Huerta del Valle (HdV) provides a service for local businesses when HdV employee Nicolas Reza picks up organic waste such as nectarine and cut cabbage from a food distributor for the compost area of the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Spanish collectors card by I.G. Viladot, Barcelona. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The Marx Brothers in At the Circus (Edward Buzzell, 1939) with Kenny Baker and Florence Rice.

 

The Marx Brothers was the name for a group of American-Jewish comedians from the first half of the 20th century who were actually brothers. Their career started in theatre, but they became world-famous through their films. They are known for their wild, anarchic and often surrealist humour. Their jokes consist of slapstick, but also puns and intelligent dialogue. With their rebellious jokes, they were the forerunners of generations of anti-sentimental comedians. Five brothers together formed The Marx Brothers, even though the five of them never actually performed at the same time: Harpo, Chico, Groucho, Gummo and Zeppo.

 

The eldest brother, Chico (1887-1961) was born Leonard Marx. Manfred was actually the eldest, but he died as a child. Chico was the one who decided to make musical comedies with his other brothers. At the time, he had learnt an Italian accent to convince any anti-Semites in the neighbourhood that he was Italian and not a Jew. This accent, along with his talent as a piano player, became one of his trademarks. In the films, he usually fulfilled the role of a sly and shady con man, the confidant of Harpo, a confident pianist and the sceptical assistant of Groucho.

 

Harpo (1888-1964) was born Adolph and changed his name to Arthur in WWI because he found the name too German. As an actor, Harpo played the role of a mute, who never speaks but expresses himself through sign language, whistling and using his horn. Like a cross between a child and a wild beast, he sets everything in motion, harassing everyone, pulling the most peculiar things out of his coat (such as a candle burning on two sides, a coiled rope, a pin-up poster, etc.), and chasing women with his horn. His pseudonym "Harpo" was derived from the fact that he played the harp, for which there was a musical interlude in almost every film.

 

Groucho (1890-1977) was born Julius Henry Marx. His trademarks were his grin, thick cigar, waddling gait and sarcastic remarks, insults and puns. In the films, he was constantly trying to get money or women, talking everyone under the table with his witty and intelligent remarks. He was also a singer and some of his songs have become classics, such as 'Lydia the Tattooed Lady'.

 

Gummo (1892-1977) was born Milton and was the least-known Marx Brother. He was the one who first performed with Groucho, but before the big Broadway success came he had stopped acting. For years, he was his brother's manager.

 

Zeppo (1901-1979) was born Herbert Marx and was the youngest of the Marx Brothers. He took over the role of Gummo when the latter quit. Zeppo was the romantic declarer. Though he could take on more versatile roles, he was typecast as the most serious of the four.

 

The Marx Brothers were the five surviving sons of Sam and Minnie Marx. The family lived in Yorkville on New York's Upper East Side, a neighbourhood sandwiched between the Irish-German and Italian quarters. Their career already began at the beginning of the century in vaudeville shows, with which their maternal uncle, Al Shean, had already been successful. Groucho was the first to embark on a career on stage, but initially with very little success. Their mother and sister also appeared on stage with their sons at times. However, the focus soon shifted from music and singing with humorous segues to comedy with musical interludes. The different roles of musicians and comedians crystallised relatively early. While Chico developed the stereotype of the womaniser with an Italian accent who was always chasing the chicks, Groucho dropped his accent as a German during the First World War due to a lack of popularity. Harpo remained speechless on stage, as he had the greatest successes playing his jokes as a mime in a red or, in films, blond curly wig, or playing his grandmother's old harp. A classroom sketch in which Groucho tried to teach his brothers evolved into the comedy show 'I'll Say She Is which became their first success on Bradway and in England. This was followed by two more Broadway hits: 'The Cocoanuts' and 'Animal Crackers'. The Marx Brothers' shows became popular at a time when Hollywood was experiencing the transition from silent film to talkies. The brothers signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and thus launched their film career.

 

The last two Broadway shows of The Marx Brothers became their first films, The Cocoanuts (Robert Florey, 1929) and Animal Crackers (Victor Heerman, 1930). Their next film was Money Business (Norman Z. McLeod, 1931). Between 1932 and 1933, a total of 26 episodes of the radio show 'Flywheel, Shyster & Flywheel' were made, with Groucho voicing the lawyer Waldorf T. Flywheel and Chico voicing his sidekick Emmanuel Ravelli. The first three episodes were broadcast under the title 'Beagle, Shyster & Beagle'. The title was then changed after a New York lawyer named "Beagle" threatened to sue. Some of the dialogue from the radio broadcasts was later used in the Marx Brothers films. Their most successful film of the early period was Horse Feathers (Norman Z. McLeod, 1932), a satire on the American college system. But Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933), generally considered their masterpiece, had much less success. It marked their break with Paramount. Zeppo, who always played serious roles, stopped making films after this. The Marx Brothers' first five films are generally considered their best, expressing their surrealist and anarchic humour in its purest form. The three remaining brothers moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and changed the formula of their subsequent films. Their remaining films were given romantic plots and serious musical interludes, often intended as resting points between the often hilarious comic sketches. In A Night at the Opera (Sam Wood, 1935), a satire on the opera world, the brothers help two young singers in love. The film was very successful and was followed by the equally popular A Day at the Races (Sam Wood, 1937), where they kicked up a fuss at a race track. Several less memorable films followed until 1941. After the war, two more films A Night in Casablanca (Archie Mayo, 1946) and Love Happy (David Miller, 1949) followed to pay off Chico's gambling debts. This was followed by the mediocre film The Story of Mankind (Irwin Allen, 1957), and a television special The Incredible Jewel Robbery (1959). These productions were already interludes, while each brother had already picked up a career of his own. Chico and Harpo continued on stage and Groucho had started a career as a radio and television entertainer. With his television and radio show 'You Bet Your Life', he became one of the most popular show hosts of the 1950s in the USA. The first episodes of the show were still broadcast live, as was customary at the time. But because Groucho's unbridled wordplay caused headaches for those in charge of the show, they deviated from this for later episodes and the programme was broadcast as a recording. He also wrote a number of books. Gummo and Zeppo ran a theatre agency together. A final film project planned for 1960, starring the Marx Brothers once again and directed by Billy Wilder, did not materialise due to Chico's poor health. It was to be an anti-war satire in the style of Duck Soup. Even Groucho, who at the time was no longer very interested in further Marx Brothers films, is said to have been enthusiastic about the project because he considered Billy Wilder to be one of the best directors.

 

Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch and German) and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Community garden plots are just half of the Huerta del Valle (HdV) 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Huerta del Valle (HdV) provides a service for local businesses when HdV employee Nicolas Reza picks up organic waste such as nectarine and cut cabbage from a food distributor for the compost area of the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Ontario, California is a large city east of Los Angeles, with a population of more than 170,000, and covers nearly 50 square miles in the Southern California valley known as the Inland Empire, on Nov. 13, 2018. In here is, Huerta del Valle (HdV) where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with her as she continues to improve the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of the city's low-income urban community

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The centrally located garden, the shaded picnic tables have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

This is the Mesquite High School "L Building". This section was one of the original structures of the MHS. Sadly, It was demolished around April of 2017 to make way for a new structure.

► "Stormy the Skeeter" is the school mascot for the school's various athletic teams (all known with some variant of the word "Skeeter") and the school's colors are Maroon and White. In the March 1901, the Mesquite Independent School District was incorporated at the behest of the citizens of Mesquite Texas to serve the primary and secondary educational needs of the city. The first school was established at the current site of MHS in 1902 with an enrollment of approximately 200 students. A new high school was built on the property in June 1923. MHS was officially recognized as an accredited high school in June 1924 by the Texas State Department of Education, thus allowing its students to attend Texas colleges and universities without having to take remedial coursework. Additional expansions occurred during 1938 and 1939 as a part of the Works Progress Administration created by President Roosevelt. A historical marker can be found at the street side of L. building and an WPA placard can be found on the outside of the art room to mark these significant events in MHS' history.

MHS students became known as "Skeeters" in 1944. This was a simplification of the traditional "Mesquiters" which had been the previous mascot name for the school. 1954 marked a significant change at MHS when the district relocated all its other existing grade levels to other sites within the city and the campus was solely dedicated to high school education. Integration of the school began in 1964 when area African-American students were allowed to enroll at MHS for the first time. During 1966, a six phase renovation project plan began. The final phase of construction was completed in 1999.

►From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesquite_High_School_(Mesquite,_Texas) ..

Photo Taken: March 4 2017

Photo Taken By: Randy A. Carlisle

ALL Photos (Unless otherwise stated) Copyright RAC Photography (Noted on photo)

“Preserving AMERICAs History Thru Photography”

***NO Photos are to be posted on ANY other website, or any kind of publication Without MY Permission. No Exceptions! They are not to be “Lifted”, Borrowed, reprinted, or by any other means other than viewing here on Flickr. If you want to use a photo of mine for anything, please email First. I’ll assist you any way I can. Thank You for your understanding. ALL Photos are For Sale.***

 

I've been really neglecting Flickr lately - oops.

 

I started a casual job, as well as running my little photography business. So I've been trying to learn how to balance my time.

 

I'm really looking forward to this year. I have a couple of projects planned, and I can't wait to share the results. More Flickr posting!

 

Happy holidays and I hope you all had a great new year. May 2015 bring you everything you want!

Las Vegas, NV

 

We had the opportunity to tour the L.V. Arena construction project, planned to house NBA and NHL games.

 

Taken 6/3/15

Facilitated by: Svenja Ruger (President, The Value Web ApS) With: Pratik Kunwar (Advisory Council, Kathmandu Hub) speaking in the Impact Skills Workshop: Design Thinking and Project Planning session at the Global Shapers Annual Summit 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland, 18 June 2023. World Economic Forum Headquarters, Villa Mundi – Oak Copyright: World Economic Forum/ Marc Bader

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

This week has been a bit of a bust. I had 2 separate astrophotography projects planned and the weather would just not cooperate.

 

My backup plan was using the roses that I had planned on buying for my wife as a subject with the marco lens.

 

This image is at 15 image focus stack. The last time I did focus stacking I used the method of changing the focus ring on the lens to move the focus. This time I used my macro focusing rail to physically move the camera.

 

I think the image quality is the same as well as the sharpness. What this method does help with is focus breathing.

 

Not a portfolio image by any stretch...but...I am learning more about focus stacking with macro and hope to do more of this in the Spring as we get flowers and bugs in the yard.

Since we last visited this site in May, 2018, a considerable amount of work has been carried out to make more of the ruins accessible to the public. This is just the start of a major project planned to continue in the coming months. Well worth a visit.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

PRESS RELEASE

 

March 2009 sees the 30th anniversary of the original Classic Space sets from LEGO. Now, three decades on, it’s time for a celebration of spacey goodness at www.neoclassicspace.com.

 

Neo-Classic Space is a reimagining of the LEGO Classic Space range, using modern building techniques and parts. More than just inspired by the Classic Space sets, Neo-Classic Space is an extrapolation of the line into the 21st century and beyond. We aim to follow a carefully thought standard, which we feel is in keeping with the original designs.

 

The culmination of a top-secret project planned over many months, www.neoclassicspace.com will present a new model every day throughout March, many from builders you already know and love, some from new talent you may not have discovered.

 

This is only the beginning. It is time to retake space. We hope you'll come along for the ride!

 

END

 

Edit: Almost forgot... thanks to Carl Greatrix for the cartoon spaceman, and to James Brophy for the "Classic Space 30" Logo.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

I found this new interactive project Weave-o-rama on a walk around the city on the last day of 2013.

Christchurch 31, 2013 New Zealand.

 

Hannah Hutchinson, a young local designer, has created a giant sized loom out of recycled timber, tyres and bicycle inner tubes called Weave-o-rama. Through the act of weaving on a giant ‘loom’ people can experiment with found and recycled materials and help to create a shared artwork. Weave-o-rama is located the corner of Gloucester and Colombo Street (formerly Mum’s 24 restaurant) with Gap Filler’s recently installed Sound Garden project and a Greening the Rubble garden.

 

Hannah has been exploring the repurposing of waste materials using textile processes as part of her recently completed bachelor of Design and Textile (Honours) through Massey University. Weave-o-rama explores how a 3D form (the frame) can create a sense of community as people interact with the installation and work together to create a tactile artwork (the warp).

 

“Weaving is a simple and easy skill to learn. I hope that Weave-o-rama will help to link people together, re-connect with the city in a new and creative way and at the same creating a new fabric for and of our city… It will be exciting to see what people can create out of found and provided materials…”

 

Hannah invites you to bring along anything from bits of old fabric, zips, cabbage tree leaves, packing-case ties – anything – to weave through the bicycle inner tubes that make-up the loom. For information about the official launch of this project in January and public workshops visit Gap Filler’s or the Weaveorama Face Book page.

 

This project has been in development since July 2013. Hannah came to us with the idea and we helped with project planning, sourcing timber, steel and fixings, construction and publicity. Life in Vacant Spaces helped to secure the site and Greening the Rubble have agreed to co-site with this project. Steel and Tube and Canterbury Museum provided materials and local bicycle shops throughout the city donated their old bicycle inner tubes. For more Info: www.gapfiller.org.nz/dec-16-weave-o-rama/

   

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

The railway station Montesanto SEPSA is a terminal station in the centre of the city of Naples. It marks the final stop of the “Cumana” and “Circumflegrea” railway lines, as well as the interchange station between these lines and the funicular railway line of San Martino, Line 2 of the Napoli Metro (through underground – station Montesanto) and Line 1 of the Napoli Metro (Dante station). www.costruirespa.it

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Naples is the capital of the Italian region Campania and the third-largest municipality in Italy, after Rome and Milan. In 2015, around 975,260 people lived within the city's administrative limits. The Metropolitan City of Naples had a population of 3,115,320.

