News

2007 Rural Partners Forum, “North Carolina Rural Leaders: Lighting the Way Forward,” to be held Oct. 24-25
More than 600 North Carolinians will gather at the North Raleigh Hilton on October 24-25 for the annual partners forum, which will focus on the critical role of enlightened leaders in the success of their rural communities. “North Carolina Rural Leaders: Lighting the Way Forward” will unveil a range of funding opportunities, new training initiatives, and information sources to help rural leaders in their efforts to strengthen local economies and improve quality of life. Participants will learn the details of $138.5 million in available water, sewer and other rural development grants. A series of workshops on the afternoon of the 25th will provide information on how to apply for and maximize the chances of receiving a grant. Presentations by national figures will shed light on the power of leadership, what it means to lead in demanding times, and ways rural communities can excel in the face of adversity. Speakers include N.C. Lieutenant Gov. Beverly Perdue, N.C. Senate President Marc Basnight, N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney, noted sociologist Dr. Vaughan Grisham and others. The keynote address will be given by respected author, journalist and political scientist William Hodding Carter III. Other highlights of the event include the ‘virtual’ dedication of the center’s new training and conference facility, announcement of a federal partnership for water and sewer funding, and a generous sampling of the down-home food and good-time music. Registration for the two-day event is $175. For questions, contact Cynthia Spencer in the communications office at (919) 250-4314. To register online, click here.

Center and state leaders to announce $138.5 million in water, sewer, other rural development grants
The center’s annual partners event will kick off one of the largest and most comprehensive grant-making periods in the center’s 20-year history. Over the next 18 months, the center will invest $138.5 million to shore up rural infrastructure, stimulate and strengthen the rural economy, and test new development initiatives with the potential to create jobs. State lawmakers directed the center to invest $100 million in communities dealing with critical infrastructure problems, including dwindling water supplies, water source contamination and state-issued moratoria on wastewater systems. The center will administer the funds through its Water and Sewer Grants Program, with the first round of grant applications due in mid-December. The remaining $38.5 million investment will help rural communities set a new course for their future, with about half set aside for projects in economically distressed communities. The center will invest $19.5 million through its N.C. Economic Infrastructure Fund (EIF), a four-year-old program of the center designed to create jobs in the state’s 85 rural counties through investments in infrastructure and innovation. Another $19 million in grant funds will be awarded for projects in areas with persistently high rates of poverty. The center will detail these grant funds and announce the expansion of both the Small Town Economic Prosperity Demonstration (NC STEP) program and its rural leadership program at the forum. Following the forum, the center will hold a series of regional workshops at sites across the state to help communities navigate grant criteria and application requirements.

Biofuels Center up and running, holds first board meeting
A nonprofit corporation charged with executing North Carolina’s plan of action on biofuels development has held its first board of directors meeting. The Biofuels Center of North Carolina got its official start on September 4, supported in large part by a $5 million appropriation from the General Assembly. Earlier this year, lawmakers adopted a strategic plan that calls for North Carolina to be the Southern leader on biofuels within 15 years. The nine-point plan was the result of seven months of work by more than 70 agriculture, industry, public policy and academic leaders under the direction of five co-conveners, including the Rural Center. Rural Center President Billy Ray Hall is now a member of the Biofuels Center’s board of directors. The state’s first measurable goal as laid out in the strategic plan is that 10 percent of the liquid fuels sold in North Carolina will come from biofuels grown and produced within the state by 2015. The plan also calls for a $25 million investment in research and development that will result in new and better biofuels feedstocks and processing capabilities. Other strategies include a state-funded incentives plan to make biofuels more cost-competitive and attractive to consumers, and a major public outreach campaign to bring North Carolinians up to speed on biofuels. To read a copy of the state’s strategic plan on biofuels, visit the N.C. Biotech Center’s website.

