News

Homegrown jobs the focus of center’s annual Rural Partners Forum Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Raleigh
The Rural Center will hold its 13th annual Rural Partners Forum Sept. 30 through Oct. 1 at the North Raleigh Hilton. The theme for this year’s forum will be "A New Day Dawning for North Carolina's Rural Workers, Communities and Small Businesses." Participants will hear from top state and national speakers, who will share their ideas for creating home grown jobs in the changing rural economy, and will participate in workshops focusing on promising community solutions. Highlights of this year’s forum include: announcement of a $20 million rural investment initiative; presentations of personal stories and insight by some of North Carolina’s most successful entrepreneurs; and workshops on entrepreneurship, workforce development, agriculture and connectivity. Dr. Karl Stauber, president of Northwest Foundation, will deliver the keynote address on a vision for rural economic prosperity. The event will conclude with a special tribute to North Carolina’s small businesses. The cost for the two-day event is $125, which includes meals. To register online and to view the agenda, visit the Rural Center's website.

North Carolinians slightly worse off now than in 2000, according to newest Census data
The U.S. Census Bureau released data last month revealing a not-too-rosy picture of North Carolina post-2000. According to the data gathered in late 2003, North Carolinians are more likely to live in poverty, less likely to have access to health insurance, and are earning less than they did four years ago. In 2000, 13 percent of North Carolina residents lived in poverty, compared to 15.7 percent in 2003, and 13 percent of the population did not have health insurance, compared to 17 percent in 2003. Wages are also down, as evidenced by the dip in median household income from $39,184 in 2000 to $38,096. Despite the bad news, which is tied to the effects of the 2001 national recession and an ongoing shift in the state economy, the number of jobless North Carolinians continues to decline. According to the latest data from the state Employment Security Commission, the rural unemployment rate decreased again in July, down to 6 percent from 6.3 percent in June. The jobless rate decreased in urban counties, too, to 4.9 percent in July from 5.3 percent in June.

Broadband to expand in eastern North Carolina with $14.6 million initiative
A $14.6 million broadband initiative announced by Sprint last month will lead to a dramatic improvement in high-speed Internet access for residents and businesses east of I-95. The initiative is a public-private partnership between Sprint and the Albemarle-Pamlico Development Corp. (APEC) aimed at addressing the region’s major technology challenges as part of a broader effort to boost economic development, telemedicine and e-learning. The plan includes: a gigabit Ethernet network for University Health Systems, a 12-county self-healing fiber-optic ring to protect the network, a K-20 eastern North Carolina e-learning pilot project, and Sprint’s purchase of the existing conduit infrastructure which is currently owned by APEC. The e-NC Authority is providing nearly $3 million in funding for the project. The broadband expansion effort includes deployment of DSL to 21 eastern counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Camden, Carteret, Columbus, Currituck, Duplin, Gates, Greene, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Perquimans, Robeson, Sampson, Washington and Wilson. To find out more, visit Sprint’s website.

Amendment One campaign urges support for local government self-financing bonds
A campaign to add North Carolina to the list of 48 states in the nation with the ability to approve self-financing bonds at the local level is gearing up for the November election. North Carolinians for Jobs and Progress, a partnership of state and local political leaders, economic developers, businesses and citizens, has spent the last year getting out the word on the amendment, which would change the state Constitution and allow local governments, with the blessing of the Local Government Commission in the State Treasurer’s Office, to sell their own self-financing bonds to pay for major projects that will boost the local tax base. Such projects include business and industrial buildings, commercial development, and water and sewer projects. The bonds are taken out within a designated development district and then paid off from the additional property tax revenue brought in by projects in the district – without raising taxes. The Rural Center is proud to be one of 100 organizations across the state lending its support to this important economic development tool. To find out more, visit the Amendment One website.

Reports and Research

U.S. Dept. of Commerce publication focuses on rural economic development
The latest edition of Economic Development America, a quarterly magazine published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, focuses on rural economic development strategies. The 32-page publication covers a range of issues, including workforce development, innovative entrepreneur networks, value-added agriculture, revitalizing rural downtowns and creating successful regional alliances. To view the publication, click here.