 

Naples is the 9th-most populous urban area in the European Union with a population of between 3 million and 3.7 million. About 4 million people live in the Naples metropolitan area, one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea. en.wikipedia.org

Partial view of my home office set up.

Topaz - for capturing.

DaVinci - Notes/In, Calendar, Agendas, Action lists, Project/Goals, References

Cubans - Project plans and detailed project notes

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Our sky changes constantly and now so does the city landscape with at least three more construction projects planned.

An architect is a person who plans, designs, and reviews the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings, that have as their principal purpose human occupancy or use.[ Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, which derives from the Greek (arkhi-, chief + tekton, builder), i.e., chief builder.

 

Professionally, an architect's decisions affect public safety, and thus an architect must undergo specialized training consisting of advanced education and a practicum (or internship) for practical experience to earn a license to practice architecture. Practical, technical, and academic requirements for becoming an architect vary by jurisdiction

 

Throughout ancient and medieval history, most of the architectural design and construction was carried out by artisans—such as stone masons and carpenters, rising to the role of master builder. Until modern times, there was no clear distinction between architect and engineer. In Europe, the titles architect and engineer were primarily geographical variations that referred to the same person, often used interchangeably.[3][4]

  

Filippo Brunelleschi is revered as one of the most inventive and gifted architects in history.

It is suggested that various developments in technology and mathematics allowed the development of the professional 'gentleman' architect, separate from the hands-on craftsman. Paper was not used in Europe for drawing until the 15th century but became increasingly available after 1500. Pencils were used more often for drawing by 1600. The availability of both allowed pre-construction drawings to be made by professionals. Concurrently, the introduction of linear perspective and innovations such as the use of different projections to describe a three-dimensional building in two dimensions, together with an increased understanding of dimensional accuracy, helped building designers communicate their ideas.[6] However, the development was gradual. Until the 18th-century, buildings continued to be designed and set out by craftsmen with the exception of high-status projects.

 

In most developed countries, only qualified people with an appropriate license, certification, or registration with a relevant body, often governmental, may legally practice architecture. Such licensure usually requires an accredited university degree, successful completion of exams, and a training period. The use of terms and titles and the representation of oneself as an architect is restricted to licensed individuals by law, although in general, derivatives such as architectural designer are often not legally protected.

 

To practice architecture implies the ability to practice independently of supervision. The term building design professional (or Design professional), by contrast, is a much broader term that includes professionals who practice independently under an alternate profession, such as engineering professionals, or those who assist in the practice architecture under the supervision of a licensed architect, such as architectural technologists and intern architects. In many places, independent, non-licensed individuals may perform design services outside the professional restrictions, such design houses and other smaller structures.

 

In the architectural profession, technical and environmental knowledge, design and construction management, and an understanding of business are as important as design. However, the design is the driving force throughout the project and beyond. An architect accepts a commission from a client. The commission might involve preparing feasibility reports, building audits, the design of a building or of several buildings, structures, and the spaces among them. The architect participates in developing the requirements the client wants in the building. Throughout the project (planning to occupancy), the architect co-ordinates a design team. Structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers and other specialists, are hired by the client or the architect, who must ensure that the work is co-ordinated to construct the design.

 

The architect hired by a client is responsible for creating a design concept that meets the requirements of that client and provides a facility suitable to the required use. In that, the architect must meet with and question the client to ascertain all the requirements and nuances of the planned project. Often the full brief is not entirely clear at the beginning, entailing a degree of risk in the design undertaking. The architect may make early proposals to the client which may rework the terms of the brief. The program or brief is essential to producing a project that meets all the needs of the owner — it is a guide for the architect in creating the design concept.

 

It is generally expected that the design proposal(s)is both imaginative as well as pragmatic, but the precise extent and nature of these expectations will vary, depending on the place, time, finance, culture, and available crafts and technology in which the design takes place.

 

Designing buildings is a very complex and demanding undertaking, no matter what the scale of the project might be. A strong degree of foresight is a prerequisite. Any design concept must at a very early stage in its generation take into account a great number of issues and variables which include qualities of space(s),[8] the end-use and life-cycle of these proposed spaces, connections, relations, and aspects between spaces including how they are put together as well as the impact of proposals on the immediate and wider locality. Selection of appropriate materials and technology must be considered, tested and reviewed at an early stage in the design to ensure there are no setbacks (such as higher-than-expected costs) which may occur later. The site and its environs, as well as the culture and history of the place, will also influence the design. The design must also countenance increasing concerns with environmental sustainability. The architect may introduce (intentionally or not), to greater or lesser degrees, aspects of mathematics and architecture, new or current architectural theory, or references to architectural history.

 

A key part of the design is that the architect often consults with engineers, surveyors and other specialists throughout the design, ensuring that aspects such as the structural supports and air conditioning elements are coordinated in the scheme as a whole. The control and planning of construction costs are also a part of these consultations. Coordination of the different aspects involves a high degree of specialized communication, including advanced computer technology such as BIM (Building Information Management), CAD, and cloud-based technologies.

 

At all times in the design, the architect reports back to the client who may have reservations or recommendations, introducing a further variable into the design.

 

Architects deal with local and federal jurisdictions about regulations and building codes. The architect might need to comply with local planning and zoning laws, such as required setbacks, height limitations, parking requirements, transparency requirements (windows), and land use. Some established jurisdictions require adherence to design and historic preservation guidelines. Health and safety risks form a vital part of the current design, and in many jurisdictions, design reports and records are required which include ongoing considerations such as materials and contaminants, waste management and recycling, traffic control and fire safety.

 

Previously, architects employed drawings to illustrate and generate design proposals. While conceptual sketches are still widely used by architects, computer technology has now become the industry standard. However, design may include the use of photos, collages, prints, linocuts, and other media in design production. Increasingly, computer software such as BIM is shaping how architects work. BIM technology allows for the creation of a virtual building that serves as an information database for the sharing of design and building information throughout the life-cycle of the building's design, construction and maintenance.

 

As current buildings are now known to be high emitters of carbon into the atmosphere, increasing controls are being placed on buildings and associated technology to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and make use of renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources may be developed within the proposed building or via local or national renewable energy providers. As a result, the architect is required to remain abreast of current regulations which are continually tightening. Some new developments exhibit extremely low energy use. However, the architect is also increasingly required to provide initiatives in a wider environmental sense, such as making provision for low-energy transport, natural daylighting instead of artificial lighting, natural ventilation instead of air conditioning, pollution, and waste management, use of recycled materials and employment of materials which can be easily recycled in the future.

 

As the design becomes more advanced and detailed, specifications and detail designs are made of all the elements and components of the building. Techniques in the production of a building are continually advancing which places a demand on the architect to ensure that he or she remains up to date with these advances.

 

Depending on the client's needs and the jurisdiction's requirements, the spectrum of the architect's services during construction stages may be extensive (detailed document preparation and construction review) or less involved (such as allowing a contractor to exercise considerable design-build functions).

 

Architects typically put projects to tender on behalf of their clients, advise on the award of the project to a general contractor, facilitate and then administer a contract of agreement which is often between the client and the contractor. This contract is legally binding and covers a very wide range of aspects including the insurances and commitments of all stakeholders, the status of the design documents, provisions for the architect's access, and procedures for the control of the works as they proceed. Depending on the type of contract utilized, provisions for further sub-contract tenders may be required. The architect may require that some elements are covered by a warranty which specifies the expected life and other aspects of the material, product or work.

 

In most jurisdictions, prior notification to the relevant local authority must be given before commencement on site, thus giving the local authority notice to carry out independent inspections. The architect will then review and inspect the progress of the work in coordination with the local authority.

 

The architect will typically review contractor shop drawings and other submittals, prepare and issue site instructions, and provide Certificates for Payment to the contractor (see also Design-bid-build) which is based on the work done to date as well as any materials and other goods purchased or hired. In the United Kingdom and other countries, a quantity surveyor is often part of the team to provide cost consulting. With very large, complex projects, an independent construction manager is sometimes hired to assist in the design and to manage construction.

 

In many jurisdictions, mandatory certification or assurance of the completed work or part of works is required. This demand for certification entails a high degree of risk - therefore, regular inspections of the work as it progresses on site is required to ensure that is in compliance with the design itself as well as with all relevant statutes and permissions.

 

Recent decades have seen the rise of specializations within the profession. Many architects and architectural firms focus on certain project types (for example, healthcare, retail, public housing, event management), technological expertise or project delivery methods. Some architects specialize as building code, building envelope, sustainable design, technical writing, historic preservation(US) or conservation (UK), accessibility and other forms of specialist consultants.

 

Many architects elect to move into real estate (property) development, corporate facilities planning, project management, construction management, interior design, city planning, or other related fields.

 

Although there are variations from place to place, most of the world's architects are required to register with the appropriate jurisdiction. To do so, architects are typically required to meet three common requirements: education, experience, and examination.

 

Educational requirements generally consist of a university degree in architecture. The experience requirement for degree candidates is usually satisfied by a practicum or internship (usually two to three years, depending on jurisdiction). Finally, a Registration Examination or a series of exams is required prior to licensure.

 

Professionals engaged in the design and supervision of construction projects prior to the late 19th century were not necessarily trained in a separate architecture program in an academic setting. Instead, they often trained under established architects. Prior to modern times, there was no distinction between architects, engineers and often artists,[citation needed] and the title used varied depending on geographical location. They often carried the title of master builder or surveyor[citation needed] after serving a number of years as an apprentice (such as Sir Christopher Wren). The formal study of architecture in academic institutions played a pivotal role in the development of the profession as a whole, serving as a focal point for advances in architectural technology and theory.

 

Architects' fee structures are typically based on a percentage of construction value, as a rate per unit area of the proposed construction, hourly rates or a fixed lump sum fee. Combinations of these structures are also common. Fixed fees are usually based on a project's allocated construction cost and can range between 4 and 12% of new construction cost, for commercial and institutional projects, depending on a project's size and complexity. Residential projects range from 12 to 20%. Renovation projects typically command higher percentages, as high as 15-20%.

 

Overall billings for architectural firms range widely, depending on location and economic climate. Billings have traditionally been dependent on the local economic conditions but, with rapid globalization, this is becoming less of a factor for larger international firms. Salaries also vary, depending on experience, position within the firm (staff architect, partner, or shareholder, etc.), and the size and location of the firm.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architect

Fangruida -- Modern Science and Technology Engineering and Comprehensive High-end Technology R&D, Design and Manufacturing (Introduction to Modern Science and Engineering Technology Research) 2013v2.3 2021v.2.5 Online global version, mobile version (Bick compiled in November 2021. Colombia) ♣♣♣♣Moon Comprehensive Deep Development♥♥♣Ocean City, Marine Architecture, ♣♣ Desert City, ♥♥♥ Mountain City, ♦♦♦Life Genetic Engineering, ♦♦♦♦Green Plant Nutrition Engineering●●●●●●● Smart Engineering; ♦♦♦♦♦♦ Nuclear Engineering - Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy ●●●●●●Advanced Manufacturing●●●●●●● --New World Intelligence Revolution, New Industrial Revolution, New Planetary Revolution, New Moon Revolution, New Cosmic Revolution **************************************************** **************************************** Architecture Bridge design, large-scale circuit design (chip development, etc.), mechanical and electrical product design and manufacturing, pharmaceutical product development and design, genetic engineering, aerospace technology design and manufacturing, atomic energy development and utilization, agricultural engineering, computer-aided design and manufacturing, New material research and development design, military Engineering design and manufacturing, industrial robots, aircraft and ships, missiles, spacecraft, spaceships, rockets, submarines, super-speed missiles, etc. are very important, and the foresight is highly integrated. the key. These science and technology are the powerful driving force of historical development, and also the key to whether each country can reach the peak of the world. The rapid development of modern science, all kinds of soft design emerge in an endless stream. Mathematical software, civil software, mechanical software, electrical and electronic software, chemical software, aircraft software, ship software, missile software, spacecraft software, rocket software, material software, bionic simulation software, medical software, chemical software, etc. Their appearance and wide application are of great significance to industrial modernization and intelligence, which greatly improves artificial intelligence and greatly promotes the rapid development of human society. Marine engineering, overall lunar development engineering, intelligent highly integrated engineering, high-speed heavy-duty fire Arrow transportation engineering, submarine tunnel engineering, reservoir dam engineering, agricultural engineering, biomedical engineering and so on. Lunar overall engineering development planning, Mars engineering development and design, desert engineering (desert city), alpine city, marine engineering (ocean city) life genetic engineering, green plant nutrition engineering, VLSI design and manufacturing, Daxing civil engineering hydraulic engineering, road and bridge , tunnels, super tall buildings, all of them. The modern scientific revolution is guided by the revolution in physics, with the emergence of modern cosmology, molecular biology, systems science, and soft science as its important content, and is characterized by the interpenetration of natural science, social science and thinking science to form interdisciplinary subjects. scientific revolution.