Meetings and Events

UNC President Erskine Bowles brings his listening tour to Asheville and Sylva on Oct. 4
A group led by UNC President Erskine Bowles will bring its listening tour to two sites in western North Carolina on Oct. 4 to hear from students, teachers, administrators and others on how they think the 16-campus university system can best serve North Carolina in the years to come. Bowles’ UNC Tomorrow Commission announced last spring they would hold 11 public forums across the state to help make UNC system schools more responsive to the public's needs. Those meetings kicked off in Greenville earlier this month and will continue through October as the panel makes its way west. The commission will meet at the Highsmith Union-Alumni Hall at UNC Asheville at 9 a.m. on Oct. 4. Later that day, the group will travel to Southwestern Community College in Sylva where they will hold the second meeting of the day at 4 p.m. in the Myers Auditorium. The tour continues on Oct. 8 in Greensboro and Oct. 10 in Raleigh. To find out more, visit the commission’s website.

Oct. 4 entrepreneurship training in Montreat targeted to local officials and rural leaders
A one-day entrepreneurship training for local elected officials and community leaders will be held October 4 at the Montreat Conference Center just east of Asheville. The training, “Building Entrepreneurial Communities: Why, How and What Role for Local Elected Officials and Leaders” is sponsored by the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship in partnership with the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill. The training will provide local leaders with a better understanding of entrepreneurship development and their own role in helping build a culture that supports entrepreneurship in their community. The cost of the training is $75. For more information or to register, contact Jennifer Loebenhofer at UNC at Lobenhofer@sog.unc.edu.

2nd annual Financial Education and Asset Building Conference Oct. 8-9 in Chapel Hill
The 2nd annual Statewide Financial Education and Asset Building Conference will be held Oct. 8-9 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. The event is sponsored by the NC IDA Collaborative, EITC Carolinas, North Carolina Cooperative Extension and UNC-Chapel Hill. Participants will primarily learn how to help the working poor become financially independent. Last year’s conference launched the North Carolina Saves initiative and included information on asset building strategies, the role of public policy in helping the working poor achieve financial independence, and financial literacy trainings for community development and human service professionals. Call or visit the NC IDA Collaborative’s website for more details: (919) 341-6418, or www.ncidacollaborative.org/.

Workshops will help rural communities successfully navigate water and wastewater projects
A series of four free workshops is helping rural communities learn how to work effectively with paid consultants and engineers on water and wastewater projects. The workshops are sponsored in partnership with the N.C. Rural Communities Assistance Project and the Rural Center. Presentations will include: effective development and use of requests for proposals; contract negotiation; capital improvement planning; and ongoing project evaluation. Funders also will be on hand to provide an update on available funding programs for rural water and wastewater projects. Local officials who attend one of these workshops will be eligible to receive 10 bonus points on any future Rural Center infrastructure grant application. Sessions will be held Oct. 10 in Asheville, Oct. 20 in Plymouth and Nov. 14 in Kenansville. The workshops are free and lunch is provided, but space is limited. To register or to find out more, visit the N.C. Rural Communities Assistance Project’s website at www.ncrcap.org.

Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council to hold 5th annual Carolina Connect conference on Oct. 11 in Asheville
The Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council will hold its 5th annual Carolina Connect conference at Asheville’s Grove Park Inn and Spa on Oct. 11. The agenda is still being finalized, but past Carolina Connect conferences brought together western North Carolina entrepreneurs with private equity investors. Again this year, the focus will be on helping entrepreneurs get more private investor capital, increase sales revenue and learn more about the process of partnering for research grants. For more details, call the Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council at (828) 273-9862. Check the website for details as they become available.

Register now for free e-commerce training session to be held in Raleigh on Oct. 24
If you’re a small business owner who hasn’t yet explored the possibility of e-commerce, or if you dream of someday starting a business, an Oct. 24 seminar can give you the tools you need to make that important leap. The seminar is offered through a partnership between the e-NC Authority and the Rockingham County Business & Technology Center, with funding from the Kellogg Foundation. The session will help entrepreneurs and small business owners better understand e-business and discover how they can implement e-commerce and Web-based tools to grow and sustain their operations. The session will also cover information on developing a strong Web presence, finding new ways to reach customers, web advertising and e-mail marketing, and selling products and services online. The information will be presented in a technology-neutral, easy-to-understand format at the North Raleigh Hilton in Raleigh. To find out more, or to register online, visit the e-NC Authority’s website. For other questions, call Angie Bailey at (866) 627-8725.

