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Today was a special day here - for the city of Washington, DC in general, for several newlywed couples and for me.
The district became one of a handful of jurisdictions in which same-sex marriages could be performed and would be legally recognized. The mayor actually signed the law late last year, but District laws don't take effect until the expiration of an arcane waiting period during which Congress has the right to keep the council-approved or VOTER-approved (this one was the former) proposed-law of the books.
That period expired at the beginning of this month. Last week same-sex couples started applying for marriage licenses. Today was the first day those licenses could be picked up. Several couples went immediately from receiving their licenses to standing before officiants (clergy and civil), family and friends and getting married.
Less than two blocks from me, the city's first same-sex marriage performed in a house of worship took place. I took both humble cameras, a notebook and even put on a tie in the hopes of talking my way in as a blogger/freelancer in order to be part of the media witnessing the ceremony along with invited guests and church members. After meeting with the media relations coordinator for the day, I did not get in. She explained, and I understood, that this was a private ceremony where only credentialed media were welcomed. (On a day when no one knew how those against same-sex marriages would demonstrate their opposition, there was no place for an ex-reporter actually having a good day in his life and smelling a story he could either freelance or blog about - once he had a blog set up - to fit in. She didn't say anything like that, of course.)
This was a big day in this city. It is an even BIGGER day for many couples, many in longterm relationships, many with families started. That's how the bottom line for this day - which surprisingly saw NO demonstrations even - reads.
But in a minuscule sidebar on some back page somewhere, there is a story in smaller type about a guy whose instincts are still in place, who dematerialized from most scenes a long time ago, and who therefore isn't a real credentialed person.
But he soon will be.......
So today is a day for HUGE celebrations for those who fought for this for so long. And a small bit of mourning in one corner.
Red Yucca Information – Growing A Hummingbird Red Yucca Plant
Newsletter
Hummingbird Red Yucca Plant
(Image credit: Camrocker)
Mary H. Dyer
BY MARY H. DYER
PUBLISHED 10 APRIL 2021
Red yucca plant (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that produces showy, reddish coral blooms from spring through midsummer. In warmer climates, plants may bloom year-round. Although red yucca isn’t a true yucca the leathery, arching leaves are very similar. However, the leaves have a more grass like appearance, and they produce no spikes or thorns. Planting a red yucca plant in your garden isn’t difficult. Read on to learn more.
Red Yucca Information: Hummingbird Yucca Plants
Red yucca is native to southwestern Texas and adjoining areas of Mexico where it grows primarily on rocky slopes, prairies, and in mesquite groves. Hummingbird yucca plants are tough, tolerating cold winters as far north as USDA plant hardiness zone 5.
Red yucca is also called hummingbird yucca plants since hummers love the nectar-rich, tube shaped blooms. Red yucca can also be known as red flowered false yucca, yellow yucca, or coral yucca.
Planting a Red Yucca: Tips on Red Yucca Care
Locate these yucca plants in full sunlight. The plant thrives in nearly any well-drained soil, but sandy soil is ideal. Red yucca can be grown in large containers filled with a well-drained potting media such as regular potting soil mixed with sand or perlite. Be sure the pot has at least one good drainage hole.
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Allow at least two feet (60 cm.) on each side of the plant and two to three feet (60-90 cm.) away from sidewalks or driveways. Young plants may be small, but they will spread relatively quickly.
Water regularly for the first year but not to the point of sogginess. Thereafter, water occasionally especially during periods of hot, dry weather but be careful not to overwater. Red yucca plants in containers need water more frequently.
Don’t cut the flower stalks after blooming, as they will produce fruit. Additionally, the seeds provide winter sustenance for songbirds that visit your garden. The stalks can be removed in spring. You can also remove older leaves which will eventually die down and turn brown. Hummingbird yucca plants require very little fertilizer, but you can feed them lightly before new growth appears in spring. Use a good-quality, general-purpose fertilizer.
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Red yucca plants will eventually develop “pups,” or offsets that grow to the side of the plant. If you want to propagate more plants for your own garden or for sharing, just dig up the offsets and replant them. You can also divide established clumps.
Mary H. Dyer
Mary H. Dyer
Writer
A Credentialed Garden Writer, Mary H. Dyer was with Gardening Know How in the very beginning, publishing articles as early as 2007.
Connecting the newer Perth Children's Hospital with the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Opened in 1958 as the Perth Chest Hospital and later named in honour of Sir Charles Gairdner, governor of Western Australia from 1951 to 1963, it is part of the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre (QEII MC). It is colloquially referred to as Charlie's.
All clinical specialities are provided, with the exception of complex burns, paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology and major trauma. It houses the state's only comprehensive cancer treatment centre, and is the state's principal hospital for neurosurgery and liver transplants. The hospital is closely associated with the nearby University of Western Australia as well as Curtin University, Notre Dame University, and Edith Cowan University.
Handling over 76,000 admissions annually, SCGH has 600 beds, and treats approximately 420,000 patients each year. As of 2012 some 5,500 staff are employed. In 2009, it was the second hospital in Australia to be awarded Magnet recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
We're often so blind. Our demand for the credentialed so colors our perception of believeability, that we wouldn't recognize God if he appeared within us.
Author: Unknown
We passed each other on campus on this snowy day and I realized what an excellent subject she would be for my Human Family project. I turned around and caught up with her to ask if I could photograph her for my project. (If I had quicker reflexes I wouldn’t always be “coming from behind” like that.) She listened attentively and asked about the purpose of my project which was reasonable enough. As I explained it a bit more fully and showed her my contact card she was very willing to spend a few minutes to help out. It was one of those great encounters where she asked what would work best for my project and invited me to specify any requests. I asked if I could move the fur of her hood away from her eye and she said “By all means. Do what you need.” Meet Liza.
I took a few photos on the sidewalk where we met and then we stepped into the narrow space between university buildings, a spot I have used before. We proceeded to chat and I found out that Liza is as interesting as she is photogenic. She’s a 21 year old Philosophy major with a minor in Biology. Born in Russia, she and her parents and brother came to Canada when she was six years old, which explained her lack of an accent. Her parents were medical doctors, but due to the challenges and expenses of becoming credentialed in Canada, both are now working as nurses. It’s the all-too-familiar story of Canada reaching out to highly-educated foreigners for immigration, only to have them face roadblocks to employment in their profession.