In the past 30 years, emerging technologies such as computers, energy, new materials, space, and biology have emerged successively, causing the third scientific and technological revolution. The third technological revolution far exceeds the previous two in terms of scale, depth and impact. Basic Features: 1. Greatly promoted the development of social productive forces — changes in the means to improve labor productivity; 2. Promoting changes in the social and economic structure and social life structure - the proportion of the tertiary industry has increased. Changes in people's daily life such as food, clothing, housing and transportation; 3. It has promoted the adjustment of the international economic structure - localities are more closely connected. 4. Planetary revolution, lunar revolution. Lunar engineering Lunar industrial intelligent city Lunar-Earth round-trip communication system We should develop the moon fast, it's a real cornering overtake. The physical presence of the moon will be of great strategic importance for thousands of years to come. There are many resources on a first-come, first-served basis, orbits, best lunar locations, electromagnetic wave bands, etc. Make full use of the local resources and environment of the moon to quickly build a city. Minimize the amount of supplies and equipment that needs to be launched to the Moon. 5. Ocean City, Ocean Building, ♣♣ Desert City, ♥♥♥ Mountain City 6. Life genetic engineering, drug research and development 7 Green Plant Nutrition Engineering 8 Smart Engineering 9 Nuclear Engineering 10 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering The rapid development of modern science and technology, with each passing day, all kinds of inventions and creations, all kinds of technological innovations are numerous. However, the most important and most relevant technical fields mainly include lunar engineering, lunar industrial intelligent city, lunar-earth round-trip communication system, Radius: 1737 km; Ocean City, Ocean Building, ♣♣ Desert City, ♥♥♥ Mountain City 6. Life genetic engineering, drug research and development 7 Green Plant Nutrition Engineering 8 Smart Engineering 9 Nuclear Engineering 10 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and others. It is in these fields and categories that the development competition among countries is nothing more than. Of course, military, aerospace, etc. are also among them. Scientific discoveries can last for thousands of years, and technological inventions can be kept fresh for only a few decades, and they will be obsolete in a few hundred years. Such as electronic product updates, quite quickly. Life cycles are short, as are smart cars, smartphones, etc. Of course, the technological limit may also reach hundreds of years. Even scientific discoveries are not permanent. Tens of thousands of years later, people will have a new leap in understanding the universe and natural laws of natural phenomena. For example, people are on the moon and on Mars, and the human wisdom finds that the invention of wisdom is unbelievable. For us

people on earth, we have become uncivilized ancient human beings. The intelligence quotient of lunar humans is dozens and hundreds of times that of our current Earth humans. The scientific discovery of that time was unimaginable. Mathematical, physical and chemical, natural, agricultural, medical, industrial, legal and commercial, literature, history, philosophy, classics, education, etc., everything will be renovated and mutated. math The science of studying quantitative relationships and spatial forms in the real world. It is produced and developed in the long-term practical activities of human beings. Originated from counting and measurement, with the development of productive forces, more and more quantitative research on natural phenomena is required; at the same time, due to the development of mathematics itself, it has a high degree of abstraction, rigorous logic and wide applicability. It is roughly divided into two categories: basic mathematics (also known as pure mathematics) and applied mathematics. The former includes branches such as mathematical logic, number theory, algebra, geometry, topology, function theory, functional analysis and differential equations; the latter includes branches such as probability theory, mathematical statistics, computational mathematics, operations research and combinatorial mathematics ■■■Basic technical sciences, mainly including civil engineering, electromechanical engineering, chemical engineering, information engineering, aerospace engineering, ocean engineering, mining engineering, medical engineering, materials engineering, computational engineering, agricultural engineering, energy engineering, lunar engineering, Mars engineering , life engineering and so on. . Computational mathematics and its application software This major trains students to master the basic theories, basic knowledge and basic methods of mathematical science, to have the ability to apply mathematical knowledge and use computers to solve practical problems, and to be able to engage in research, teaching or production in the departments of science and technology, education and economics Senior talents engaged in practical application and management in operation and management departments. This major in computer software is to cultivate all-round development of morality, intelligence, physique, beauty, labor, etc., master certain professional theoretical knowledge, basic knowledge and basic skills of computer programming and application, and be proficient in using the latest international popular software development environment and tools. , Familiar with international software development norms, have strong software development practice ability and good software engineering literacy. Modern mathematics is a edifice built from a series of abstract structures. It is based on the innate belief of human beings in the inevitability and accuracy of mathematical reasoning, and it is the concentrated expression of confidence in the capacity, origin and power of human reason. Deductive reasoning based on self-evident axioms is absolutely reliable, that is, if an axiom is true, then the conclusions deduced from it must also be true. By applying these seemingly clear, correct, and perfect logics, mathematicians The conclusions reached are clearly unquestionable and irrefutable. Naturally, mathematics is constantly developing and alienating, and eternal mathematics is also unrealistic, mainly due to the changes in the logical thinking structure of the human brain, and mathematics will continue to mutate or alienate. Mathematical logic, natural logic, image logic, hybrid compound logic. In fact, the above-mentioned understanding of the essential characteristics of mathematics is

carried out from the aspects of the source, the way of existence, and the level of abstraction of mathematics, and the essential characteristics of mathematics are mainly seen from the results of mathematical research. Common general-purpose mathematical software packages include: Matlab, Mathematica and Maple, where Matlab is good at numerical calculation, while Mathematica and Maple are good at symbolic operation and formula derivation (2) Dedicated math packages include: Drawing software: MathCAD, Tecplot, IDL, Surfer, Origin, SmartDraw, DSP2000 Numerical computing class: Matcom, DataFit, S-Spline, Lindo, Lingo, O-Matrix, Scilab, Octave Numerical calculation library: linpack/lapack/BLAS/GERMS/IMSL/CXML Finite element calculation classes: ANSYS, MARC, PARSTRAN, FLUENT, FEMLAB, FlexPDE, Algor, COSMOS, ABAQUS, ADINA Mathematical statistics: GAUSS, SPSS, SAS, Splus Obviously, the result (as a deductive system of the theory) does not reflect the whole picture of mathematics, another very important aspect that constitutes the whole of mathematics is the process of mathematical research, and in general, mathematics is a dynamic process, a " The experimental process of thinking" is the abstract generalization process of mathematical truth. The logical deductive system is a natural result of this process. In the process of mathematical research, the richness of mathematical objects, the invention of mathematics by human beings, "Mathematics is a language", mathematical activities are social, it is in the historical process of the development of human civilization, human beings understand nature, adapt to It is the crystallization of a high degree of wisdom that transforms nature and improves self and society. Mathematics has a key influence on the way of thinking of human beings. It is of great significance. Mathematics, physics and chemistry, mathematics is the first priority, and it is not an exaggeration. Based on the above understanding of the essential characteristics of mathematics, people also discussed the specific characteristics of mathematics from different aspects. The more general view is that mathematics has the characteristics of abstraction, precision and extensive application, among which the most essential characteristic is abstraction. In addition, from the perspective of the process of mathematical research and the relationship between mathematics and other disciplines, mathematics also has imagery, plausibility, and quasi-experience. The "falsifiability" feature of Matlab is suitable for the engineering world, especially toolboxes, fast code, and many integrations with third-party software, such as optimization toolboxes The most obvious third party is comsol Mathematica syntax is excellent, so good that it comes with almost all programming paradigms . The understanding of the characteristics of mathematics is also characteristic of the times. For example, regarding the rigor of mathematics, there are different standards in each period of mathematics historical development, from Euclidean geometry to Lobachevsky geometry to the Hilbert axiom system. , the evaluation criteria for rigor vary widely, especially when Gödel proposed and proved the "incompleteness theorem... Later, it was found that even axiomatic, a rigorous scientific method that was once highly regarded, was flawed. Therefore, the rigor of mathematics is shown in the history of mathematics development and has a relativity. Regarding the plausibility of mathematics, ◆◆◆ Mathematics is the tool and means of physical research. Some research methods of physics have strong mathematical ideas, so the process of learning physics can also improve

mathematical cognition. Mathematical logic is the study of symbolic and mathematical logic in formal logic. Mathematical logic is also called symbolic logic and theoretical logic. It is both a branch of mathematics and a branch of logic. It is the study of logic or formal logic using mathematical methods. The research object is the formal system after symbolizing the two intuitive concepts of proof and calculation. Mathematical logic is an integral part of the foundation of mathematics. Although the name has the word logic, it does not belong to the category of pure logic. Mathematical logic is the product of the development of modern Western logic. Generally speaking, it is predicate logic, which is to introduce mathematical methods into logic. Mathematical logic also mainly focuses on form, not content, but the method has changed. For example, all S are P. Mathematical logic can transform this sentence into that there is an x. If this x is S, then this x is P. Physics is a discipline that is close to exploring the origin of the world, so it has connections with many disciplines. As big as the movement of celestial bodies in geography, the spring, summer, autumn and winter of the earth, etc., as small as the gain and loss of electrons in chemical reactions in chemistry, etc.; physical calculations require mathematics, and calculus in mathematics is created by Newton to study gravity. Both formal logic and mathematical logic focus on conceptual extension and agree with the law of identity, but the analysis methods for sentences are different. Mathematics plays an important role in the development of physics, and physics also plays an important role in the development of mathematics: Explanatory language has accuracy, rigor, scientificity, plainness, thoroughness, and natural logic. The accuracy, rigor, plainness, thoroughness and scientificity of expository language are prerequisites for expository language. Representation of time, space, quantity, scope, degree, characteristics, nature, procedures, etc., are required to be accurate. The practicability of the description is very strong, and if there is a slight error, it will be missed by an inch or a thousand miles. Under the premise of accuracy, some of the language of the description is known for its plainness, and some is known for its liveliness. Due to the difference between the object of the description and the language style of the author, the language of the description is also varied and complex. In fact, the connections and differences between scientists and engineers are much more than that. In fact, the boundaries between engineers and scientists can be completely broken. Some outstanding scientists are also outstanding engineers, and some outstanding engineers often do the work of scientists. Properties of complex numbers, functions of complex variables, analytic functions, integrals of functions of complex variables, power series over complex number fields, Taylor series of analytic functions, Lorent series, singularities, residues and their calculations; string vibration equations, heat conduction Equations and potential equations, classification of second-order linear equations, traveling wave method for solving string vibration equations, two-dimensional and three-dimensional wave equations, separation of variables solution, Bessel function, Legendre polynomial and their properties, expansion of functions by characteristic

functions, Fourier transform , Laplace transform, generalized function and its Fourier transform, Green function method, variational problem, Sobolev space and weak solution, finite element solution method of boundary value problem, total stiffness matrix and total load matrix, programming finite element solution method with Mathematica In addition, mathematical physics equations and special functions are also an important branch of engineering mathematics. vector algebra, vector analysis, tensor analysis Matrix Algebra, Matrix Analysis Analytical Geometry, Differential Geometry Functional Analysis, Variational Methods Ordinary Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations optimal method Graph and network models Stochastic Mathematics (Probability, Statistics, Stochastic Processes) Computational intelligence (ANN, GA, SVM, etc.) models Pattern Recognition, Machine Learning, Data Mining The main representative of , author of "Nine Chapter Collection" 6. Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, author of "Socrates' Defence", "Utopia", "Parmenides", "The Wise Men" and other dialogues. 7. Aristotle, a student of Plato, a master of Greek philosophy, an encyclopedic philosopher, the founder of many disciplines, his representative works "Theory of Tools", "Physics", "Metaphysics", "Nicoma" Ethics", "Politics". 8. Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher, one of the founders of euphoria ethics. 9. Pyrrho, the ancient Greek philosopher and founder of skepticism. 10. Plotinus, the late Greek philosopher, Egyptian, the main representative of Neoplatonism, author of "Nine Chapters" 11. Marx, Hegel, Kant, etc. From the 16th century to the 19th century, many scientists were born in England. 1. Newton created a complete system of mechanics theory. 2. Faraday discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction. 3. Dalton founded the modern atomic theory. 4. Darwin created the biological evolution theory "Origin of Species"). The proportion of the world's top scientists in each country; 1. United States: 1,465 people. accounted for 47.5%. 2. United Kingdom: 346 people. accounted for .2%. 3. Germany; 177 people. accounted for

5.7%. 4. China: 175 people. accounted for 5.7%. 5, Australia: 113 people. accounted for 3.7%. 6. Canada: 97 people. accounted for 3.1%. 7. The Netherlands: 94 people. accounted for 3%. 8. France: 89 people. accounted for 2.9%. 9. Japan: 74 people. 2.4% 10. Switzerland: 71 people. 2.3% (Quoted from web resources) Newton, Franklin, Darwin, Maxwell, Hertz, Bohr, Fermi, Marie Curie, Einstein, Heisenberg, Lorenz, Ampere, Pasteur, Watson Creek, Feynman, Oppenheim Mer, David, Faraday, Roentgen, Hahn, Thomson, Rayleigh, Haber . ▲▲▲▲ Surface area: 37.93 million square kilometers, smaller than Asia and larger than Africa; Equator Circumference: 10921 km Escape velocity: 2.38 km/s; circling velocity at a height of 10 km: 1.674 km/s Surface gravitational acceleration: 1.62 m/s square, about one-sixth of the earth Equatorial surface temperature: minimum -173°C, maximum 117°C, average -53°C Surface pressure: 1 trillionth of an atmosphere during the day, 1/10 millionth of an atmosphere at night, almost an absolute vacuum The main components of the surface rock: The thickness of the lunar crust is about 50 kilometers (earth direction), and the back is about 65 kilometers. The thickness of the lunar mantle is about 1200 kilometers, solid rock, and there is a lot of iron. The partially molten outer core is 260 kilometers thick, and the solid iron inner core has a radius of 240 kilometers. There is no air on the surface of the moon, cosmic radiation is heavy, and there is damage from small meteors, so the city should be built below the surface, or a very thick dome. Other measures and methods can also be taken. The materials used to build cities on the moon should of course use all local resources, that is, the soil, rocks, etc. of the moon. If a large amount of metal materials is required, the lunar soil should also be used directly for smelting. Astronomy: It is a discipline that studies the structure and development of celestial bodies in space and the universe. Cosmology: The study of the universe, which also studies the position of human beings in the universe, and the study of the large-scale structure and evolution of the universe Astronomy: The content