Nov. 27 seminar will teach small business owners how to use electronic media effectively
A free training session slated for Nov. 27 will help small business owners use electronic media tools – such as webcasting, podcasting, videos and sound files – to enhance their business and better serve clients. This training, offered through a partnership between the e-NC Authority and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, will give participants a broad overview of webcasting and different types of video creation software, touching on the advantages and disadvantages of different methods. A podcasting demonstration will also be included. The training, which will be held in Raleigh at the Rural Center, is intended for individuals and organizations that may not have a strong technical background. To register, visit the e-NC Authority website. For questions, call Angie Bailey at (919) 250-4314.

Save the Date: Advantage Innovation 2007 conference held in Asheville Dec. 6-7
AdvantageWest will hold its Advantage Innovation 2007: Environmental Related Enterprises conference on December 6-7 in Asheville. This interactive conference will focus on the recruitment and expansion of jobs and investment associated with environmental-related enterprises. Sessions will include: environmental reclamation, green construction, environmental sciences, alternative/renewable energy and environmental conservation. For more details as they become available, contact AdvantageWest Executive Vice-President Scott Hamilton at shamilton@awnc.org.

Reports and Research

Census Bureau: Poverty levels creep up in N.C., but are down in the U.S. as a whole
New U.S. Census Bureau data shows that North Carolina's poverty rate is creeping up, as is the number of people without health insurance. But, for the first time in more than a decade, U.S. poverty rates are down. Nationally, poverty fell from 12.6 percent in 2005 to 12.3 percent in 2006. Yet here in North Carolina, poverty inched up from 13.1 percent in 2005 to 13.8 percent last year. Additionally, about 16 percent of North Carolinians today are living without any form of health insurance – up from about 15 percent in 2005. On the national front, there were 2.2 million more people without health insurance in 2006 than there were in 2005. To read the Census Bureau’s report in its entirety, click here.

At the Rural Center

State’s progress on high-speed Internet deployment has slowed, e-NC Authority report reveals
An annual report by the e-NC Authority shows availability of broadband Internet access in North Carolina is increasing at a nominal rate. The organization’s annual survey and assessment of broadband telecommunications infrastructure, “High-Speed Internet Access in North Carolina: A 100 County Report,” reveals that only 83.54 percent of North Carolina households have the ability to access broadband Internet services. This is an increase of less than two percent from the previous year. Over 20 individual counties remain critically underserved with less than 70 percent of households having the ability to access a high-speed Internet connection. Executive Director Jane Smith Patterson said broadband deployment in urban communities is “more-or-less done.” The focus now should be on how we can expand high-speed access in the state’s more sparsely populated and economically disadvantaged areas, Patterson said. By tracking telecommunications infrastructure penetration, the e-NC Authority is in a better position to advocate for expansion in underserved counties. Armed with a $1.21 million legislative appropriation, the e-NC Authority is set to expand broadband access in Jones, Warren, Gates and Greene counties, where less than 50 percent of households can access high-speed service. For more information, view the e-NC Authority’s press release on the report by clicking here. To see what percentage of households can access high-speed Internet service in counties across the state, click here.

Funding Sources

October 10 is deadline to apply for job training grants through the U.S. Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor is now accepting applications to its Community Based Job Training Grants (CBJTG) program. The program is aimed at strengthening the role of community colleges in promoting the U.S. workforce's full potential. The grants, which are employer-focused, will build the capacity of community colleges to train workers to develop the skills required to succeed in high growth/high demand industries. The Department of Labor will award a total of $125 million, with individual awards ranging from $500,000 to $2 million. Applications must include regional strategic partnerships between the workforce development system, business and economic development, four-year colleges, adult education and K-12. For more information, click here.