Liza’s intention is to follow in her parents’ footsteps and become a medical doctor. She said that her advice to her younger self is to not be swayed from your personal goals. She said that she has encountered challenges along the way in the form of her parents’ divorce and a lack of conviction regarding her own identity. She attended two years at another university, didn’t feel a comfortable fit, and took some time off. She now feels much more grounded and comfortable within herself and is enjoying her studies at a different university.
Liza struck me as a well-grounded young woman with many talents. When she commented that this overcast day was good for portraits, I knew she had an artistic eye. She said she does have a strong artistic side and likes photography. I felt that her studies in philosophy and her interest in art will give her a broader foundation than most of the other students she will meet in medical school. She told me that her mother, who does community palliative care nursing, told her something several years ago which has stuck with her: “There are only two things worth crying over and they are disease and death. Everything else can be handled.”
Liza had two messages to share. The first was “Never lose sight of the big picture in life because it’s easy to get derailed by smaller issues that turn out to not be all that important.” The second was “Always remember to lend a hand to others. Not only will it make a difference in their life, but when we help others, we wind up helping ourselves – it’s good for our health.”
We continued to chat as the snow came down on us and I couldn’t help thinking what a wise and caring doctor Liza will make one day and how nicely she exemplifies the qualities that make the Human Family so rich and diverse. Thank you Liza for being part of my project. You are my 591st submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Follow-up:
I received a warm thank you from Liza who was very pleased with the photos.
Liza wrote::
"It was a pleasure meeting you and discussing some things which don’t come up very often in the day to day. Definitely an incentive to look ahead while rushing through snowy campus streets."
"I’m proud to be a part of your project, pulling the global community together like that- it’s wonderful."
It's such a pleasure when a participant in The Human Family understands our intentions so well. :-)
THIS IMAGE IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT. REPRODUCTION AND REDISTRIBUTION IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER. Inquiries to permissions may be made to this photographer through Flickr mail at this photo stream account.
Tweeker?
For sure.
He got burn marks on his hands, burns on his wrists and chews on himself the way a beaver peels an alder. . .
But there’s more.
Three tours in Iraq. Plus one in Afghanistan.
Ever been to Afghanistan?
He’s all credentialed up like a hero.
Yet
Here he is living on the street like a dog . . .
Certified Nurses Day March 19
Certified Nurses Day is an annual day of recognition for and by healthcare leaders dedicated to nursing professionalism, excellence, recognition, and service. Every March 19, employers, certification boards, education facilities, and healthcare providers celebrate and publicly acknowledge nurses who earn and maintain the highest credentials in their specialty. Certified Nurses Day honors nurses worldwide who contribute to better patient outcomes through national board certification in their specialty.
Why was March 19 chosen as this day of recognition?
Certified Nurses Day occurs every March 19, which is the birthday of Dr. Margretta “Gretta” Madden Styles, RN, EdD, FAAN. She lived from 1930 to 2005. She is one of the greatest leaders in the field of nursing certification and had recognized the critical importance of credentialing before broad awareness of its value and her work created global impact on the nursing profession. Dr. Styles architected the first comprehensive study of nurse credentialing in the 1970s. She then pioneered the development and implementation of standards and credentials for nurses. In the 1980s, she spear-headed the definitive work of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) on nursing regulation.
In addition, the ANCC honors certified nurses through its Certified Nurse Awards. Each year, the awards are given to nurses who demonstrate the value and impact that specialty certification has on the nursing practice and improving patient outcomes. These nurses demonstrate that, through certification, they can provide superior care to their patients and become even greater assets to the healthcare organizations at which they work. They continue to contribute to the advancement of nursing in their specialty areas through innovation, collaboration, leadership, professional risk-taking, and patient-centered care.
With the current demands of diagnosis and treatment of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) we owe a debt of gratitude for all in the nursing profession who risk their lives against the unseen ‘enemy’ of disease. We pray for their safety, as well as for them to be given alertness, skill, and compassion to treat those patients in their care.
20200319 079/366
i liked this list as well :)
25 Things you should know about Other People
1. Most people hide their suffering better than you think, you pass dozens of people a day on the street without any idea how well they’re wearing their tragedies.
2. People’s names are the sweetest sounds they hear. You should make a point of being good at learning and using them.
3. People love to spread their misery around, but not as much as they enjoy being lifted out of it.
4. Being young is not in and of itself an achievement. Neither is being beautiful. But people often treat you as if they are.
5. For a lot of people, music is a reflection of who they are and their relationship to life. Remember that before insulting someone’s favorite band.
6. The Golden Age never existed. People are always trying to get back to a time when things were simpler and better. The world was a far more dangerous place fifty years ago, especially if you were black or a woman or gay or diagnosed with cancer.
7. Most people, whatever their choice of profession, feel like complete novices that are about to be found out as frauds and fakers.
8. Most people love quite helplessly, despite what they would have you believe.
9. Show me the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’ll show you a man who’s bored with taking her to bed. Show me the most devoted husband, and I’ll show you a woman who feels that he’s just not doing enough. A lot of people are never satisfied because…
10. Most people have no idea what they want out of life, let alone how to get it. Most others are still waiting for someone to give them permission.
11. Whatever it is about yourself that you’re trying to hide, it’s usually the first thing someone else notices about you.
12. You should call your mother and tell her you love her. Like most women who decide to marry and have children or help take care of a dying parent, she probably sacrificed a lot of her dreams to be there for you, and she wishes that you appreciated her more for it. Susan Boyle represented this demographic powerfully, but for every one of her, was a woman like your mother who will never get that standing ovation.
13. If you tell a man about your problems, he assumes you want some sort of help or advice. If you tell a woman about your problems, she assumes you simply want a shoulder to cry on. Women rarely want to be told what to do about a problem, and men rarely want to be coddled through a hard time.
14. Creative people thrive on feedback. You can never give them enough of it, and you will endear yourselves to them mightily if you do it frequently, thoughtfully, and honestly. They understand far better than most think, the value of time.
15. For most people religion is a social commitment more than a spiritual one.
16. A lot of people who consider themselves intelligent can’t properly label all the states on a map, or all the countries in Europe, let alone Africa or the Middle East. Most couldn’t list off the ten commandments, five pilars, or the amendments of the Constitution, and feel that politics are too complicated to bother with understanding, let alone talking about.
17. A lot of Christians have never, and will never, read the Bible. Most of them will conduct their lives exactly as they would if they’d never attended a single church service. It is nearly impossible to tell a Christian from an atheist by their actions alone. Both Christians and atheists will probably find the previous statement offensive.