includes the structure, properties and running laws of celestial bodies. Astronomy is an ancient science, and it has played an important role since the history of human civilization. Cosmology: The study of the origins of observable structures in the universe, from giant galaxy clusters to the solar system, falls within the field of celestial evolution. Fundamental questions to be addressed include when and how the universe began, how galaxies formed and acquired the shapes and sizes we observe, how stars were born, how planets and life evolved, and more. planetary hierarchy Including planets in planetary systems, satellites revolving around planets, and a large number of small celestial bodies, such as asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and interplanetary matter. star system. 2. Stellar-level lunar soil and lunar rocks: The lunar surface is covered with a layer of lunar soil, which is rock debris, powder, breccia, impact molten glass and volcanoes formed by long-term meteorite and micrometeorite impacts and the accumulation of their sputtered materials Soil layer composed of glass. Internal structure of the moon: According to the records of natural moonquakes and large meteorites hitting the lunar surface, it is proved that the moon has a crust-like structure inside. The thickness of the front lunar crust is about 50km, and the thickness of the back is about 72km; the thickness of the lunar lithosphere can extend to a depth of at least 1000km. According to the study of the conductance profile inside the moon, the radius of the lunar metal core is about 360km; according to the measurement of the lunar magnetic field, the radius of the moon core is about 400-500km; the maximum temperature inside the moon does not exceed 1300 ℃, which does not reach the temperature of material melting. ……………………………………………………………………… ………………… If humans want to live normally on the lunar surface, they must first of all be inseparable from the essential fresh water and oxygen, and there is neither water nor empty lunar base gas on the moon. What to do about this? Scientists found that the lunar sand

contains a lot of oxygen, and they proposed the idea of using the lunar sand to produce fresh water and oxygen. The idea is to first use a forklift to automatically excavate the sandy soil on the lunar surface, select the oxygen-containing iron minerals from it, and then use hydrogen to reduce the oxygen-containing iron minerals to obtain fresh water. With water, electricity is applied to electrolyze the water to obtain oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen is liquefied and stored, ready to be supplied to base residents. The hydrogen initially used as a reducing agent can be shipped from the earth, and the hydrogen obtained by electrolysis of water can be recycled after production begins. Second, for humans to live in a self-sufficient system on the moon, food supplies must also be guaranteed. Where does the food come from? In recent years, scientists have carried out a large number of biological experiments on the space station, and have cultivated more than 100 "space plants", including wheat, corn, oats, soybeans, tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, beets, etc. Moreover, it has been proved that under the conditions of zero gravity in space, the germination rate of plant seeds in lunar soil is higher, the growth rate is faster, and the flowering or heading time is earlier. Therefore, as long as a lunar agriculture and aquaculture base is established on the moon, the food source of the lunar base for people on the moon is fully guaranteed. The third is that the energy supply of the lunar base is not a problem. Because there is no wind or rain on the moon, it is clear and sunny, there is sunshine all day long, and there is no atmospheric absorption, the radiation intensity of the sun is about 1.5 times that of the earth. Therefore, it is completely possible to use solar energy for lighting, heating, heating and power generation on the moon. Of course, nuclear power plants can also be built on the moon if necessary to ensure an adequate supply of energy for the base. Without air resistance, the shape of transport equipment and cargo is only limited by the design size of the transport system itself, not by aerodynamics. , rail transportation: Rail transportation has less resistance. The rails for orbital transportation can be constructed with

aluminum, iron, titanium and other elements that are very abundant on the lunar surface. The earth and stone building materials can be melted, cut into pieces, and bonded with lunar soil or lunar rock. . In the 30-50 years after 2030, local mining, smelting, energy and other industries on the moon can gradually become large-scale. Limited by the capacity of the earth to launch into space, the industrialization of the moon mainly relies on the accumulation of local materials. The main industrial categories include energy (power generation and heat collection), mining, smelting, and processing. The initial solar equipment has to be transported. This is the original bulk shipment. The power of solar panels on the moon is higher than that on Earth, The United States' Artemis project plans to send astronauts to the moon in 2024, and Russia will also send astronauts to orbit the moon in 2025. There are also many countries that have multiple probes or sample return projects before 2025, including China's Chang'e 6-7. But there are no ongoing plans for lunar mining and smelting. Even with a space station on the moon, current plans are unclear. The reasons include, of course, the need to prepare the groundwork for the successful implementation of the previous project, improve the launch and recovery technology, and more experience on the lunar surface. Within 50-100 years, the development of the moon will become an aerospace hotspot. In fact, at this stage, only the moon is likely to actually enter the development and immigration of human beings on Earth, and Mars is waiting for later. The moon is the first planet that human beings can conquer and set foot on. If human beings can't conquer even him, how can we conquer Mars? ▼▼▼▼▼ It has made outstanding achievements in the construction of ecological protection system in desert areas, restoration and reconstruction of degraded ecosystems, water conservancy engineering construction, transportation engineering construction, oil and gas exploration and development, land development and oasis construction, water-saving irrigation engineering, etc., which convincingly proves that : Human beings not only have the power to

overcome the harm of desertification, but also have the power to make the desert benefit mankind The ocean is the cradle of life and a treasure trove of resources, covering 71% of the earth's total surface and accounting for 97% of the earth's total water. With the continuous growth of the world population, the development of marine resources has become a strategic measure for human survival and development. In modern marine development activities, the development of marine oil and natural gas, marine transportation, marine fishing and sea salt production are huge in scale and output value. They are mature industries and are undergoing technological transformation and further expansion of production; marine aquaculture, seawater desalination, seawater Extraction of bromine and magnesium, tidal power generation, offshore factories, and undersea tunnels are developing rapidly; deep-sea mining, wave power generation, thermoelectric power generation, seawater uranium extraction, and offshore cities are being studied and tested for the development of seabed mineral resources, and marine engineering is very important. It is the most important source of life for all mankind. The protection and development of the ocean includes various measures, and the development of ocean cities is an important aspect of them. To develop a marine city is to build a city on the sea or under the sea, rather than developing a city near the sea as is usually thought. Nowadays, many coastal cities are very prosperous, and it is a natural idea and choice to continuously expand the area of coastal cities. However, under the background of global warming, the glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic are melting, and the sea level is rising year by year. Coastal cities are not only facing submersion. Dangerous, and also facing the invasion of powerful typhoon and waves, simple expansion by reclamation is not a long-term solution. It can further expand the living space of human beings and develop and utilize the vast marine resources. In 2002, an American company envisioned building a sea city that could accommodate tens of thousands of people, namely the super cruise ship "Freedom". The design of the

"Freedom" was 1372 m in length, 229 m in width and 107 m in height, on the main deck. The building above is 25 stories high. The design goal of the "Freedom" is to go to the major oceans in the world to cruise, which is the embodiment of people's longing for the ocean. Marine engineering structural problems. Structural problems are the first problems to be solved by ocean cities. Whether it is a building on the water or underwater, how to resist the impact of storms, waves or huge water pressure, and ensure the stability, safety and reliability of the structure will become the first problem. For the durability of the project, it is necessary to select materials that are resistant to seawater corrosion, such as magnesium alloys or synthetic resin concrete. In order to live comfortably, the overall structure should not have too much shaking. Using rigid, flexible, durable, corrosion-resistant and high-strength composite materials to build a large-area semi-submersible platform, which is wind-resistant, wave-resistant, and earthquake-resistant. The new habitat, the platform is rigid-flexible structure and connection, 1000m-5000m, ground anchor and drop anchor, or sit on the bottom or semi-submersible, generally 50-100m in shallow sea, anti-earthquake, tsunami, storm and lightning protection ,Safe and reliable. To prevent fluttering and shaking, rigid, flexible, hard and soft measures are adopted. The marine city building materials are lightweight, durable, fire-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and the promenade and plank roads are readily available. The continental shelf is the most developed area of seabed sedimentation, and its sedimentary types and characteristics are restricted by environmental factors. Since the waters of the continental shelf are in a shallow sea environment, the factors affecting the deposition of the continental shelf are: 1. Sea level change; 2. Provenance supply; 3. Hydrodynamic conditions; 3. Climate and its fluctuations; 5. Detrital particle size; 6 7. Chemical factors; 8. Continental shelf topography; 9. Sea area openness; 10. Geological characteristics of surrounding land areas; 11. Tectonic background. 12. Earth evolution, etc. Ocean

engineering has great potential. living environment problems. How to provide an environment suitable for human survival, such as air, food, light, etc., is also an issue that needs to be carefully considered. Appropriate air is easy to satisfy for floating cities, but precise control is required for underwater cities. In order to maintain an air environment with a composition similar to that of the earth's atmosphere, a sufficiently robust air control system must be set up to maintain air pressure, temperature, humidity, etc., and must be carefully considered from the very beginning of the design. Sufficient electrical energy is the main form of energy. In addition to ensuring various activities and other needs of residents, it is also a necessary supporting condition for maintaining the living environment, such as air circulation and seawater desalination. In order to protect the ecological environment of the ocean, consideration should be given to using renewable and clean energy as much as possible. The turbulent waves of the ocean, the rising and falling tides, the huge ocean currents and the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the sea contain huge energy, so photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, wave power generation, tidal power generation, ocean current power generation, ocean temperature difference power generation and other renewable energy Energy will be the main force of energy supply. If there is a shortage, it can be considered to supplement part of nuclear power generation. For floating cities, the development area is large, so photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, and wave power generation can be the main force. For underwater cities, the power source is relatively scarce, and thermoelectric power generation, nuclear power can be considered, and some marine resources such as oil and natural gas can also be used. , combustible ice, etc. garbage disposal issues. How to recycle garbage, avoid environmental pollution, establish a recyclable economy, and build a reasonable and feasible sustainable development model will be the key control factors for building a marine city. For example, in the

concept of "Future City in the Maritime Environment", the garbage generated in the city is classified and processed to achieve partial reuse of resources. One is the fully recyclable garbage such as domestic garbage, sewage and carbon dioxide. First, the domestic sewage is treated and provided to plants for irrigation, and secondly, the domestic garbage is converted into fertilizer for plant factories through decomposition technology; , In addition to providing grain and meat products to residents, the residual processed waste will be further processed and provided to aquaculture in shallow sea areas as bait. Another type of waste that can be converted into energy, such as waste paper scraps, plastics, building materials, etc., is partially converted into fertilizers that can be used in agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries through special waste treatment plants, and part is used for the production of renewable materials and fuels . However, a small amount of garbage with great harm and pollution may still need to be transferred to land for centralized treatment or destruction to be harmless and pollution-free. With the improvement of technology and strict environmental protection measures, this part of garbage will become less and less. . Due to the complexity of the environment and the independence of effective operation, marine buildings in the future development of marine cities must meet the long-term settlement requirements of human beings. In addition to the above obvious problems, there are many other problems that need to be re-examined and carefully designed. Modern engineering is a huge challenge. Therefore, building a marine city is a multi-disciplinary, multi-professional, multi-field, and all-round integration system. There are many difficulties to overcome. The proposed scheme, new design and new concept, organically integrates various technologies under the concept of environmental protection, as a huge system. Only by considering the project can a more economical and feasible technical route be obtained, and the planning and realization of the ocean city can be continuously promoted. desert city, mountains

Set up drainage and seepage guide on the downstream backwater surface to discharge seepage water in time. In addition to the homogeneous earth dam, the dam body is mainly intercepted by the core wall, and the core wall is mainly composed of clay core wall, asphalt core wall, concrete core wall or other materials. The grouting method is the most widely used method for dam foundation seepage interception, and dam foundation grouting mainly selects different grouting methods according to the different geological conditions of the dam foundation. For large reservoirs, the design of the dam is very strict. When the dam foundation is rock and there are cracks, consolidation grouting should be used; when the dam foundation is rock or gravel foundation, if there is a leakage channel, curtain grouting should be used; when the dam foundation is Measures such as high-spray grouting shall be adopted for silty soil, silty clay stratum, silt, sand, gravel, gravel and other loose permeable foundations or filling bodies. structural design When designing a reservoir dam structure, the most basic requirement is to ensure the safety and stability of the structure. Therefore, it is necessary to extensively collect and organize relevant structural information during design to ensure the quality level of engineering design and improve the safety and stability of the reservoir dam structure. At the same time, in the structural design of dams, there are problems of uneven settlement caused by poor dam foundation and water conveyance tunnel foundation, and the compactness and bearing capacity do not meet the specifications. Uneven settlement leads to cracks in the dam body, cracks in the dam crest road surface, and rupture and damage of the culvert pipe of the water conveyance tunnel. Structural safety is paramount. Metal Structure Equipment In the design of reservoir dams, it is necessary to do a good job in the preliminary field investigation. By mastering accurate hydrogeological data, we can learn about the natural conditions of the construction site in detail, and choose metal structure equipment that is suitable for the actual local conditions. Control the quality of the equipment, and avoid rust and corrosion during the actual application of the equipment, so as to improve the quality of reservoir dam construction and better play the important role of reservoir dams. Redundant design and special accident safety design Spaceships, ships, dams, ultra-high buildings, large-section tunnels, extra-large bridges, atomic energy reactors, hazardous chemicals, earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption, safety protection, prediction, forecast and early warning system, extreme climate forecast system, Major infectious disease and plague prediction and early warning systems, program design of important software, R&D and design of important intelligent hardware, etc., are particularly important and require the full attention of scientists and engineers. On these important issues, we must redouble our efforts and intensify our efforts. world dam failure Dam collapse in Marpasse, France, 1959 The failure of the Malpasset dam is a vicious accident in the history of arch dam construction in the world, and it is more serious than the four previous dam accidents in the United States recorded in the records of modern dam accidents in the 1920s and 1930s. This dam is located on the Leyland River in the Var province in southern France. The dam was only built for water supply and irrigation. It was designed by André Coyne, a famous French civil engineer at the time. He led the construction of 70 dams in 14 countries in his lifetime. dam.

