Laredo. It is operated by the Laredo Homeless Coalition. The primary purpose of the facility is to provide housing and other basic needs to the homeless, including referrals and inter- vention services. The target populations are homeless individuals, and families experiencing mental health, substance abuse, or housing issues, and include street homeless and displaced families. The shelter has been successful in providing decent and safe housing, and mainstream social services. Recycles Day Event Fair The Solid Waste Services Recycling Division took the lead in hosting amulti-agency Recycles Day Event Fair on November 15, 2006, aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness of environmental issues. The target audiences were school children and Preservation and Enhancement of Natural Resources The preservation and enhancement of natural resources in the City of Radford are as important to the quality of life for today's citizens as they were necessary to the survival of the early Scots-Irish settlers and the native Americans before them. The City consists of a series of terraces leading to the New River, and there was always talk about capitaliz- ing on the scenic setting to enhance the quality of life as well as add to the economy. Anew road controversy and citizens with big dreams converged at the right moment to result in projects that enhance the city's outdoor spaces: • A network of paved pedestrian and bike pathways that conned residential, school, commercial, and university districts coordinated by Pathways for Radford (PFR); • An outdoor environmental classroom coordinated by a university professor,'works with the City on ways to PFR and Radford High School; give less fortunate citizens a chance to improve their • Updated playground equipment coordinated by financial standing through the Individual'Development Parents Leading Active Youth; and Accounts (IDA2) program. This micro/macro approach • Enhanced plantings and coordinated historic, to taking assets-both physical and intellectual directional, and environmental signage coordinated capital-and creating a community that is responsive to by Beautification and Municipal Forestry Commission all citizens is a win-win for all. citizens. and the New River Historical Society Through the work of countless volunteers, collabora- Staples StreeURustic Village Project tion with officials and grants from state, federal, and - private agencies, the City-is fast becoming recognized The Staples Street/Rustic Village Project addresses the for its outstanding system of park trails, recreational needs of a high-risk multi-problem area of the city. opportunities, and environmental education. The focus. of the project is at risk youth and indudes: • Academic tutoring and enrichment Industrial Development Authority Economic literacy curriculum and "beaners", an earning and spending. project American cities and towns, no matter what size, face Exposure to technology and educational field trips many chat-enges in the 21st century, but one of the Supervised, organized recreation greatest is making sure economic development Nutritious snack strategies do not overlook citizens at the lower end of The project now serves youth providing. them with the economic scale. That's why Radford City is taking high quality academic enrichment programs. The main the two-pronged IDA approach: at the same time the success of the project is the community-wide collabora- city's Industrial Development Authority (IDA1) explores tion committed to keep the project on track and` ways to recruit businesses that are attractive and growing. needed to sustain an affluent university town and provide jobs, acitizen-driven organization, founded by ALL AMERICA CITY EXPENSES Prepaid Air Fare $7303.22 Reimbursement (349.60) (349.60) (234.35) Prepaid Delegate Registration Prepaid Accommodations Application Fee Program Ad Fee Convention Hall Expenses Freight Expenses Office Supplies Rehearsal Lunch/Workroom Expenses Shirts City Employees Travel Reimbursements Non-City Employees Travel Reimbursements Additional Payroll Expenses (Kurt & Ellis) Video Production Costs $6000.00 Reimbursement - DRA (3000.00) GRAND TOTAL $ 6369.67 1585.00 12467.84 400.00 400.00 2214.15 1080.76 1532.87 644.62 2336.37 5730.23 3440.23 7000.00 3000.00 $48,201.74 All America City Award Promotion Budget Item Lapel Pins Stickers Temporary tatoos Banners City entrance signs Community Celebration website Logo at airport Travel Display Community marketing kits Total Expenses Total Revenue Diff Quantity Price Total 1 $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 1 $ 500.00 $ 500.00 1 $ 500.00 $ 500.00 1 $ 4,600.00 $ 4,600.00 5 $ 400.00 $ 2,000.00 1 $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 $ - 1 $ 200.00 $ 200.00 1 $ 300.00 $ 300.00 250 $ 3.00 $ 750.00 $ 11,850.00 $ 11,799.00 $ (51.00)