18. For nearly every crazy idea, you can find a fully credentialed scientist who will back it up.
19. People are more frequently kind and compassionate than they are fooled by our manipulations or lies.
20. Life often works in reverse. People treat strangers more politely than their family or friends. People will ask a friend’s band to play their party for free, will call their best girlfriend to come over and cut their hair without a thought to payment, but would never dream of calling a mechanic they found in the phonebook and asking them to donate their time and labor to fix a broken down car.
21. Everyone has done something they would be desperately embarrassed for anyone else to know about.
22. Never joke with a man about his sexual performance, and never joke with a woman about her appearance. No matter how much they make fun of these things in themselves, never, never do it for them. They may laugh along with you, but you’ve just driven a tiny needle into their brain.
23. Most women get married because they want to have a wedding, most men get married because they are ready to settle down with a woman for the rest of their lives. Women, statistically speaking are more likely to suffer clinical depression if married, and initiate upwards of 80% of all divorces citing irreconcilable differences. People expect a significant other to change their lives and make them happy without any conception of how this change will take place. Sort of like assuming a college degree is going to guarantee you security in life without ever thinking of how this can be practically possible. I call this the “If you build it, they will come” approach to romance and one out of every two times it ends in divorce.
24. Most people are worried they’re not having as much fun as they should be. This usually makes men cheat and women nag.
25. When you insult or offend someone, always admit it and apologize promptly, even if it wasn’t your intention or you had no idea. It is always better to be a penitent villain than to appear so socially inept as to not recognize when you’ve hurt the people around you. An evil genius is someone to bring to your side, a blundering fool is someone to keep as far away from you as possible.
Young Adults In Transition To College & Work
We often think of young adults as ready to launch easily into college, career and dynamic adult social scenes. Yet this transition from a supportive and protective home or school environment to independent living is a bridge to adulthood that many young adults find fraught with great difficulty, confusion and profound loneliness. Older teens and young adults in their twenties are often not adapting well to work place environments and find they do not possess the necessary interpersonal skills to succeed in adult and work relationships. Additionally, economic pressures are more extreme than ever and they often have unrealistic hopes of independence and financial self-direction. They feel thrown into a world without a real understanding of how to survive or succeed in it. Much is written about this "quarter life crisis." Young adults need to find a more realistic view for their own lives. They need help as they face the hard realities that they haven't accomplished certain necessary adult tasks and milestones of young adult success. These tasks include finding a college or career, mastering public transportation, navigating agreements with financial sponsors and parents, establishing adult roles in the home, dorm or apartment, managing a grocery budget, cooking, healthy living, multi-tasking, delayed gratification, or allotting appropriate time to significant priorities. Unexpected difficulties can derail even the most successful young adult or college student. Parents and their young adult sons and daughters who were once in alignment when planning the launch to college or independent living are often faced with the pain of unmatched expectations, disorganized time-lines, and resentful conversations. Young adult lives and good relationships can quickly turn upside down. Young adults in transition are students between high school and college, post-college, or returning home from boarding schools, gap-years, or military service. They seek to set new goals and define new directions for their future. These normal, yet rapid young adult changes can be especially tough on parents. Parents often need guidance and coaching as they redefine their new roles as parents to adult children. Young adults need adult wisdom and strong guidance, but in their need to differentiate, they often respond negatively to parental support. Coaching can change that dynamic by producing skill building and management practices that can benefit both the student and their parents.
What Do Young Adult Coaches Do? Encourage you to express yourself and your personal goals Advocate for you with your parents Establish appropriate areas of independence Navigate personal financial arrangements with sponsors & parents Teach time management
Help you devise a workable daily schedule Listen and learn from your ideas and dreams- take you seriously! Assign homework and tasks that move you towards your goals
Make necessary connections to adult mentors and guides Help you accomplish/produce results more quickly than you imagined Assist with applications to college and internships
Questions Young Adults & Parents Frequently Ask: What Is Young Adult Coaching?
With your young adult coach you will identity the actions and thoughts and words that best support and move you towards your goals. Often young adults create goals and then are challenged by staying aligned with them. Our coaches will help you develop the action plan and steps towards living a life that keeps you true to yourself and more accountable in your relationships.You may be facing a more conventional transition, such as moving away to college or starting a new job, or the unique challenges of beginning college as a student who has experienced physical, emotional, or mental health problems. Learning disorders or family crises may add additional stresses and young adults desire coaching support to be ready and able to meet these demands. Coaching can empower you and help you launch yourself with confidence and skill. How Does Coaching Differ From Counseling?
Coaching is not the same as therapy. It is a more immediate and directive process. Coaching involves action, action that meets goals. Although our coaches are credentialed therapists, their additional training in coaching allows them to better support you in present and future focus, whereas therapy often focuses on current emotional issues, and at times the past. Coaching is both in-person and in-the-moment by phone, text, and email; supporting you no matter where you are located and when you need it. Customized Coaching Options: Individualized Coaching Packages support you in academic skill building, as well as vocational and personal goals. Life skill development includes competency in money management, time and organizational management, and refining of executive thinking skills for greater success. Parent and Family Coaching to support your positive and personalized launch into adult life and your parent's adaptation to your new role as an adult Unique learning opportunities when in transition, such as internship programs, resume/portfolio building options, 5th or gap year choices, and more Accountability systems: ways to optimize the support & communication between young adults and their parents Supervised living and residential arrangements High School Diploma Completion
Top level tutors-current college and university level instructors to help you improve skills and provide learning support Each young adult transition plan is completely customized to your young adult and family needs.
Race Day
Indy 500
Two years ago James Hinchcliffe was riding high as the pole sitter for the 100th running of the Indy 500. Here he is signing autographs outside his garage while photographer Craig Semetko, commissioned to cover Hinch's magical year, captures a photograph with his trusty Leica M-P 240 and 35mm Summilux, all while wearing the obligatory Canon vest reserved for credentialed Indy 500 photographers.
Now it's only two years later, and Hinch didn't make the race and neither did Craig. I miss them both. Mostly because they exude class, kindness, and professionalism in their respective professions. Both can move fast and do what few others can. And, they both give more than they take. That's rare in our world now.
It's the first race week in the last two years that I haven't had Semetko living in my basement. My wife and I both miss having him around. So will the Porkopolis crew parked and partying in the Coke lot.
I have a feeling we'll see Hinch and Craig back at the 500 again -- doing what they do best.