The dam is about 66 meters high and 223 meters wide at the crest. Construction started in 1952 and completed in 1954, using reinforced concrete. Due to the turbulent political situation in France at that time, it was put into operation as late as the end of 1958. In December 1959, the local area had continued torrential rain, and at noon on December 2, the reservoir reached its highest water level. Reservoir engineer André Ferro immediately asked to open the gates to discharge the flood, but the leaders were slow to approve. Until 6 pm that day, after the leaders approved the opening of the gate, the flood discharge speed was too slow, and the water level dropped by only a few centimeters in 3 hours, which was too late. At 9:00 p.m. that night, the Marbasi Dam suddenly collapsed. With a loud noise, a huge wave about 40 meters high carrying reinforced concrete fragments rushed out of the dam breach at a high speed of 70 kilometers per hour. The resulting huge air shock wave turned the small town of Fragers, about 10 kilometers downstream of the dam, into ruins in more than half an hour, and nearly all nearby buildings, roads, railways, power supply and water supply lines were washed away. into the sea more than ten kilometers away. According to official statistics, 423 people, including more than 100 children, were directly killed in the accident, many were missing, and many more were injured. "World's Best" Vaião Dam Landslide, Italy, 1963 Vajont Dam is located in the scenic Alps, less than 100 kilometers from the famous Venice. Italy entered a period of rapid development after the Second World War. The industrial development of the northern cities has an increasing demand for electricity. The Vaian Canyon dam construction has unique geographical conditions. As early as before World War II, the government and engineers have proposed to build power generation and reservoir functions. The dam's vision and engineering scheme. The design structure of the concrete double-curvature arch dam, which was finally used in the world's tallest dam at that time, had such excellent stress conditions that even after the disaster caused by the collapse of the reservoir, the dam remained standing. However, the mountains on both sides of the dam could not bear the weight of building dams and reservoirs. Image source: The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) is the most authoritative international non-governmental academic organization recognized in the field of international dam engineering technology. It was established in 1928. The Dam Committee adopts a national membership mechanism. Currently, there are 104 national members, covering the countries where more than 95% of the world's reservoir dams are located. Its purpose is to promote technological progress in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of reservoir dams and water conservancy and hydropower projects through the exchange of mutual information, including research on technical, economic, financial, environmental and social impact issues. Activities include technical exchanges between national committees, organizing conferences, annual meetings, executive meetings, sub-regional meetings and other meetings, organizing cooperative research and experiments, publishing collections of papers, technical bulletins, dam statistics and other documents. , GETTY IMAGES The dam was built in 1957 by a company that monopolized private power in northern Italy. Later,

the dam engineering company changed the original design. The height of the dam was increased from 230 meters to 262 meters, and the storage capacity was also increased to three times the original design. As the storage of the reservoir increased, the geological structure around the dam became unstable. At the end of 1962, the Italian national electric company bought the reservoir, in order to accept it as soon as possible and accelerate the water storage. From September 28, 1963, heavy rains continued to fall in the Vaian area. The speed of the landslide was increasing, and people nearby began to hear strange noises in the Vaian Valley. Authorities decided to lower the reservoir level, too late. On the night of October 9, 1963, a 260-million-cubic-meter landslide around the reservoir filled half of the reservoir within 45 seconds. The water that burst out instantly formed a 250-meter-high wave and an air shock wave like an atomic bomb explosion. It flooded nearby towns and villages, killing nearly 2,000 people. At that time, there were more than 60 technical and management personnel in the management building and office on the bank of the reservoir. Except for one person who survived, all the others died. despite the loss of water storage or generator energy. The intact dam has remained in place and has become a local tourist attraction. In 2008, when UNESCO launched the "International Year of the Earth", it listed the tragedy of the Vaian dam as one of the human engineering tragedies "due to the errors of engineers and geologists". In August 1975, a super typhoon brought Henan a torrential rain that broke the record of the highest rainfall in China and the world at that time, causing a major flood in the upper reaches of the Huai River, and a small reservoir began to collapse on August 6. In the early morning of August 8, two large reservoirs and nearly 60 small and medium-sized reservoirs collapsed one after another in just a few hours. Like a landslide, more than 600 million cubic meters of floodwater poured down, dozens of meters high and wide. The flood peak of about 12 kilometers inundated 29 counties and cities in Henan and Anhui provinces within a few hours. The book "The Great Flood in Chinese History" published in 1999 stated that 11 million people in Henan Province were affected and suffered heavy casualties. 17 million mu of farmland was flooded, 5.96 million houses collapsed, 302,300 farm animals and 720,000 pigs were washed away. , the Beijing-Guangzhou line running through the north and south of China was washed away 102 kilometers, interrupted for 18 days, affecting transportation for 48 days, known as the "75.8" flood. • ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- Civil engineering, roads and bridges, tunnels, dams, super high buildings, etc. 1. Engineering Feasibility Study (Gong Ke) - preliminary planning, key technology research, feasibility study from economic, technological and social development; 2. Preliminary design - select recommended and optimal plans from different design plans; mainly solve overall planning problems, including bridge location selection, bridge type, sub-holes, longitudinal and cross-sectional layout, main dimensions of the structure, project budget estimates, main The amount of materials; the preliminary design estimate is the basis for

controlling the investment of the construction project and compiling the construction budget; 3. Construction drawings - technical documents that further detail and specify the construction principles, technical plans, technical decisions, and total investment approved by the preliminary design; detailed analysis and calculation of each component of the bridge, drawing of construction drawings, and preparation of construction methods must be carried out. , construction material schedule and budget; Bridge Profile Design Including the total span of the bridge, sub-holes, bridge deck elevation, route, road longitudinal slope, foundation embedding depth and the method used; 1. The total span of the bridge - comprehensive consideration according to hydrological data, river bed erosion, foundation form, channel arrangement and cost; 2. The principle of split holes is that the total cost of the upper and lower structures is the most economical; comprehensively consider the influence of factors such as span, number of holes, structural system, combat readiness, etc.; three-span continuous beam 1: 0.8, five-span continuous beam 1: 0.9: 0.65 ; 3. Determination of bridge deck elevation - first meet the navigation requirements (navigation clearance), determined by the navigation department and determined by the design flood level; the bottom surface of the bearing is 25 cm higher than the design flood, and the bottom surface of the vault is 1 meter higher; the specific analysis of the flyover bridge ; The longitudinal slope of the bridge is not more than 4%, and the city is not more than 3%; the longitudinal slope of the approach bridge is not more than 5%, and vertical curves must be set at the changes; • Bridge cross-section design . Depends on the bridge deck width, structure type, cross-sectional arrangement; . Traffic lanes (7, 9) + sidewalks (1+NX0.5) + bicycle lanes (n*1) . Sidewalks and seat belts should be at least 20~25cm higher than the road surface, generally greater than 30cm .The cross slope of the bridge deck is 1.5%~3%, which is conducive to drainage; . Railings, guardrails, lamp post locations, bridge pipelines, etc. • Bridge layout . The alignment of the bridge should be as perpendicular to the river and the route under the bridge as possible to avoid oblique crossing; . When the oblique crossing is restricted, the oblique crossing angle is usually not more than 15 degrees, and it is not more than 5 degrees on navigable rivers; when the oblique crossing angle is large, special structural analysis and calculation shall be made; . The alignment between the alignment and the bridgehead approach road is smooth and conforms to the specifications;

• 1. On the premise of meeting the functional requirements, the best structural type should be selected - Pure, refreshing and stable. Quality is unified in beauty, and beauty is subordinate to quality. • 2. Beauty is mainly manifested in the harmony and good proportion of structure selection, and has a sense of order and rhythm. Too much repetition can lead to monotony. • 3. Pay attention to coordination with the environment. The choice of materials, the texture of the surface, and the use of special colors play an important role. Model checking helps with real-feeling judgment and examines shadow effects. • 4. A beautiful bridge should have a positive impact on people with its personality. Beauty and ethics are inherently interlinked. A beautiful environment will directly shape people's sentiments. The beauty of nature and the beauty of man-made environment are necessary for people's physical and mental health. • The determination of bridge structural form depends on in-depth comprehensive analysis and comparison of bridge technology, economy, and bridge construction conditions; • First determine the sub-holes according to the requirements of terrain, geology, navigation, etc., and draw up the bridge structure diagrams that may be designed; (usually 2~4) • Next, formulate the technical and economic indicators of each selected bridge structure form, including: main material consumption, total investment, construction period, operating conditions, maintenance costs, technical requirements for construction technology (whether there are difficult projects, etc.), special materials, etc.; and draw up the bridge structure the size of the main components; • Technical and economic comparison and optimal plan; comprehensively compare various indicators, determine the optimal plan based on the principles of applicability, economy and aesthetics, or recommend the first plan according to other objective conditions and special requirements. • Bridge codes are not necessarily the same across the world , it needs to be used according to the actual situation, and cannot be copied and used. The collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907 On August 29, 1907, a section of a newly built bridge in Quebec, Canada collapsed, falling into the St. Lawrence River. The collapse threw dozens of bridge builders and mechanics into the water and killed at least 80 people. The disaster happened just as workers were about to leave work that day, when a mile and a half or so of the bridge deck collapsed, causing a chain reaction of broken bridges and cables. A report later blamed the accident on the bridge's engineers. When the bridge was rebuilt in 1916, its structure collapsed again when it was hoisted back into place, killing 13 workers. • 1-3-1 Bridge Load Classification According to the probability of load occurrence:

Primary loads, secondary loads and special loads Highway design specification division: Permanent load, variable load, accidental load • During the service life of the bridge, the position, size, and direction of the load do not change with time or change very little and can be ignored. • Main Type Self-weight of main girder structure, deck pavement and ancillary facilities; Earth weight, earth pressure, internal and external prestressing, concrete Soil shrinkage, creep effect, foundation displacement effect, etc.; • Basic variable load (live load) ·Use loads of bridges: vehicles, people, and loads indirectly caused by vehicles · Cars, trailers, crawler vehicles, crowds (350) and special vehicles, consider centrifugal force (centrifugal coefficient V2/127R) and impact force (impact coefficient) for curved bridges • Other variables include: Vehicle braking force (related to the bearing, driving direction, 1.2 meters), bearing frictional resistance, temperature, wind load, water pressure, etc. ·Wind - small and medium bridges are calculated according to static wind pressure, and bridges are calculated according to dynamic force ·Automobile braking force - used when calculating bearings and piers ·Temperature influence—sunshine and annual temperature difference ·Support friction resistance, flowing water pressure and ice pressure - used when calculating bridge piers •Different countries have different norms, which are scientific and reasonable according to local conditions. Common problems in road and bridge design security issues road and bridge engineering★★★★★ -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --- • Tunnel engineering design Principles for selecting the location of tunnel engineering design a. The location of the tunnel should be selected in a stable stratum, and try to avoid crossing the extremely complex engineering geology and hydrogeology and serious bad geological areas; when it must be passed, there should be practical and reliable engineering measures. b. For long and extra-long tunnels and large-section tunnels crossing the watershed, the route direction and plane position shall be determined on the basis of geological surveying and comprehensive geological exploration of

Community garden plots are just half of the Huerta del Valle (HdV) 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

The 6th and Morgan intersection is the scene of many crashes with its split phase for southbound traffic. Traffic with the red light mistakenly moves when adjacent traffic lanes gets the green light.

A project planned in 2020 will upgrade the signals to remove that as well as upgrade the intersections to today's Americans with Disabilities Act.

  

Portrait of Edna Amos Nice

 

•Artist: Stanislav Rembski (1896-1998)

•Title: Edna Amos Nice (1882-1955)

•Date: 1961

•Medium: Oil on Canvas

•Dimensions: 40 × 32"

•Accession Number: MSA SC 1545-1203

 

Edna Viola Amos Nice (1882-1955)

 

MSA SC 3520-2299

 

First Lady of Maryland, 1935-1939

 

•Born: April 14, 1882 in Baltimore, Maryland

•Amos Family Home: Baltimore, Maryland

•Marriage: June 8, 1905 to Governor Harry W. Nice

•Children: Harry, Jr. and William (who died in infancy)

•Second Marriage: Widowed on February 24, 1941, Married Waitman F. Zinn

•Died: March 11, 1955 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

•Buried: Greenmount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland

 

Edna Viola Amos was born in Baltimore on April 14, 1882. She attended public schools and “The Girls’ Latin School.” Between 1901 and 1904 the family lived in Atlanta, Georgia; they moved back to Baltimore in 1904. On June 7, 1905, Edna married Harry W. Nice, to whom she had gotten engaged before the move to Atlanta. The couple had two children: Harry W. Nice, Jr., and William, who lived only one year.

 

“You may be quite sure there will be plenty of social life with us in the Governor’s Mansion; we’ve always been fond of company. We like informal entertaining,” Mrs. Nice remarked in an interview with The Evening Capital shortly after assuming her role as First Lady of Maryland. Maryland once again had an official state hostess in Mrs. Nice; the state had been without one since the death of Governor Ritchie’s mother several years before the end of his term. Mrs. Nice increased the number of formal occasions and receptions at Government House and the number of staff persons in the house along with them. She preferred to do her own daily shopping and was seen frequenting the Annapolis shops and grocery stores in the mornings. Although a cook who had been with the Nice household for 17 years accompanied the Nices to Annapolis, Mrs. Nice also enjoyed using the kitchen of the newly-remodeled governor’s mansion to do her own cooking for herself, Governor Nice and Harry, Jr.

 

Mrs. Nice had few hobbies, most of which centered around her home. “I love my flowers. I love my car. I love my home, and my husband most of all. I’m not a club woman. I don’t play golf and I’m not fond of bridge. Frequently when my husband is busy with meetings at night I take in the movies,” declared Mrs. Nice. Before Nice’s election as governor, Mrs. Nice enjoyed driving her husband to work every day from their home in Mount Washington to his Baltimore law office. She and her husband enjoyed traveling, and she did all of the driving on their many trips around the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

 

Mrs. Nice spent much of her first two years as Maryland’s First Lady supervising the renovation of Government House from a dilapidated mid-Victorian house into the Georgian structure that is seen today. Mrs. Nice took an active role in the project, planning the alterations in the interior along with her husband, supervising the removal of dead trees from the property, interviewing decorators and accepting bids on interior work, choosing color schemes and fabrics for draperies and the reupholstering of furniture, and seeing to the finishing touches. After the house was complete, Mrs. Nice planned and planted a garden for the grounds in which she grew phlox, Shasta daisies, lilies, and roses. She also added a fish pond and stocked it with goldfish, a diamond back terrapin, a turtle, and a frog.