Report shows rural workers shifting away from low-skill jobs in the 1990s
The Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the summer edition of Amber Waves, its quarterly report series on rural America. This latest edition contains some surprising data on rural workers in the decade of the 1990s, including research that reveals an increasing number of rural workers shifted away from low-skill jobs throughout the decade. In fact, the number of low-skill workers in rural areas declined more than in cities and suburbs. According to ERS research, the decline in low-skill rural workers resulted from a shift in industrial employment from the goods-producing sector to the service sector. The report also found that rural adults were just as likely to have made educational gains during the 1990s as their urban peers. To read the full report, click here.

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Meetings and Events

Council for Entrepreneurial Development to hold Entrepreneur ’04 conference October 30 at Duke
The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) has partnered with The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University to host the Entrepreneur '04 conference on Saturday, October 30. The theme for the all-day event is “Essential Know-How and Networks,” and is targeted to entrepreneurs interested in starting their own high-growth businesses. Entrepreneur '04 will feature interactive sessions with successful entrepreneurs and business experts on new business trends and tools, sales and marketing techniques and strategies to build entrepreneurial teams. Attendees will include university researchers, corporate employees, small business owners, early-stage entrepreneurs, undergraduate and graduate students. The Rural Center is a co-sponsor of the event. To find out more and to register, visit the CED website, or call Linsey Dyson at (919) 549-7500, ldyson@cednc.org.

City planners, community leaders invited to national preservation conference set for Sept. 28-Oct. 3 in Louisville
The National Preservation Conference will hold its annual conference, “Restore America: Communities at a Crossroads,” from Sept. 28-Oct. 3 in historic downtown Louisville. The conference will provide innovative ideas and inspiration for community leaders and professionals working to save America's historic places and revitalize communities. The conference is an educational and networking event for community leaders, volunteers and staff of the historic preservation movement. The event will be held at the historic Galt House. Participants will hear about preservation endeavors specific to the South, such as Rosenwald Schools and landscape conservation, as well as learn cutting-edge ideas and tactics for financial incentives, neighborhood revival, downtown revitalization, affordable housing, transportation, and organizational development. Registration for all five days of the conference is $355. Call (202) 588-6100 for single-day rates. To find out more, and to register online, visit the website.

ECU hosts tourism conference Oct. 5-6 in Greenville
East Carolina University will host a conference entitled “Making Tourism Work for You” on October 5th and 6th at the Greenville Hilton. This event will provide learning opportunities for business owners, artists/arts organizations, commercial, recreation and travel and tourism professionals. The registration fee for this event is $95. Participants can register online at www.sbtdc.org/events. Registration is limited to 200 participants.

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At the Rural Center

Center's Board of Directors approves $10.7 million for water and sewer improvements
The Rural Center's board of directors voted August 26 to award $10,740,390 in Clean Water Bond grants to 46 rural communities for water and wastewater system improvements. The board, which meets twice each year to award grants that help plan for, build and improve water and wastewater systems in rural communities, will make one more round of awards before funds from the 1998 Clean Water Bond Act are fully expended in 2005. The center is now accepting applications for the final round of Clean Water Bond grants through September 30. In a statement to the media the day the grant awards were announced, Rural Center President Billy Ray Hall cited the ‘tremendous impact’ the projects have had on job creation and environmental cleanup in hundreds of rural communities. To find out which communities were awarded funding on Aug. 26, visit the center’s website.

Rural Dislocated Worker Summit
On September 2 the Rural Center and its partners held a day-long summit that focused on North Carolina’s ‘dislocated’ workers – men and women who have been laid off and are not likely to find new jobs in the industry they are experienced in. The summit featured presentations by Employment Security Commission Chairman Harry Payne, Jr., N.C. Community College System President Martin Lancaster, and N.C. Commission on Workforce Development Executive Director Roger Shackleford. Presenting the newest data on the impact of large-scale manufacturing layoffs on rural workers, Rural Center Billy Ray Hall set the stage for discussions on ways to help dislocated workers get back to work, as well as how to better prepare for the next downturn in the state economy. The summit concluded with the initiation of a planning process for development of a rural dislocated worker action agenda that will be unveiled in January 2005 as part of a comprehensive, multi-organization effort. The summit was presented in partnership with the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, N.C. Employment Security Commission, N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community College System, N.C. Commission on Workforce Development, N.C. Community Foundation, and the Michael and Laura Brader-Araje Foundation. To find out more, contact Anne Scharff, senior associate for workforce development, at (919) 250-4314, ascharff@ncruralcenter.org.