President Barack Obama talks with family members of Ambassador Daniel Ohene Agyekum of Ghana, during a credentialing ceremony in the Oval Office, Feb. 24, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
President Barack Obama greets Ambassador Alieu Momodou Ngum, of Republic of The Gambia, and his family before the start of an ambassador credentialing ceremony in the Oval Office, Aug. 10, 2010. The presentation of credentials is a traditional ceremony that marks the formal beginning of an ambassador’s service in Washington. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Peoples sexual preferences/choices have not changed,
they simply have been announced publicly,
i.e. "out of the closet" .
OK!
as it does every year
MANHATTAN will host the March down 5th ave to do just that.
I am already credentialed with press pass,
i have to say after shooting a dozen plus marches
it's run its course for me.
i find it rather stale, except for the exercise i get.
the marches in the 80's were more authentic
had a more serious and less sensationalized tone,
to the plight of people who certainly deserve
to love who they want.
All these happy faces
throughout the parade
the loud monotonous music
the painted faces
the age of many participants
certainly
trouble
a shooter like myself.
its a serious event, not a circus.
5th ave Manhattan,
Photography’s new conscience
The jobs of scribes... at the future of work gathering that I hosted at work. (background below)
Opening: "Technology is driving an economic transformation. The effects on wealth and income are already significant, and emerging technologies promise greater effects in the coming decade. While the economic pie is bigger than ever, wages for the median worker in America and other advanced nations have stagnated, increasing inequality. Not everyone is participating in our economy’s bounty, and many of those left behind are becoming angry or disillusioned. With more powerful technologies available than ever before, the challenge before us is to create a better society than ever before."
Some comments, without attribution:
“We have an aging society. Mature people and societies want to get rid of risk. There are huge economic costs to decreasing risk.”
On the risk of AI: “If current trends continue, people are going to rise up before the machines.”
“When thinking about education for all, you want your competitors and the people you fight wars against to be educated. The alternative is ISIS.”
Something that occurred to me midway: many of the new jobs in the new economy (like Uber drivers and Mechanical Turkers) are at the edge of automation, and thus, are ever so ephemeral against the march of Moore’s Law.
We hope to pull a lot of it together into an open letter. On the whiteboard, we started with the 200-year endgame and pondered utopian and dystopian futures, long past the debates on transition times (e.g., robots can do anything physical better than a human by then). And we tried to come up with business/gov't/social movement ideas to address the path dependence of where we are today and were we hope we can go.
We explored democratizing vectors in the near term (education, broadband, fluidity (lifelong credentialing, immigration, etc.) and for the longer term, distribution vectors (basic wage, taxes) since, in the endgame, global democratization within an information economy will ironically further accelerate the rich-poor gap. Everyone will have access to the American Dream, writ large, but it will feel like the lottery. And, within many countries, like the U.S., the prior winners of the lottery run the lottery. This does not sound like a firm foundation for trust in the system.
President Barack Obama talks with Libyan Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali and his family during an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office, Sept. 9, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
In person and via photography, verified and corroborated with the most trustworthy, heavily credentialed, senior, and sane collectors I know--about a half dozen of them!!--that this "last cartouche" (the DAS is NOT a cartouche--no writing or letters! Check a dictionary for the old "Egyptian" correct definition and its basis if you doubt that... ) butt stock is authentic, albeit it's been sanded. Not too many dings. No cracks, no paint, weird Danish or other stampings...
The metal will be removed before I dump it for something I actually need.
Weirdly, this was about the very LAST item I was looking for or wanted when I stumbled across this, and upon cleanup, contacted the network of "usual suspects" because I no longer trust my eyesight on wood. Looking back, I doubt if I've seen two dozen of these. They're fairly close to being the least common of the letter cartouched butt stocks.
Last one I had was on an old D.C.M. rifle, from an estate, and had been surmarked with a DAS (Defense Acceptance Stamp). It, too, was absolutely authentic, and appeared on an all original rifle right in that low 4 million area where one would figure such things might've happened.
Anyway, it's a certainty, not some jiveass hissy fit guess. Strange find.
Authenticated and copyrighted photo. All rights reserved. No reference use or reproduction of any kind without express written permission. Criminal and civil statutes and all rights law WILL be enforced.
Our Shipmate in the Spotlight for this edition is LCDR Elizabeth Griffis. LCDR Griffis was commissioned in the United States Navy on May 18, 2012. She completed a credentialing tour at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay and was then assigned to the Naval Branch Health Clinic Jacksonville, FL. During this tour, LCDR Griffis had incredible mentorship and was captivated by digital dentistry and the Navy Dental Corps. In July of 2016, Dr. Griffis was selected for specialty training in Operative Dentistry and in 2019 completed residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In August of 2019, LCDR Griffis was assigned to 1st Dental Battalion/Naval Dental Center Camp Pendleton where she served as the AEGD Assistant Director and Chief Dental Officer. She also earned the FMFQO designation. LCDR Griffis is currently the division officer of NMRTC SD Balboa dental clinic, where she teaches both GPR and AEGD residents. Aside from teaching, her passions include efficient, esthetic digital dentistry and standardizing Navy dental clinic supply!
Fun Facts
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Dental School: The University of Florida
Favorite thing about being a Navy Dental Corps Officer: Practicing with those I consider both brilliant colleagues and great friends!
Hobbies: Relaxing on the beach and eating great food
Something that most people don't know about you: I have RVed with my husband throughout America, Europe and even Iceland!"
Published in Weekly Dental Update, March 4 2022.
Red Yucca Information – Growing A Hummingbird Red Yucca Plant
Newsletter
Hummingbird Red Yucca Plant
(Image credit: Camrocker)
Mary H. Dyer
BY MARY H. DYER
PUBLISHED 10 APRIL 2021
Red yucca plant (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that produces showy, reddish coral blooms from spring through midsummer. In warmer climates, plants may bloom year-round. Although red yucca isn’t a true yucca the leathery, arching leaves are very similar. However, the leaves have a more grass like appearance, and they produce no spikes or thorns. Planting a red yucca plant in your garden isn’t difficult. Read on to learn more.
Red Yucca Information: Hummingbird Yucca Plants
Red yucca is native to southwestern Texas and adjoining areas of Mexico where it grows primarily on rocky slopes, prairies, and in mesquite groves. Hummingbird yucca plants are tough, tolerating cold winters as far north as USDA plant hardiness zone 5.
Red yucca is also called hummingbird yucca plants since hummers love the nectar-rich, tube shaped blooms. Red yucca can also be known as red flowered false yucca, yellow yucca, or coral yucca.