 

A highlight of Mrs. Nice’s term as First Lady was the visit of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Government House for tea on a stop from his speaking tour through Maryland in the fall of 1938 on behalf of candidates for the U.S. congress. Although Roosevelt and Nice belonged to different political parties, President Roosevelt spent an hour or two with Governor and Mrs. Nice at Government House, during which the two politicians were reported to have had a friendly discussion on a first-name basis. This was not the first gathering of the Nices and Roosevelts, as Governor and Mrs. Nice had been guests of the Roosevelts at the White House shortly after Nice assumed office in January 1935 and had lunched on the presidential yacht Sequoia when President and Mrs. Roosevelt had come to Annapolis that spring to watch the Navy and Harvard rowing races on the Severn River.

 

One of Mrs. Nice’s fondest memories was said to have been a dinner party given by friends several years preceding the start of her husband’s governorship during which he paid her the following tribute:

 

“For nearly twenty years it has been my pleasing and wholesome privilege to have had, as the companion of my heart and soul, one, whose purity of mind and simplicity of love and affection has ever rendered my anticipation sublime. To me, twenty-five years ago, she appeared like a young rapt saint, exuding the faint and intoxicating perfume of pure womanliness; her beauty broke on me like some rare flower; her glory was the glory of the lily; her loveliness was the loveliness of the full blown rose, which so flushed her brow that it radiated the refulgent rays of womanly virtue, unimpeachable character and a heart of gold.

 

“The years have vanished like snow when comes the thaw. Like the disappearing May snow drifts they have sunk into the past, and have become as shadowy faces, which we see in our dreams, and which pass as petals upon a swift moving stream. All of these virtues she has retained to an emphasized and marked degree. Her caresses, as then, are as soft as the down of the turtle dove; her love still falls about, and on me, like a sweet rain; something divine seems to cling around her like a sweet, subtle vapor which steals lingering on the placid bosom of a beautiful lake. Her loyal, loving presence has ever been my beacon; guiding and strengthening me in the dark hours of sorrow, filling me with joy and happiness in my moments of prosperity, ever, and always, my incentive to better things. The poverty of my language forbids an attempt at expression of my real love, gratitude, and respect. I can only say I love her; she is my heartease, my life with her has been sweeter than the honey in the honey-comb; her voice is like sweet music; her face like unto the angels; her eyes flashing with sunbeams, smiling a divine delight into my soul; and until death shall claim me as her very own, I pledge her unabated, undying love, fidelity and respect.

 

May the gathering glory of her life shine like the dawn; may her days be as long and as happy as the waves that dance on the sea; may her patient, sweet disposition ever fill my weary hours, shining upon me with the brilliance of the stars always unutterably bright, as they move like silver barques upon the azure sea of heaven, may it fall upon me like a ray of light from a heaven of peace.

 

“Surrounded by you, my friends, I welcome this opportunity to thus publicly pay tribute to My Love, and before presenting this intrinsic evidence of my affection, I ask you to join me in drinking to the health of her, whose holy love has like some vestal flame, burned into my soul and left its indelible impress upon my heart—to my wife.”

  

Portrait of Mary Byrnes O’Conor

 

•Artist: Stanislav Rembski (1896-1998)

•Title: Mary Byrnes O’Conor (1896-1971)

•Date: 1961

•Medium: Oil on Canvas

•Dimensions: 40 × 32"

•Accession Number: MSA SC 1545-1204

 

Eugenia Byrnes O’Conor (1896-1971)

 

MSA SC 3520-2289

 

First Lady of Maryland, 1939-1947

 

•Born: December 24, 1896 in Baltimore, Maryland

•Mother: Catherine Hawkins Byrnes

•Father: James Byrnes

•Byrnes Family Home: Baltimore, Maryland

•Marriage: November 24, 1920 to Governor Herbert R. O’Conor

•Children: Herbert, Jr., Eugene, Mary Patricia, James, Robert

•Died: October 11, 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland

•Burial: Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland

 

Mary Eugenia Byrnes O’Conor was the wife of Herbert R. O’Conor, the fifty-first governor of Maryland serving in office from 1939-1947. Known as Eugenia, she met Herbert in the spring of 1911 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Baltimore when she was only twelve and he just fourteen years old. Herbert and Eugenia maintained their friendship throughout their teens and through Herbert’s term in the Navy Reserves during the last stages of World War I. The two became active members of the Loyola Club, a Catholic social club for young singles that held dances, performed plays and sponsored musical events. Herbert graduated from the University of Maryland Law School in June, 1920, and although his parents would have preferred that he was better established in his law career before getting married, Herbert and Eugenia set the date for November 24, 1920, and the two were married at St. Philip and St. James Church in Baltimore. The O’Conors would eventually have five children: Herbert, Jr., Eugene, Mary (O’Conor) Farley, James, and Robert.

 

During her eight-year tenure as First Lady of Maryland, Mrs. O’Conor led an active home life as a mother while maintaining a full schedule in her capacity as wife of Maryland’s governor. At the beginning of the first O’Conor administration in 1939, the five children ranged in age from sixteen to three. Four of the children attended school in Baltimore, and Mrs. O’Conor spent a lot of time driving them back and forth between Baltimore and Annapolis. At the same time, she held at least two series’ of receptions at Government House that were open to the public, and was active in the Democratic Women’s Clubs of Annapolis and Baltimore, hosting members of the clubs for tea at Government House. In 1943, Mrs. O’Conor served as one of the hostesses for the “President’s Ball” in Annapolis, the proceeds of which went to fund polio research. The O’Conors continued the tradition of holding formal receptions for members of the General Assembly and their friends at Government House, attended by more than 1,000 people at a time. They hosted Naval Academy officials for dinner at the house and held several fund-raising events in the house to support such causes as improvements to the local hospital and to the new Ritchie Highway.

 

The O’Conor administration paralleled the war in Europe and America’s entry into World War II. Mrs. O’Conor supported the war effort by donating blood and by serving as a patron along with her husband for fund-raisers for the benefit of the National War Fund and for general war relief. The O’Conors also held a special reception at Government House for servicemen stationed at Fort Meade.

 

As First Lady of Maryland, Mrs. O’Conor became “noted for her skills as a hostess, entertaining a wide variety of diplomats and royalty in Government House” including the royal family of Luxembourg, the exiled president of Lithuania, the Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In June, 1939, the O’Conors attended a garden party given at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. by King George and Queen Elizabeth of England. The O’Conors occasionally attended events in Washington, D.C. such as teas and luncheons with congressmen and cabinet members of the Roosevelt administration and their families. In May, 1940, Eugenia was a guest along with Herbert and a few others at the Maryland home of Under-Secretary of State Sumner Welles, where she enjoyed a friendly chat with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In spite of her full social calendar and her active work on behalf of public causes, her oldest son Herbert O’Conor, Jr. remarked upon her death in October, 1971 that “her favorite place was at home, close to her family.”

  

Portrait of Dorothy Byron Lane

 

•Artist: Stanislav Rembski (1896-1998)

•Title: Dorothy Byron Lane (1897-1993)

•Date: 1961

•Medium: Oil on Canvas

•Dimensions: 40 × 32"

•Accession Number: MSA SC 1545-1184

 

Dorothy Byron Lane (1896-1993)

 

MSA SC 3520-2290

 

First Lady of Maryland, 1947-1951

 

•Born: August 9, 1896 in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

•Mother: Virginia Brewer Byron

•Father: Lewis T. Byron

•Byron Family Home: Mercersburg, Pennsylvania and Hagerstown, Maryland

•Marriage: January 17, 1922 to William Preston Lane, Jr.

•Children: Dorothy Lane Campbell, Jean Lane Goddard

•Lane Family Home: Hagerstown, Maryland

•Died: January 29, 1993 in Hagerstown, Maryland

 

Dorothy Byron, daughter of Lewis T. and Virginia Brewer Byron, was born in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania in 1896. When she was two years old, the family moved to Hagerstown, Maryland where they lived across the street from the Lane family. William Preston (“Pres”) Lane, Jr. was four years her senior, and the two married on January 17, 1922. The house they purchased in 1925 in Hagerstown served as their permanent residence for all but their four years in Annapolis. The couple had two daughters, Dorothy and Jean.

 

As First Lady of Maryland, Mrs. Lane made few changes to Government House. She was an avid gardener and her daily routine included placing fresh flowers in the various rooms in order to add her own personal touch to the house. Her other interests included playing golf as well as attending operas and symphonies. She was a member of the Hagerstown Garden Club, Arts and Letters Club, and Women’s Club.

 

Known as “shy” and “self-effacing,” and described as “uncomfortable in public,” Mrs. Lane nevertheless campaigned with her husband and invited visitors to Government House during her tenure as First Lady. “I really love to receive groups here, particularly groups of children,” reported Mrs. Lane. “It’s an impressive and historic house, and I think it makes an impression on children.”

 

In 1947 a controversy arose around Mrs. Lane when rumors began circulating that she was personally benefiting from the state sales tax that her husband had supported and had pushed through the legislature. “It’s very disheartening when you are so careful with expenditures to hear the rumor that the sales tax paid for your daughter’s wedding,” she said. Her older daughter Dorothy reported that, “Mother is a worrier and terribly conscientious. She really takes her job seriously, and I know she’s often hurt by the rough and tumble of politics.” Mrs. Lane proved to be fiscally conservative, however, and reported at the end of her tenure as First Lady that she had saved enough money from the housekeeping allowance to buy an eighteenth-century portrait of Horatio Sharpe (Governor of Maryland from 1753 to 1769) and his family from the Vose Galleries in Boston. The portrait was presented to the state in 1951 and now hangs in the Government House dining room.

 

In 1973 Mrs. Lane cut the ribbon opening the second span of the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge across the Chesapeake Bay, named after her husband following his death in 1967. Her later years were spent quietly in her Hagerstown home that she had once shared with her husband. It was there that she died in 1993 at the age of ninety-six.

  

Portrait of Honolulu Claire Manzer McKeldin

 

•Artist: Stanislav Rembski (1896-1998)

•Title: Honolulu McKeldin (1900-1988)

•Date: 1961

•Medium: Oil on Canvas

•Dimensions: 40 × 32"

•Accession Number: MSA SC 1545-1188

 

Honolulu Claire Manzer McKeldin (1900-1988)

 

MSA SC 3520-2291

 

First Lady of Maryland, 1951-1959

 

•Born: January 26, 1900 in Sidney Center, New York

•Mother: Maud F. Manzer

•Father: Merton G. Manzer

•Siblings: Janet and Helen Manzer

•Manzer Family Home: Sidney Center, New York and Baltimore, Maryland

•Religious Affiliation: Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

•Marriage: October 17, 1924 to Governor Theodore R. McKeldin

•Children: Theodore, Jr. and Clara Whitney Ziegler

•McKeldin Family Home: 203 Paddington Rd., Homeland

•Died: August 8, 1988 in Homeland, Maryland

•Burial: Greenmount Cemtery, Baltimore, Maryland

 

Honolulu Claire Manzer McKeldin was the wife of Theodore R. McKeldin (1900-1974), the fifty-third governor of Maryland, serving in office from 1951-1959. She was born in Binghamton, New York and graduated from the Maryland Institute in Costume Design. Mrs. McKeldin met her future husband while they were both working in a bank in Baltimore. They were married on October 17, 1924, during his last year in law school. They settled into an unassuming home in a quiet area of Baltimore, where they lived for most of their married lives. The McKeldins had two children, Theodore R. McKeldin, Jr., and Clara Whitney (McKeldin) Zeigler.

 

During her husband’s term as Mayor of Baltimore from 1943-1947, Mrs. McKeldin served as a nutritionist for the Red Cross and worked regularly in the annual Flower Mart of the Women’s Civic League. A prize-winning gardener, she also enjoyed drawing and painting still lifes and landscapes.

 

Upon becoming First Lady of Maryland in 1951, Mrs. McKeldin asserted in an interview with The Evening Capital that she while she anticipated an enjoyable tenure in Annapolis, she planned to avoid the “public eye” and focus her energies on her home and family (Teddy was 14 and Clara 11 when the family moved into Government House). “When your husband is in politics,” she said, “I think it’s just as well for the wife to keep in the background and let him do all the talking. That way she can’t make any mistakes for him.”

 

One would not have guessed, however, that this was her intention judging by the list of activities with which Mrs. McKeldin became involved while in Annapolis. She was an honorary member of the Naval Academy Women’s Club and frequently attended its meetings; on one such occasion she received First Lady Mamie Eisenhower when she made the trip from Washington, D.C. to Annapolis in order to address the members of the Club. Mrs. McKeldin’s other memberships included the Women’s Division of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Women’s Auxiliary to the Salvation Army, the Women’s Civic League of Baltimore, the Women’s Auxiliary to Anne Arundel General Hospital, the Empty Stocking Club, the Free Arts Club, and the Homeland Garden Club, where she served as treasurer.

 

In April, 1952, Governor and Mrs. McKeldin took a month-long trip to Europe and the Middle East in which they combined business with pleasure. During that trip, the McKeldins lunched with General and Mrs. Eisenhower at their villa outside Paris, met Pope Pius XII in Rome and spent Easter in Jerusalem. While in Israel, the McKeldins took a day trip to the mines at Elath, near the Red Sea. In order to get there, they had to endure a bumpy jeep ride over twenty-five miles of sand, which Mrs. McKeldin weathered while dressed for a tea planned for later that day, holding on to her hat and trying not to bounce out of the jeep. “Now I’ve seen everything,” declared Mrs. McKeldin to The Evening Capital upon her return to Annapolis.