From the N.C. Press

The Washington Post: ‘New’ manufacturing on the rise in North Carolina
While North Carolina has suffered heavy losses to its traditional manufacturing industries, it has also become a rising powerhouse in new manufacturing sectors such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and sophisticated textiles. Between 2002 and 2005, the state lost 72,000 manufacturing jobs, about three-fourths in textiles, furniture-making and electronics, according to the North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development. The decline mirrors national trends. After peaking in 1979 at 19 million workers, the American manufacturing workforce has dropped to 14 million. An educational divide has also emerged on the factory floor. In 1973, more than half of all American manufacturing workers failed to complete high school, and only 6 percent attended some college, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. By 2001, nearly half completed high school and one-fourth attended some college. As they grapple with change, North Carolina's workers and factory owners are helping answer a pressing question: What does the future hold for manufacturing in the United States? Textile companies like Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, which once manufactured pantyhose and yarn at its Norlina factory, have shifted to specialty industrial fabrics, which are often sold to foreign manufacturers. Glen Raven now manufactures fabrics for outdoor furniture, boats and awnings -- expensive goods that require customization, high-end machinery and technical expertise. Meanwhile, companies like Biogen Idec, which manufactures pharmaceuticals at its Research Triangle Park facility, have set up shop across the state. Entry-level workers with the necessary training earn $27,000 to $35,000 a year at Biogen Idec's facility.

N.C. Associated Press: With Easley’s pen, hog lagoons to be phased out
Hog lagoons appear to be on the way out of North Carolina with a bill signed into law Friday by Gov. Mike Easley. The lagoon bill seeks to phase out hog lagoons by shifting farmers to environmentally preferable methods of managing swine waste. It also creates a pilot program in which methane gas created from the waste would be trapped to generate electricity. The program also provides state grants to help hog farmers by paying for most of the switch to the cleaner technology. The Legislature approved a "temporary" ban on new lagoon construction in 1997 after a series of spills that began two years earlier, but the prohibition was never lifted. The new law makes standards for new waste management systems so high that lagoons can't meet them, meaning the state's current lagoons should all be eliminated over the next couple of decades. The hog industry had complained until now it was too expensive to convert to the new technology. "This is a major step forward for our state and our farmers as we try to ensure the long-term sustainability of the hog industry," said Sen. Charles Albertson, D-Duplin, the bill's sponsor.

Raleigh News & Observer: Group rescues last fish house
For the hard-pressed fishermen of Ocracoke, landing a grant to keep the village's only fish house operating might prove to be their biggest catch yet. The commercial fishermen, who banded together to form Ocracoke Working Watermen's Association last year, recently netted a $325,000 grant to save the treasured fish house. The grant, from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, is enough to buy a former seafood market on the island and secure a lease. The deal gives the fishermen a foothold on the Outer Banks island that has become a tourist mecca, crowding out some traditional waterfront activities. "We're up and running and doing good," said Hardy Plyler, a fish house representative. The scrappy group of about 32 fishermen, crabbers and charter boat operators came together to preserve their livelihood at a time when fish houses -- part of what has been called working waterfronts -- are becoming scarce along the North Carolina coast. But they didn't do it alone. The effort to save the fish house stirred a community spirit that had long been a tradition on the relatively isolated island. People donated money and held fundraisers such as art sales, musical and storytelling events, and fish fries. Donated labor ranged from bookkeeping and computer chores to fish-cleaning, painting and dock-building. The people of Ocracoke didn't want the fish house to close like so many others. An N.C. Sea Grant study last year found that 39 fish houses, or 33 percent, closed in the previous six years. Seventy-eight were still operating.

Copyright by N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, Inc. 2007. We encourage you to share this UPDATE with interested individuals, organizations, or agencies. Material may be reproduced in electronic or print form. We ask that you please cite the Rural Center as the source.

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The mission of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.

N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
Michelle Taylor, UPDATE editor
Courtney Tieman, UPDATE production manager
Elaine Matthews, senior vice president
4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
(919) 250-4314 Fax: (919) 250-4325
www.ncruralcenter.org