Planting a Red Yucca: Tips on Red Yucca Care
Locate these yucca plants in full sunlight. The plant thrives in nearly any well-drained soil, but sandy soil is ideal. Red yucca can be grown in large containers filled with a well-drained potting media such as regular potting soil mixed with sand or perlite. Be sure the pot has at least one good drainage hole.
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Allow at least two feet (60 cm.) on each side of the plant and two to three feet (60-90 cm.) away from sidewalks or driveways. Young plants may be small, but they will spread relatively quickly.
Water regularly for the first year but not to the point of sogginess. Thereafter, water occasionally especially during periods of hot, dry weather but be careful not to overwater. Red yucca plants in containers need water more frequently.
Don’t cut the flower stalks after blooming, as they will produce fruit. Additionally, the seeds provide winter sustenance for songbirds that visit your garden. The stalks can be removed in spring. You can also remove older leaves which will eventually die down and turn brown. Hummingbird yucca plants require very little fertilizer, but you can feed them lightly before new growth appears in spring. Use a good-quality, general-purpose fertilizer.
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Red yucca plants will eventually develop “pups,” or offsets that grow to the side of the plant. If you want to propagate more plants for your own garden or for sharing, just dig up the offsets and replant them. You can also divide established clumps.
Mary H. Dyer
Mary H. Dyer
Writer
A Credentialed Garden Writer, Mary H. Dyer was with Gardening Know How in the very beginning, publishing articles as early as 2007.
Manchester Monarchs posing with the Calder Cup, the American Hockey League's championship trophy, after defeating the Utica Comets in the Best of 7 series, 4 games to 1 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, New York on Saturday, June 13, 2015.
I hit the ice for this photo to try and get a unique view of the team photo. That was hard to do with ten other credentialed photographers and all the phone photographers I had to slide between to get this.
More photos from the game here: View 360: Calder Cup 2015
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.”
Always a fun image to try...always a lot of misses...always a lot course worker's and credentialed photogs butts and then actually the one you'd hoped for! Missed the glowing brake rotor on this one which would have sealed the deal...it makes my "keeper" file.
BMW M Hybrid V8 of Team RLL in its debut outing in the new GTP IMSA class.
I had the absolute pleasure yesterday of shooting my first college football game as a member of the credentialed media from the sidelines of Cowboys Stadium for the TCU Horned Frogs vs. Oregon State Beavers Cowboys Classic football game. This opportunity only made possible by an awesome flickr friend. Shooting a college football game was the most difficult shoot I have ever had. The gear is heavy ( I used a rented Canon 300 F2.8L - weighs 7 pounds), the action is fast, and the angles can be tough. It is all about the right place, right time, right settings. What a blast. And what a workout.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles, is a non-profit hospital that cares for more than 107,000 infants, children and young adults each year, with physician expertise in over 100 pediatric specialties and subspecialties.
The hospital has been included in the Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll for 2012-2013 by U.S. News & World Report and is currently the 5th ranked children's hospital in the United States and the top ranked children's hospital in the western United States. It has also received Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
The hospital is affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. The current president and CEO is Richard D. Cordova, FACHE. Mr. Cordova announced his plans to retire in December 2014. Paul S.Viviano will become the President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in August 2015.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Hospital_Los_Angeles
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...
In person and via photography, verified and corroborated with the most trustworthy, heavily credentialed, senior, and sane collectors I know--about a half dozen of them!!--that this "last cartouche" (the DAS is NOT a cartouche--no writing or letters! Check a dictionary for the old "Egyptian" correct definition and its basis if you doubt that... ) butt stock is authentic, albeit it's been sanded. Not too many dings. No cracks, no paint, weird Danish or other stampings...
The metal will be removed before I dump it for something I actually need.
My eyesight is vastly improved since my cataract surgery, but I did know this was authentic the instant I saw it.
Still, I verified and corroborated.
Weirdly, this was about the very LAST item I was looking for or wanted when I stumbled across this, and upon cleanup, contacted the network of "usual suspects" because I no longer trust my eyesight on wood. Looking back, I doubt if I've seen two dozen of these. They're fairly close to being the least common of the letter cartouched butt stocks.
Last one I had was on an old D.C.M. rifle, from an estate, and had been surmarked with a DAS (Defense Acceptance Stamp). It, too, was absolutely authentic, and appeared on an all original rifle right in that low 4 million area where one would figure such things might've happened.
Anyway, it's a certainty, not some jiveass hissy fit guess. Strange find.
Authenticated and copyrighted photo. All rights reserved. No reference use or reproduction of any kind without express written permission. Criminal and civil statutes and all rights law WILL be enforced.
In person and via photography, verified and corroborated with the most trustworthy, heavily credentialed, senior, and sane collectors I know--about a half dozen of them!!--that this "last cartouche" (the DAS is NOT a cartouche--no writing or letters! Check a dictionary for the old "Egyptian" correct definition and its basis if you doubt that... ) butt stock is authentic, albeit it's been sanded. Not too many dings. No cracks, no paint, weird Danish or other stampings...
The metal will be removed before I dump it for something I actually need.
More detail of the letters is here:
www.flickr.com/photos/15631192@N04/27538894973/in/photost...
Sign in so these can be worked with, enlarged, and so on, if you're looking for information.
See adjacent shots for images of the detailed markings, closeup and overall.
Copyrighted shot, not "free" or "public domain".
All rights reserved.
Humorously, years ago I got a very nice M1 ( an old D.C.M. gun with full paperwork) marked "JLG" generally in the cartouche area, on a nice replacement walnut stock, probably an Overton-produced unit. Not a "cartouche", just the letters. Not the right size, no box... Puzzled, I realized the same initials appeared on some other items I acquired from the estate. It was the INITIALS of the deceased, who was an avid shooter. Under the buttplate on that one was his social security number.
Weirdly, this was about the very LAST item I was looking for or wanted when I stumbled across this, and upon cleanup, contacted the network of "usual suspects" because I no longer trust my eyesight on wood. Looking back, I doubt if I've seen two dozen of these. They're fairly close to being the least common of the letter cartouched butt stocks.
Last one I had was on an old D.C.M. rifle, from an estate, and had been surmarked with a DAS (Defense Acceptance Stamp). It, too, was absolutely authentic, and appeared on an all original rifle right in that low 4 million area where one would figure such things might've happened.