 

Another highlight of Mrs. McKeldin’s term as First Lady of Maryland was the visit to Annapolis on November 8, 1954 of Queen Elizabeth of England, the Queen Mother. The McKeldins escorted the Queen Mother in a tour of colonial Annapolis that included the State House, St. Anne’s Church, and the Naval Academy. Local schools closed early to permit schoolchildren to join the thousands of Annapolitans who lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Queen Mother as she and the McKeldins greeted the crowds. The McKeldins then enjoyed traditional Maryland fare at a luncheon with the queen and her entourage in Government House.

 

A collector of old jewelry and antiques, Mrs. McKeldin enjoyed attending antique shows with her husband. As First Lady, Mrs. McKeldin acquired several pieces of silver for Government House, including a tea and coffee service currently displayed in the State Dining Room.

  

Portrait of Helen Avalynne Gibson Tawes

 

•Artist: Stanislav Rembski (1896-1998)

•Title: Helen Avalynne Gibson Tawes (1898-1989)

•Date: 1961

•Medium: Oil on Canvas

•Dimensions: 40 × 32"

•Accession Number: MSA SC 1545-1217

 

Helen Avalynne Gibson Tawes (1898-1989)

 

MSA SC 3520-2292

 

First Lady of Maryland, 1959-1967

 

•Born: October 9, 1898

•Gibson Family Home: Crisfield, Maryland

•Religious Affiliation: Ashbury United Methodist Church, Crisfield

•Marriage: December 25, 1915 to Governor J. Millard Tawes in Fruitland

•Children: Philip W. and Jimmie Lee

•Died: July 17, 1989

•Burial Place: Sunny Ridge Memorial Park, Crisfield, Maryland

 

Helen Avalynne Gibson, daughter of Minerva Amerinth and Oliver P. Gibson, was born in Crisfield, Maryland on October 9, 1898. The last of nine children, she became known as “Lou” to her closest companions and as “Miss Avalynne” to many other admirers. As a young girl, Helen studied piano and voice at the Peabody Institute. Although she lived the majority of her life in Crisfield, her years as a student at the Peabody were spent with her family in Mt. Washington, Baltimore. During her education, she was asked to showcase her musical talents by performing live on a Salisbury radio program. Helen continued her interest in music throughout her life, and was often found at her electric organ when the first family was entertaining at Government House during the Tawes administration. She also was a longstanding member the choir of Crisfield’s Asbury Methodist Church. In addition to her personal artistic endeavors, Mrs. Tawes was also an active patron of local cultural programs. She was a member of the Baltimore Opera Guild as well as the Women’s Symphony Organization, the Baltimore Music Club, and the Women’s Organization of the Salvation Army. When she was in Baltimore she enjoyed attending the concerts of the Baltimore Symphony, and invited friends from Annapolis and Baltimore to share the Governor’s box with her.

At the age of sixteen, Helen met J. Millard Tawes on a hayride. He was the twenty-year-old son of Alice Byrd and James B. Tawes of Crisfield. The two were married about a year later on Christmas Day, 1915, in a secret ceremony at a Methodist Church in Fruitland; they eloped because they believed that their parents would not approve of her marrying at the young age of seventeen. The two lived apart at their parents’ homes for two weeks before Helen’s older sister Oneida discovered the marriage license in a drawer and told everyone about it. Years later, Helen described the elopement as “the most romantic thing I ever did in my life.” Millard and Helen had two children, daughter Jimmie Lee and son Philip Wesley. The family lived in Crisfield in a house that Millard built right next door to his parent’s home. The Tawes lived in this home for their entire married lives, except for the years spent in Annapolis during Governor Tawes’ administration.

 

Millard Tawes’ political career began in the 1930s when he was elected Clerk of the Somerset County Circuit Court. He later became State Comptroller as well as a State Banking Commissioner. He won the governorship of Maryland in 1958, an office which he held for eight years. Mrs. Tawes had been an enthusiastic participant in Millard’s campaign for governor, handing out a pamphlet of her favorite Maryland recipes along with the campaign literature. Later expanded into a best-selling cookbook entitled My Favorite Maryland Recipes, the recipe collection revealed her family secrets for preparing traditional Maryland delicacies such as blue crabs, terrapin, and oysters. In addition to the recipes, she also shared her personal cooking philosophies which included using simple seasonings in order to prevent overpowering the true taste of the dish and always shucking your own oysters to make sure the shell is removed properly.

 

Mrs. Tawes’ recipes became famous outside the boundaries of the state after being served in the Maryland Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. Among the dishes offered was her fast food version of a crab cake, called a “crab-burger.” Her cooking abilities apparently became world renowned, since she personally took over Government House’s kitchen in order to cook a special crock of terrapin soup to send to Sir Winston Churchill in London for which England’s former Prime Minister sent a grateful letter of appreciation. Mrs. Tawes’ efforts to popularize Maryland cuisine culminated in 1964 when the House of Delegates drafted a resolution to recognize her success and to commend her for promoting Maryland as “the land of fine food.”

 

In addition to her culinary pursuits, Mrs. Tawes also worked to make a positive difference in public affairs. She worked with former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson on the Head Start program. She joined with the Maryland Federation of Women’s Clubs to educate the public on civil defense home preparedness, receiving the club’s Home Preparedness Award for her efforts to use Government House as a model for safe homes across the state. She secured the approval of the legislature to hang portraits of former first ladies in Government House, and began the publication of a pamphlet on the history of the House.

 

Tawes also shared her husband’s avid interest in environmental conservation. During his administration, Governor Tawes not only made Assateague Island a national park, but also doubled the area of land covered by the state parks system. Reflecting Mrs. Tawes interest in educating the public about the rich diversity of Maryland, in 1975 she broke ground on a six-acre garden, named in her honor, at the Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis. This garden was designed cooperatively by the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of General Services, to showcase the harmony inherent in the various state landscapes including the mountains of the West and the beaches of the Eastern Shore.

 

Perhaps Mrs. Tawes is most noteworthy, especially in the context of this study, because of her own personal interest in Maryland’s First Ladies. In an interview with the local press, Mrs. Tawes remarked that “a governor’s wife comes here and she works like a dog. I just feel that they get so little credit, some recognition would be nice.” To remedy what she felt was a glaring omission in the state’s history, during her tenure at Government House, she commissioned official portraits of the last five women to occupy the post. In addition to the portrait of herself, Mrs. Tawes hired Baltimore artist Stanislav Rembski to paint Honolulu McKeldin, Dorothy Lane, Eugenia O’Conor, and the late Edna Viola Amos Nice Zinn. The Maryland General Assembly granted Mrs. Tawes ten thousand dollars from the state’s general emergency fund to complete the paintings. With these portraits, Mrs. Tawes not only succeeded in preserving the images of five First Ladies, but she also elevated their position as a whole. Due to her efforts, it is now customary for the First Lady or Official Hostess to have an official portrait made, just like the governor. Inspired by Mrs. Tawes’ sentiments, current First Lady Frances Hughes Glendening, with the assistance of the Maryland State Archives, created an exhibit of the thirteen First Ladies’ portraits from the state’s collection. These portraits now adorn the walls of Government House, and the Archives is seeking out other paintings to complete the collection.

 

After their tenure in Annapolis, the Tawes family moved back to their Crisfield home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Tawes remained active and visible members of their community. Mr. Tawes continued serving in the state government in the Department of Natural Resources and after his retirement continued to work two or three days a week in an office in Crisfield. After his death in 1979, Mrs. Tawes remained a widow and continued to live in their Crisfield home until her death at the age of ninety on July 17, 1989.

Hiring the best construction company can offer several significant benefits. Here are some of the major advantages:

 

Expertise and Experience: The best construction companies have extensive expertise and experience in handling construction projects. They have a skilled team of professionals who are well-versed in construction techniques, regulations, and industry standards. Their knowledge and experience contribute to the successful execution of your project.

 

Quality Workmanship: A reputable construction company ensures high-quality workmanship. They have a commitment to delivering superior results by using quality materials, following best practices, and maintaining strict quality control throughout the construction process. This attention to detail and craftsmanship leads to durable and long-lasting structures.

 

Timely Project Completion: Construction companies with a proven track record of efficiency and organization can complete projects within the agreed-upon timelines. They have the necessary resources, manpower, and project management skills to ensure that the construction project progresses smoothly and is completed on time. This saves you from unnecessary delays and additional costs.

 

Cost Efficiency: Hiring a reliable construction company can lead to cost savings in the long run. They have established relationships with suppliers and can procure materials at competitive prices. Additionally, their expertise in project planning and management helps in reducing wastage, minimizing errors, and avoiding costly rework.

 

Compliance with Regulations: Building regulations and permits can be complex and time-consuming to navigate. The best construction companies have a thorough understanding of local building codes and regulations. They ensure that all necessary permits are obtained and that the construction project complies with safety standards and legal requirements.

 

Safety and Risk Management: Construction projects involve inherent risks and safety concerns. Reputable construction companies prioritize safety and have robust safety protocols in place. They adhere to industry safety standards, provide training to their staff, and implement safety measures to minimize accidents and promote a safe working environment.

 

Communication and Transparency: Effective communication is crucial in construction projects. The best construction companies maintain open lines of communication with clients, keeping them informed about the project's progress, milestones, and any potential issues that may arise. They prioritize transparency, ensuring that clients have a clear understanding of project costs, timelines, and scope.

 

In summary, hiring the best construction company brings expertise, quality workmanship, timely completion, cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, safety management, and transparent communication. These benefits contribute to a successful construction project and provide peace of mind to the clients, For more - aprictc.com.ph/articles/f/the-10-benefits-of-construction...

One of Wellington's endangered species scheduled to face extinction at the end of October, captured outbound from the Wellington Railway Station Interchange bus hub on the Route 7 service to Kingston on Thursday, 20 July 2017.

 

NZ Bus 368 (EWE102 10 March 2009) / 2009 Designline Citybus Trolley / VIN:7A874010908008246 / Designline B43DW bodywork. Go Wellington, Kilbirnie

 

NZ FIRST WANTS TO KEEP THE TROLLEYBUSES, AND BUILD LIGHT RAIL TO THE AIRPORT

Wellington.Scoop, June 27 2017

NZ First has stated that it would retain Wellington’s trolleybuses and renew the buses’ electricity supply. It also says it wants Wellington Airport served by light rail.

Denis O’Rourke, NZ First’s transport spokeperson, makes these statements in an interview published in this month’s issue of Logistics and Transport NZ, the magazine of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. The magazine asked for his party’s views on New Zealand’s transport for the future.

The same question was asked of all the other political parties. But NZ First was the only one to be specific about the needs of Wellington.

 

Here’s what he says:

New Zealand First has a firm commitment for excellent quality public transport services for the major population centres … We will make greater use of the Land Transport Fund and other sources of revenue including direct Government grants to ensure that public transport is well resourced.

We support the full development of the Auckland City Rail Link System as soon as possible; we would retain the Wellington electric trolleybus service and would renew its electricity supply; and we want to see Auckland Airport served soon with a passenger heavy rail link through Puhinui, and the Wellington and Christchurch Airports served with light rail. There would be a long-term strategic plan for electrification of rail and public transport services.

New Zealand First would also empower regional councils with the authority to levy regional fuel taxes, to be replaced as soon as possible by efficient road pricing mechanisms, to provide the means for both funding regional transport needs (and to take the pressure off rates) and to facilitate demand management objectives. Overall we would require the strategic selection of the modes of the modes of public transport in any region to give funding priority to the most efficient longterm best cost/benefit systems, taking into account the full range of real costs including externalities and also of wider socio-economic benefits.

 

Transport economist Neil Douglas comments::

If NZ First gets enough seats, then they could make trolleybus retention and upgrade of the power supply a condition of supporting a National or Labour Government, with detailed project planning via a tender to the private sector for light rail to Wellington Airport starting immediately. This would be the Canberra solution whereby we could get light rail in five years, and paid for by Central Government.

 

CHRIS LAIDLAW: SOME CLEAR-EYED FACTS ABOUT WELLINGTON BUSES

Dominion Post, 21 July 2017

OPINION: You've got to hand it to Dave Armstrong – his opinion piece (The dirty truth about Wellington buses, July 17) makes the answer to the city's public transport challenges seem very simple.

And that answer? Soldier on with ageing, inefficient trolleybuses, ignoring the costs and the fact their presence constrains development of an efficient network.

He has clearly not noticed that Greater Wellington Regional Council is looking well beyond the immediate future to a modern all-electric bus fleet, and that this transformation is well under way.

 

Here are a few facts:

- Bringing the trolley infrastructure (overhead wires, substations, power supply and underground cabling) up to scratch would have cost ratepayers at least $50 million. Dave's figure of $18m is probably a reference to the $17m Wellington Electricity said was necessary solely to make the substations safe by modern standards (let alone efficient).

- Greater Wellington voted to replace the trolleys, not "quick smart" as Dave suggests, but after rational analysis of the huge upgrade cost, the additional running cost ($6m a year and climbing), the inflexibility of the trolley routes (which made modifying the wider bus network very difficult) and the arrival of full battery-electric bus technology.

- Wellington Electricity, which maintains the power supply and substations and supplies power to the overhead lines, said, significantly, that upgrading this outmoded form of transport was "throwing good money after bad". Keeping the trolleys running became effectively a non-option.

- Wrightspeed technology is hardly a "praiseworthy but flawed" approach to reducing emissions. Yes, such hybrid buses could consume 75 per cent of the fuel of a regular diesel bus, but that's the maximum consumption under extreme conditions (namely, fully loaded on steep hills). Overall, it would be a lot less. In spite of this, they don't seem to be green enough for Dave.

 

​Here are some more facts: Greater Wellington does not have its head in the sand about climate change or the need to get a modern bus fleet on the region's roads as soon as possible. That was a fundamental factor in recent bus tenders, the results of which will become apparent from July next year when the region will have a fleet of 400 buses, most of them brand new. Eighty per cent will meet or better the Euro V emissions standard, and two-thirds will meet the Euro VI standard – the toughest in the world.