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Funding Sources

Grants that encourage collaborative solutions to water use issues available, deadline to apply Sept. 30
Altria Group, Inc. ( http://altria.com/ ) has announced its 2004 environment request for proposals. The goal of Altria’s environmental grants program is to support innovative programs and projects that encourage collaboration in addressing water impairment and water use issues, and their impact on watersheds and constituent water bodies. Up to 20 grant awards will be made ranging from $10,000 to $75,000 per project. Grants may be used to cover costs associated with project development and implementation, including printing, materials, travel expenses, office supplies, planning costs and key staff salaries. Applicants may request grant funds for either, but not both, of the following categories: 1) foster scientific understanding/build best practices; and 2) promote community engagement/encourage responsible policy. Eligible organizations will have three or more years of experience in water conservation and/or water resource management; have demonstrable, tangible results in its programming; and be a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To find out more and to download a grant application, visit the website.

Historic downtown revitalization awards available, deadline to apply Nov. 1
The Main Street National Trust for Historic Preservation honors outstanding accomplishments in the revitalization of historic downtowns. The trust makes five community awards annually of $2,500 each. The deadline to apply is November 1. For questions, call (202) 588-6041. To learn more about this funding opportunity and others in the community and historic preservation arena, visit the website.

From the N.C. Press

Asheboro Courier Tribune: Seagrove Tries to Preserve its Heritage
Peering a decade into the future, Seagrove officials are taking steps now to preserve the unique character of the town and protect the pottery industry from undesirable commercial development by adopting a scenic business corridor plan. Every scenic overlay plan is specifically designed for the area it affects. Mayor Mike Walker and the Seagrove Board of Commissioners want their plan for N.C. 705 within the town limits to have great leeway for the potters and to respect single family dwellings. Within the next 20 years, the single family houses may be sold as the land becomes more valuable for commercial development. A significant feature of the plan is that it would apply only to new construction. Nothing would change from the way it is now unless a property owner wanted a new building in the overlay district. Then the restrictions on style and appearance would apply to give the town control over the visual impact of new development. Randolph County Planning Director Hal Johnson commended the board for looking ahead, especially since the availability of water and sewer for new development is in the early stages. "With sewer available, the pressure on you for new development will increase. It is wise to have a plan in place before that happens," Johnson said.

Kinston Free Press: Beginning Again, West Cuts Ribbon
Nineteen months after a devastating explosion, West Pharmaceutical Services will publicly unveil a new plant - one with its production rate already more than half of where it needs to be and with all traveling employees back home. Today, the buzz phrase is "new beginning." An August 26th ribbon-cutting ceremony marked West's formal return to this community, and everyone was invited. Vice presidential candidate John Edwards and U.S. Rep. Walter Jones were on the list, as was Gov. Mike Easley and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole. The event was held in front of the company's new plant on U.S. 70 just west of Kinston. "Everybody's excited, and ready to keep expanding," said Troy Player, the local plant manager. "We're at about 161 employees right now, and we'll end up around 210 as we ramp up throughout the next four, five, six months." In June company officials and employees celebrated the return of more than 100 men and women who spent most of a year in Florida or Nebraska. West temporarily transferred Kinston employees to plants there to compensate for increased production. Six people died from the January 2003 explosion here. Two memorials with their names were dedicated earlier this summer.

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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
Kelly Tucker Griffin, UPDATE production manager
Elaine Matthews, vice president for communications and development
4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
(919) 250-4314 Fax: (919) 250-4325
www.ncruralcenter.org