Anyway, it's a certainty. Not some loudmouth's assertion or slimy internet "proof"!! Strange find. There are handguards with it which "color matched", but I remain unconvinced they're "correct" to it, and I have other uses for them, anyway.
Weirdest one I had: What a serious student of military wood told me was a pre-1940 hunk of wood, almost "new", but with an absolutely authentic JLG cartouche. Apparently it fascinated him. He insisted upon having it IMMEDIATELY. Most of the assclowns on forums suggested it was a "fake"...nope, wrong again. It must've sat around for a long time before it got kicked out the door, and NO ONE will ever know how or why, but we do know WHERE that happened: At the Armory, in Springfield, Massachusetts. And the "when" would be while Guion's stamp was still in use.
Authenticated and copyrighted photo. All rights reserved. No reference use or reproduction of any kind without express written permission. Criminal and civil statutes and all rights law WILL be enforced.
President Barack Obama poses for a photograph with Ambassador Jacinth Lorna Henry-Martin of St. Kitts and Nevis during an ambassador credentialing ceremony in the Oval Office, Feb. 23, 2011. Chief of Protocol Capricia Marshall and members of Henry-Martin's family watch from the edge of the room. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Here's the Full Letter and WSJ summary.
We kicked off the brainstorming with a gathering at DFJ, and it occurred to me then that many of the new jobs in the new economy (like Uber drivers and Mechanical Turkers) are at the edge of automation, and thus, are ever so ephemeral against the march of Moore’s Law.
We started with the 200-year endgame and pondered utopian and dystopian futures, long past the debates on transition times (e.g., robots can do anything physical better than a human by then). And we tried to come up with business/gov't/social movement ideas to address the path dependence of where we are today and were we hope we can go.
We explored democratizing vectors in the near term (education, broadband, fluidity (lifelong credentialing, immigration, etc.)) and for the longer term, distribution vectors (basic wage, taxes) since, in the endgame, global democratization within an information economy will ironically further accelerate the rich-poor gap. Everyone will have access to the American Dream, writ large, but it will feel like the lottery. And, within many countries, like the U.S., the prior winners of the lottery run the lottery. This does not sound like a firm foundation for trust in the system.
With Vint Cerf and Astro Teller of Google.
Background: “How can innovation disrupt unemployment and create meaningful work for everyone? How can we create a strong middle class innovation economy? Consider this opportunity: Less than half of all people in the OECD countries are in the workforce. Only a third of them are engaged in their work. Less than a quarter of the US human capacity is creating value in the economy.
Imagine if innovative entrepreneurs could use technology to create jobs tailored to fit every person in the same way products and services can be tailored to match consumer tastes? What if this technology could match the innate abilities and passions of every individual with the most valuable opportunities in a long-tail economy?" — from the slow-loading i4j site.
Is this Socialism 2.0 or, alternatively, an employment marketplace?
It's a bit of a conundrum for "jobs" per se, whereas finding symbolic immortality in "meaningful work" seems like an easier challenge if one just ignores the liklihood of extreme power laws in income distribution.
Information asymmetries and inefficiencies define labor markets today. This leads to “costly signals of quality” — like four-year college degrees and trusted brands being overvalued. "There has been a 25% drop in job mobility in the U.S. since 2000, and half of wage increases come from job mobility. The barriers keep growing. Over 50% of EA job listings require a 4-year college degree." — U.S. National Economic Council
This got me thinking about how to address those costly signals of quality: 1) lifelong credentialing expanding from online education to freelancing to careers 2) internships as a trial for “experience goods” as people tend to be 3) training contracts that avoid the legal barriers for indentured servitude, etc.
I hope to be able to share video from the event. Meanwhile, here is a short video that covers some of my precursor thoughts on a tech-accelerated rich-poor gap: and prior flickr posts.
I had the absolute pleasure yesterday of shooting my first college football game as a member of the credentialed media from the sidelines of Cowboys Stadium for the TCU Horned Frogs vs. Oregon State Beavers Cowboys Classic football game. This opportunity only made possible by an awesome flickr friend.
Shooting a college football game was the most difficult shoot I have ever had. The gear is heavy ( I used a rented Canon 300 F2.8L - weighs 7 pounds), the action is fast, and the angles can be tough. It is all about the right place, right time, right settings. What a blast. And what a workout.
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.”
Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report hosts Ashley Harrington & Rachel Edwards were invited to cover the 4th Annual Celebration of Dance Gala presented by the Dizzy Feet Foundation in partnership with the Music Center took place at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles.
Honorees included Actress & Dancer Debbie Allen, Dancers Pierre Dulaine & Yvonne Marceau
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About Dizzy Feet Honorees
Dizzy Feet Foundation (DFF) presented this year’s DFF Inspiration and Impact Awards to Debbie Allenand Red Bull, respectively. The Gene Kelly Legacy Award, presented by DFF and Gene Kelly Legacy, Inc., was awarded jointly to Pierre Dulaine & Yvonne Marceau. Patricia Ward Kelly, Gene Kelly’s widow, was on hand to present the award.
About Dizzy Feet Foundation
All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit The Dizzy Feet Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is threefold: (1) To sponsor, fund, and/or support dance education programs that expose children in low-income areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education through and with local community organizations. (2) To provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited or nationally regarded dance schools, studios, or institutions. (3) To support and increase the quality of all styles of dance education in the United States, in conjunction with recognized credentialing organizations. For more info please visit, www.DizzyFeetFoundation.org.
Follow our hosts Ashley Harrington & Rachel Edwards on Twitter at twitter.com/Ash_Harrington &
President Barack Obama greets Malaysian Ambassador to the U.S., Jamaludin Jarjis, during a credentialing ceremony for new ambassadors, in the Oval Office, Nov. 4, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
I'm troubled. Sure it's a picture of perhaps the most iconic bridge in the world. People come from around the world to see it, but for me, it's almost in my back yard. I can't count the number of pictures I've taken of it, but I'm not really satisfied with any of them. Just because it's a picture of an iconic place doesn't make it a good picture. Yosemite and all its splendor is only a four hour drive away. I've traveled a third of the way around the world just to take pictures of the standing stones at Calanais. Yes, I get some nice comments on some of my pictures as I have for this one, but I've seen really good pictures of those places and mine are wanting. Somehow I don't think upgrading my D300 to a D800 would change that. It's my vision that needs an upgrade. So how do I change my vision? I've taken lots of classes, read books, looked at a skillion pictures. I'm even credentialed to teach photography in California. This diatribe is not a humble brag. It's a serious question, one that I suspect others of you out there ask yourselves. Is Flickr a place for honest discussion of each others work? I know I never post a critical comment on someones picture even when the teacher in me says that I could say something that might help the other photographer. Any suggestions?