That achievement alone will give the region one of the cleanest fleets in the world. Harmful emissions will immediately fall 38 per cent in Wellington compared with current levels (and 86 per cent in the Hutt Valley where older buses operate). It's a massive improvement – not an "if" or a "maybe". It's a guarantee.

An all-electric fleet can't happen overnight just because Dave and others say it should. These things happen incrementally and we are on our way. From next July, thanks to investment by new operator Tranzit,10 all-electric double-deckers will begin operating in the city (along with 50 ultra-low-emission diesel versions). Another 22 all-electric double-deckers will follow over the next three years.

Some people still object to the fact it will take years to reach an all-electric fleet at this rate – to which I would answer: yes, but we will have the cleanest-burning diesels to carry us through the transition, and it is the longer-term guarantee that counts. And all going well, we will also have a fleet of Wrightspeed hybrid buses.

Finally, there's the $1.3 billion investment over the next five years in the region's transport services and infrastructure as the number of commuter trips on buses, trains and ferries rises from the present 36 million a year to 42 million by 2021. The result will be a modern, integrated public transport network – the best in the country – and one we can be proud to call our own. Such a network will attract commuters out of their cars – and that's where we can make the biggest impact on climate change.

Now there's a story worth writing about.

- Chris Laidlaw chairs Greater Wellington Regional Council.

 

THE DIRTY TRUTH ABOUT WELLINGTON BUSES – AND WHY GWRC WANTS TO KEEP IT SECRET

Stuff, July 17 2017

By Dave Armstrong

OPINION: It's a situation every Wellington cyclist or pedestrian knows well. You come up behind a diesel bus stopped at the lights. Then the lights change and the bus moves forward. You are left choking and spluttering in the wake of sooty exhaust.

But the unpleasantness is only part of the problem. Diesel emissions contribute to greater air pollution – which ultimately leads to higher levels of respiratory disease, therefore higher health costs. Then there's climate change.

The Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) might tell you that diesel emissions are the unfortunate but necessary cost of having a public bus system. Besides, the technology will eventually improve and get cheaper. GWRC chairman Chris Laidlaw even reckons we are 'likely' to see some electric buses in Wellington soon. "Hopefully", before you can say "melting polar icecap", Wellington will have entirely electric buses.

The trouble is, fully electric buses aren't yet available, and our clean, green trolleybuses are being sent to the electric chair at the end of October. That means our supposedly environmentally friendly city will be reliant on dirty diesel buses, probably cheap hand-me-downs from Auckland, for "at least" eight months.

Perhaps Wellington needs to replace the motto on its coat of arms from Suprema a Situ to Supremely Sooty until we're fully electric. Liberal Wellingtonians of the type who sit on the GRWC would be horrified to be compared with Donald Trump, but when it comes to climate change, are we that different?

So why did the GWRC get rid of trolley buses if there was no clean, cost-effective alternative readily available? Privately owned Wellington Electricity estimated that it would cost between $18 million and $52 million to upgrade the dilapidated electricity substations powering the trolleys. Funny how councillors who wanted to get rid of the trolleys only quoted the upper limit.

Why had the substations run down? That often happens when you privatise a public asset. After council-owned Capital Power was sold off in the 1990s – thanks a lot, Fran Wilde and Mark Blumsky – it went through four different owners to eventually become Wellington Electricity. Successive corporate owners have made handsome capital gains and profits, but haven't invested in infrastructure.

We don't know exactly how much upgrading the substations would have cost because the GWRC voted down a motion asking for an independent expert review of the estimated cost. They simply voted – with the exception of Greens Sue Kedgley and Paul Bruce – to get rid of the trolleys quick smart. Could this be the biggest environmental backfire since diesel buses first sputtered into town?

The good news is that new operator Tranzit will be using buses that emit 38 per cent less harmful pollutants than current ones. Even better, NZ Bus will be fitting 57 Wellington trolleybuses with Wrightspeed motors. These are hybrid engines with rechargeable electric batteries.

According to NZ Bus chief executive Zane Fulljames, the fleet of 57 trolleybuses "could" be converted in time for use on NZ Bus routes when new contracts start in July next year.

But how green are these buses really? According to NZ Bus, they could use as much as 75 per cent of the diesel used by a normal diesel bus, though the company is looking at ways to reduce this. A best-case scenario "could" see some buses running entirely on rechargeable batteries.

NZ Bus should be applauded for trying to come up with a solution, however flawed. Meanwhile, I propose that GRWC councillors who voted to get rid of the trolleys so soon should be made to travel on sooty diesel buses for the rest of their natural term – until the next election.

I'm not happy hearing councillors and providers using words like "likely", "might", "could", "hopefully", "ideally", "maybe", "element of risk" and "time will tell" when it comes to public transport. I want to commute on an efficient clean bus, not come in on a wing and a prayer.

In the meantime, can I suggest GWRC issues free face masks to ratepayers who have to walk or cycle near the diesel buses when they sputter down from Auckland. And the face masks could also work as cunning disguises during the next local body elections for GWRC councillors who voted to get rid of the trolleys.

  

Took a drive by my old neighborhood today to see this fabulous, long-vacant, building that started life as a silk factory in the 1890's and then switched to making fishing line in the 1940's. When I first moved to Petaluma, in 2002, there were still machines clanging away inside, but that all stopped several years ago and it's empty now. I've heard rumors of several different projects planned for this huge building, from condos to boutique shops, but apparently all have fallen through.

Throttle Works - Idaho

Chev Pickup build for SEMA

Pre Project planning illustrations by Axesent -

Dr. Tom Marvolo Riddle, Ph.D. (aka Lord Voldemort):

 

"I take project management very seriously; unfortunately my cohorts don't, or Harry Potter would already be disposed of. For example, the Death Eaters are good at the touchy feely stuff, but really don't know how to put together a good plan. Draco Malfoy? Don't even get me started. I told everybody we were going to coordinate via Microsoft Project, and he tells me 3 months into the project he's never looked at it because they only have one computer and his kid is always on it.

 

My advice to newcomers to project planning? You have to think a lot about your objectives, because that is what will drive activity and managerial attention. Objectives should be SMART: specific, measureable, assignable, realistic, and time-oriented.

 

Sorry, gotta go, got a lot on my to-do list today..."

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Huerta del Valle (HdV) provides a service for local businesses when HdV employee Nicolas Reza picks up organic waste such as nectarine and cut cabbage from a food distributor for the compost area of the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

2019 community garden expansion area, this will add 40-60 plots to the current 60 plots, part of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) 4-year Community Food Projects (CFP) grant, of which this is one of it's goals for the community garden plots are just half of the Huerta del Valle (HdV) 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customer's income.

 

Alonso's inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's "Pitzer in Ontario Program" and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a "green space to breathe freely."

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10' X 20' plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel "hoop houses."

 

Alonso says, "every day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community."

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting America's farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDA's primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.farmers.gov/

www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

nifa.usda.gov/program/community-food-projects-competitive...

www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

 

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.

 

Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:

 

Coalfield Development Corporation

$1,870,000

Natural Capital Investment Fund

$1,250,000

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority

$967,500

Mercer County Regional Airport

$1,500,000

Hatfield-McCoy Trail

$1,372,275

EntreEd K-14

$2,196,450

Randolph County Development Authority

$622,500

EdVenture Coding

$10,000

Hobet site planning

$200,000

TOTAL

$9,988,725

 

West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:

 

$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.

 

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

 

$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

 

$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

 

$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

 

$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.

 

$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.

 

Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:

 

Percentage distribution of grant funds

West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%

Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%

Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%

Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%

Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%

Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%

TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%

 

ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16

•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.

•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.

•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.

•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.

•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.

•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.

•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.

•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.

•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.

•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.

•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.

  

ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries

Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.

•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.

•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.

•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.

•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.

  

POWER Special Projects Summaries

As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.

•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.

 

Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”

Rows of produce at various stages of planting, growing, harvest and rest at Huerta del Valle (HdV) a 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018. Plots at the farm are not tilled before growing. After a crop is harvested from the farm rows replenished and re-built by adding mulch and compost to soil to build the soil fertility and organic matter. This is a version of no-till/low-till agriculture. Lemon grass growing at the end of the rows are a crop and a pest way to reduce pests. A the far end, a small sweet variety of banana grows from trees that started from a single tree.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included local college students who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

2019 community garden expansion area, this will add 40-60 plots to the current 60 plots, part of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) 4-year Community Food Projects (CFP) grant, of which this is one of it's goals for the community garden plots are just half of the Huerta del Valle (HdV) 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customer's income.

 

Alonso's inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's "Pitzer in Ontario Program" and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a "green space to breathe freely."

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10' X 20' plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel "hoop houses."

 

Alonso says, "every day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community."

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting America's farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDA's primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.farmers.gov/

www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

nifa.usda.gov/program/community-food-projects-competitive...

www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

 

Huerta del Valle (HdV) provides a service for local businesses when HdV employee Nicolas Reza picks up organic waste such as nectarine and cut cabbage from a food distributor for the compost area of the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Behind the successful operation of all agencies within the Australian Government are qualified Project Officers and they are in high demand. Project Officer staff coordinate, direct and oversee the development of projects, or a set of related projects, including managing performance and providing resources and oversight in order to achieve outcomes and benefits related to organisational objectives. These professionals have many duties including the development of project plans, working with various project management teams, in addition to attending conferences and meetings to demonstrate support to various project management teams. A Project Officer must also assess project successes and analyse and report on their potentials and risks and are often required to travel.

 

All of these tasks take extensive time and commitment and the team at Public Service Resumes understands that busy Project Officers often do not possess the time to work on their own job applications for career change or progression purposes. Professionally completed applications make a positive impression and greatly increase your chances of securing an interview. Therefore, it is important to spend time to prepare a strong application highlighting your skills, experience and abilities and how they meet the requirements of the position. This includes preparing a Resume and Cover Letter tailored to the position, in addition to responses to key Selection Criteria. All Australian Government job applications are assessed on the basis of merit so it is imperative to highlight your key achievements throughout your career.

 

As a Project Officer, it is important to portray that you know what it takes to determine the details necessary to manage a project through from start to finish. Your interview-winning Project Officer Resume must be a testament to your past accomplishments whilst painting a vivid portrait of your abilities and desire to advance in the Australian Government. This includes demonstrating your self-awareness and positivity in considering and respecting a diversity of ideas and perspectives in addition to possessing the courage to challenge the status quo when it does not service the required outcome. Moreover, as a Project Officer, you need to demonstrate that you are innovative, consultative, resilient and personally accountable for the quality of advice and the delivery of results. Take the stress out of trying to juggle your important project work with your equally important job application by contacting Public Service Resumes to assist. Not only will you be provided with a professional looking Resume but you can rest assured that it will be free of errors, use positive and specific language and clearly portray how well you can communicate thus ensuring a positive impression.

Community garden plots are just half of the Huerta del Valle (HdV) 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Huerta del Valle (HdV) provides a service for local businesses when HdV employee Nicolas Reza picks up organic waste such as nectarine and cut cabbage from a food distributor for the compost area of the 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos works closely with Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Community garden plots are just half of the Huerta del Valle (HdV) 4-Acre organic Community Supported Garden and Farm in the middle of a low-income urban community, where Co-Founder and Executive Director Maria Alonso and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Redlands District Conservationist Tomas Aguilar-Campos work closely as she continues to improve the farm operation in Ontario, California, on Nov. 13, 2018.

 

USDA NRCS has helped with hoop houses to extend the growing season, low-emission tractor replacement to efficiently move bulk materials and a needed micro-irrigation system for this San Bernardino County location that is in a severe drought condition (drought.gov). Huerta del Valle is also a recipient of a 4-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Community Food Projects (CFP) grant and a USDA funded California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). She and her staff grow nearly 150 crops, including papayas and cactus. CSA customers pick up their produce on site, where they can see where their food grows. To pay, they can use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The price of a produce box is based on the customerâs income.

 

Alonsoâs inspiration came from her desire to provide affordable organic food for her child. This lead to collaborators that included students and staff from Pitzer College's âPitzer in Ontario Programâ and the Claremont Colleges, who implemented a project plan and started a community garden at a public school. Shortly after that, the City of Ontario was granted $1M from the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zone initiative. Huerta del Valle was granted $68,000 from that grant for a three-year project to increase the scale of operation. The city of Ontario supported the project above and beyond the grant by providing a vacant piece of land next to a residential park and community center. Alonso says that this spot, nestled near an international airport, two major interstate highways, suburban homes, and warehouses, is a âgreen space to breathe freely.â

 

She far exceeded Kaiser's expectations by creating 60 10â X 20â plots that are in full use by the nearby residents. Because of the demand, there is a constant waiting list for plots that become available.

 

As the organization grew, it learned about the NRCS through an advertisement for the high-tunnel season extension cost-sharing program. The ad put them in touch with the former district manager Kim Lary who helped Huerta del Valle become federal grant ready with their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and connected the young organization to NRCS as well as the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD.) Since then, Alonso has worked closely with them sharing her knowledge with a broader community including local colleges such as the Claremont Colleges and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

 

Cal Poly Pomona is an example where education institutions help the community. Cal Poly Pomona Plant Science Nursery Manager Monica Salembier has produced plant seedlings (plant trays) for transplant at HdV for many years. Aaron Fox and Eileen Cullen in the Plant Science department have hosted HdV in their classes and brought many groups on tours of the farm to learn about sustainable urban growing practices.

 

The shaded picnic tables in the center of the garden have been the site of three USDA NRCS workshops for regional farmers, students, and visitors. The site also serves as a showcase for students and other producers who may need help with obtaining low-emission tractors, micro-irrigation, and high tunnel âhoop houses.â

 

Alonso says, âevery day is a good day, but especially at the monthly community meetings where I learn from my community.â

 

For more information, please see www.usda.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

  

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Departmentâs focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.

The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service has a proud history of supporting Americaâs farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.

As the USDAâs primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

For more information, please see www.usda.gov.

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.