OK, Tower Bridge in London may be more iconic than the Golden Gate. Did you know that when they auctioned off London Bridge, Havasu City in Arizona needed a bridge and thought that having a famous bridge would help tourism so they bid on it and bought it. Only afterward did they discover that they had not bought Tower Bridge.
April 5, 2013
Can colleges and universities effectively pursue massive online learning while maintaining their core academic missions? Issues surrounding the quality of courses, their cost effectiveness, student learning outcomes, credentialing, and equal access to education have provoked a spirited and evolving international debate. Penn President Amy Gutmann moderated the 2013 David and Lyn Silfen University Forum, welcoming New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning Columnist Thomas Friedman, The Honorable Martha J. Kanter, under secretary, U.S. Department of Education, and Brit Kirwan, chancellor, University of Maryland System.
Photos by Stuart Watson
Like the Eucalyptus, the Madrone or Madrona Tree has colorful peeling bark.
Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) is a dramatic, unique tree which is native to the coastal ranges of the Pacific Northwest, from northern California to British Columbia, where winters are wet and mild and summers are cool and dry. It tolerates occasionally chilly weather, but isn’t highly frost-resistant. Pacific madrone is a versatile, relatively slow-growing tree that reaches heights of 50 to 100 feet (15-20 m.) or more in the wild, but usually tops out at 20 to 50 feet (6-15 m.) in home gardens. You may also find it listed as the bayberry or strawberry tree.
Native Americans ate the rather bland, reddish orange berries. They were also used to make cider and dried and pounded into meal. Tea brewed from the leaves and bark were used medicinally. The tree also provided sustenance and protection for a variety of birds and other wildlife. Bees are attracted to the fragrant white flowers.
The interesting, peeling bark provides texture to the garden, although the bark and leaves create litter that may require a bit of raking. If you want to grow madrone trees, consider planting it in a natural or wild garden. A dry, somewhat neglected area is best.
The Pacific Madrone is notoriously difficult to transplant, probably because the tree is dependent on certain fungi in the soil. If you have access to a mature tree, “borrow” a shovelful of the soil under the tree to mix into the soil where you plant the seedlings.
How To Care For A Madrone Tree Madrone
Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer
Arbutus are small trees or shrubs with red flaking bark and edible red berries. Fruit development is delayed for about five months after pollination, so that flowers appear while the previous year's fruit are ripening. Peak flowering for the genus is in April with peak fruiting in October.
Arbutus menziesii lignotuber near ground level provides fire-resistant storage of energy and sprouting buds if fire damage requires replacement of the trunk or limbs. Note the smooth orange bark on the upper portion of the trunk. Members of the genus are called madrones or madronas in the United States, from the Spanish name madroño (strawberry tree). On the south coast of British Columbia, Canada, where the species is common, arbutus is commonly used or, rarely and locally, "tick tree". All refer to the same species, Arbutus menziesii, native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern and Central California regions. It is Canada's only native broadleaved evergreen tree. Some species in the genera Epigaea, Arctostaphylos and Gaultheria were formerly classified in Arbutus. As a result of its past classification, Epigaea repens (mayflower) has an alternative common name of "trailing arbutus".
Oregon State University Extension advises gardeners to purchase seedlings with the north/south orientation marked on the tube so you can plant the tree facing its accustomed direction. Purchase the smallest seedlings you can find, as larger trees don’t tolerate having their roots disturbed. You can also plant seeds. Harvest ripe fruit in fall or early winter, then dry seeds and store until planting time in spring or autumn. For best results, chill the seeds for a month or two before planting. Plant the seeds in a container filled with a mix of clean sand, peat, and gravel.
Madrones prefer full sun and require excellent drainage. In the wild, Pacific Madrone thrives in dry, rocky, inhospitable areas. Madrone trees don’t do well in a well-watered, manicured garden and don’t appreciate being fussed over. Keep soil slightly moist until roots are established, then leave the tree alone unless the weather is unseasonably hot and dry. In that case, an occasional watering is a good idea.
Bainbridge Island, WA
Ambassador Daniel Ohene Agyekum of Ghana, and his family, walk along the Colonnade of the White House, following a credentialing ceremony with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Feb. 24, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
How To Care For A Madrone Tree Madrone By: Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer
Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) is a dramatic, unique tree that provides beauty to the landscape all year long. Pacific madrone is native to the coastal ranges of the Pacific Northwest, from northern California to British Columbia, where winters are wet and mild and summers are cool and dry. It tolerates occasionally chilly weather, but isn’t highly frost-resistant. Pacific madrone is a versatile, relatively slow-growing tree that reaches heights of 50 to 100 feet (15-20 m.) or more in the wild, but usually tops out at only 20 to 50 feet (6-15 m.) in home gardens. You may also find it listed as the bayberry or strawberry tree.
Native Americans ate the rather bland, reddish orange berries fresh. The berries also made good cider and were often dried and pounded into meal. Tea brewed from the leaves and bark were used medicinally. The tree also provided sustenance and protection for a variety of birds, and for other wildlife. Bees are attracted to the fragrant white flowers. The interesting, peeling bark provides texture to the garden, although the bark and leaves can create litter that may require a bit of raking. If you want to grow madrone trees, consider planting it in a natural or wild garden, as the tree may not fit in well with a perfectly manicured yard. A dry, somewhat neglected area is best.
Growing Madrone Trees Madrone tree information tells us that Pacific madrone is notoriously difficult to transplant, probably because, in its natural environment, the tree is dependent on certain fungi in the soil. If you have access to a mature tree, see if you can “borrow” a shovelful of the soil under the tree to mix into the soil where you plant the seedlings.
Arbutus are small trees or shrubs with red flaking bark and edible red berries. Fruit development is delayed for about five months after pollination, so that flowers appear while the previous year's fruit are ripening. Peak flowering for the genus is in April with peak fruiting in October.
Arbutus menziesii lignotuber near ground level provides fire-resistant storage of energy and sprouting buds if fire damage requires replacement of the trunk or limbs. Note the typically smooth orange bark on the upper portion of the trunk.
Members of the genus are called madrones or madronas in the United States, from the Spanish name madroño (strawberry tree). On the south coast of British Columbia, Canada, where the species is common, arbutus is commonly used or, rarely and locally, "tick tree". All refer to the same species, Arbutus menziesii, native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern and Central California regions. It is Canada's only native broadleaved evergreen tree. Some species in the genera Epigaea, Arctostaphylos and Gaultheria were formerly classified in Arbutus. As a result of its past classification, Epigaea repens (mayflower) has an alternative common name of "trailing arbutus".
Oregon State University Extension advises gardeners to purchase seedlings with the north/south orientation marked on the tube so you can plant the tree facing its accustomed direction. Purchase the smallest seedlings you can find, as larger trees don’t appreciate having their roots disturbed. You can also plant seeds. Harvest ripe fruit in fall or early winter, then dry the seeds and store them until planting time in spring or autumn. For best results, chill the seeds for a month or two before planting. Plant the seeds in a container filled with a mix of clean sand, peat, and gravel. Madrones prefer full sun and require excellent drainage. In the wild, Pacific madrone thrives in dry, rocky, inhospitable areas. Madrone trees don’t do well in a well-watered, manicured garden and don’t appreciate being fussed over. Keep the soil slightly moist until the roots are established, then leave the tree alone unless the weather is unseasonably hot and dry. In that case, an occasional watering is a good idea.
Bainbridge Island, WA
I was so proud to be among the credentialed press at South Sudan’s first day of independence after a long and bloody civil war against Sudan on July 9, 2011. The future looked so bright. What a shame that 5 1/2 years later, the world’s youngest country is home to escalating civil war, violence, poverty and famine.
Red Yucca Information – Growing A Hummingbird Red Yucca Plant
Newsletter
Hummingbird Red Yucca Plant
BY MARY H. DYER
PUBLISHED 10 APRIL 2021
Red yucca plant (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that produces showy, reddish coral blooms from spring through midsummer. In warmer climates, plants may bloom year-round. Although red yucca isn’t a true yucca the leathery, arching leaves are very similar. However, the leaves have a more grass like appearance, and they produce no spikes or thorns. Planting a red yucca plant in your garden isn’t difficult. Read on to learn more.
Red Yucca Information: Hummingbird Yucca Plants
Red yucca is native to southwestern Texas and adjoining areas of Mexico where it grows primarily on rocky slopes, prairies, and in mesquite groves. Hummingbird yucca plants are tough, tolerating cold winters as far north as USDA plant hardiness zone 5.
Red yucca is also called hummingbird yucca plants since hummers love the nectar-rich, tube shaped blooms. Red yucca can also be known as red flowered false yucca, yellow yucca, or coral yucca.
Planting a Red Yucca: Tips on Red Yucca Care
Locate these yucca plants in full sunlight. The plant thrives in nearly any well-drained soil, but sandy soil is ideal. Red yucca can be grown in large containers filled with a well-drained potting media such as regular potting soil mixed with sand or perlite. Be sure the pot has at least one good drainage hole.
Allow at least two feet (60 cm.) on each side of the plant and two to three feet (60-90 cm.) away from sidewalks or driveways. Young plants may be small, but they will spread relatively quickly.
Water regularly for the first year but not to the point of sogginess. Thereafter, water occasionally especially during periods of hot, dry weather but be careful not to overwater. Red yucca plants in containers need water more frequently.
Don’t cut the flower stalks after blooming, as they will produce fruit. Additionally, the seeds provide winter sustenance for songbirds that visit your garden. The stalks can be removed in spring. You can also remove older leaves which will eventually die down and turn brown. Hummingbird yucca plants require very little fertilizer, but you can feed them lightly before new growth appears in spring. Use a good-quality, general-purpose fertilizer.
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Red yucca plants will eventually develop “pups,” or offsets that grow to the side of the plant. If you want to propagate more plants for your own garden or for sharing, just dig up the offsets and replant them. You can also divide established clumps.
Mary H. Dyer
Writer
A Credentialed Garden Writer, Mary H. Dyer was with Gardening Know How in the very beginning, publishing articles as early as 2007.
The car carrying Ambassador Sonatane Tua Taumoepeau Tupou of Tonga, passes a Marine guard on the South Lawn of the White House, following a credentialing ceremony with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Feb. 24, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Last month I had the opportunity to shoot the Maida Withers Dance Construction Company in a studio alongside a student who knew from studio shooting. The experience brought my insecurities at being self-taught and non-credentialed to the forefront, and I'll be honest, once I learned I'd be shooting alongside another photographer in a studio instead of just me in a practice space, as we'd originally planned, I almost begged out.
I'm so glad I didn't. I am really proud of the work I did, and every time you slay one of those dragons, it gives you confidence to take on another. Have you pushed the bounds of your comfort zone lately? I would love to hear about it.
more of this pair in comments, and I'll be posting more of the other dancers in the company in the days to come
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.”
In person and via photography, verified and corroborated with the most trustworthy, heavily credentialed, senior, and sane collectors I know--about a half dozen of them!!--that this "last cartouche" (the DAS is NOT a cartouche--no writing or letters! Check a dictionary for the old "Egyptian" correct definition and its basis if you doubt that... ) butt stock is authentic, albeit it's been sanded. Not too many dings. No cracks, no paint, weird Danish or other stampings...
If you didn't understand that, re-read, and I'll reiterate: This is the very LAST actual letters stamped-in-wood CARTOUCHE for M1's used by the military. The Defense Acceptance Stamp is NOT a cartouche, by definition.
This is dictionary stuff. Little kids "get it".
This I got literally by mistake.
The metal will be removed before I dump it for something I actually need.
Weirdly, this was about the very LAST item I was looking for or wanted when I stumbled across this, and upon cleanup, contacted the network of "usual suspects" because I no longer trust my eyesight on wood. Got cataract surgery not long after, and my resolution level is back to where it was forty years ago. Looking back, I doubt if I've seen two dozen of these. They're fairly close to being the least common of the letter cartouched butt stocks.
Last one I had was on an old D.C.M. rifle, from an estate, and had been surmarked with a DAS (Defense Acceptance Stamp). It, too, was absolutely authentic, and appeared on an all original rifle right in that low 4 million area where one would figure such things might've happened.
Had another "JLG" initialed one, but that was a shooter's initials. He also marked other things, and his Social Security Number was in various places, too.
Anyway, it's a certainty, not some jiveass hissy fit guess. Strange find.
Authenticated and copyrighted photo. All rights reserved. No reference use or reproduction of any kind without express written permission. Criminal and civil statutes and all rights law WILL be enforced.
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.”