 September-October 2009 | | | Join Our List | |  | | |  DCA Announces Six Finalists for 2009 Iowa Great Places Program | | | Site visits scheduled for September; Iowa's next Great Places to be named in October
The Department of Cultural Affairs has announced six Iowa communities have been named finalists for the 2009 Iowa Great Places program.
The Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board and DCA staff will conduct site visits Sept. 29-30, 2009, to the Cedar Valley Alliance (Cedar Falls/Evansdale/Waterloo), Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty, Marion, Tama County, the Turkey River Corridor and the Villages of Van Buren County to asses the readiness of each place to move forward. This year's Iowa Great Places will be announced Oct. 16, 2009, in Des Moines.
Now in its fifth year, Iowa Great Places encourages communities to work together to achieve a better quality of life for its citizens. The program combines state resources with local assets to build capacity in communities, regions, neighborhoods or districts that cultivate their unique and authentic qualities.
In developing their proposals, Iowans were asked to address seven unique and authentic dimensions that make places special: engaging experiences; rich, diverse populations and cultures; a vital, creative economy; clean and accessible natural and built environments; well-designed infrastructure; a shared attitude of optimism that welcomes new ideas; and a diverse and inclusive cultural mosaic.
Following are summaries of each community's proposal: - Greater Cedar Valley Alliance
The Cedar Valley Alliance consists of Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Waterloo. Its proposal focuses on strengthening the Cedar Valley community's relationship with the Cedar River; increasing the public's use and enjoyment of the Cedar River and its watershed; and enhancing its environmental health, cultural heritage, recreational features and economic opportunities.
- Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty
Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty incorporates three communities with a vision focusing on literature. Iowa City became part of the Creative Cities Network when it was named a City of Literature in November 2008 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Iowa City is the third city in the world to receive this recognition, joining Edinburgh, Scotland, and Melbourne, Australia. Its proposal develops and supports the "UNESCO City of Literature" brand for Iowa City and surrounding communities. The proposal also envisions a development called the Stories Project, a substantial physical interpretative center on 25 former Brownfield acres near the Iowa River that will be dedicated to language, literature and literacy.
- Marion
The City of Marion has developed a community-wide visioning process called Imagine 8. This process solicited more than 1,800 responses from area residents to develop a clear picture of the community's direction. Eight ideas were selected from the 1,800 ideas submitted by respondents. "All Trails Lead to Marion" focuses on Marion Square Park as the center of community and recreational trails, parks, amphitheatre and public art, connecting many of the Great 8 ideas to a seamless destination point for residents and visitors alike.
- Tama County
Tama County and its 12 towns submitted a proposal that focuses on its Native American heritage with the theme "Feeding the Spirit." This culturally diverse county proposes expansion of Otter Creek Lake and Park; restoration of historical museums and the Weiting Opera House; and the development of the Meskwaki Cultural Center & Museum to enhance the cultural, economic and workforce environment of the county.
- Turkey River Corridor
The Turkey River Corridor is a unique application for Great Places. Three towns - Clermont, Elgin and Elkader - and two counties - Clayton and Fayette - have joined together to submit a regional application. All three towns are connected by 114 miles of the Turkey River. Their vision is to collaborate, develop and enhance the existing natural resources flowing from the Turkey River through the creation of land and water trails that will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and development in Northeast Iowa.
- Villages of Van Buren County
The Villages of Van Buren County is a place that encourages visitors to slow down, relax and embrace a more leisurely pace. The proposal calls for developing a Villages Folk School to offer learning experiences in traditional arts, such as pottery, fine arts, spinning, weaving and sculpting within the unique surroundings of each village. The county would be the "campus," with more than 42 classes offered to adults, parents, children and their families. The goal is to connect the "inner child" often lost in the hustle and bustle of modern-day life. Good luck to each of them! TOP | | Road Warriors | |  The summer has been a busy time for Iowa Great Places staff. Francis and Linda have crisscrossed the state in August to work with communities and counties applying for the program. They've also stopped at designated Great Places to assist in the development of their projects, meeting with the steering committees and with authors of the applications. Coaches from the Iowa departments of Economic Development (IDED), Natural Resources (DNR), Transportation (IDOT), Cultural Affairs (DCA) and Public Health (IDPH) have been on hand to offer advice too. Jeff Geertz from IDED, Andy Loonan from IDOT and Linda Howard spent a day in Van Buren County and meeting with the committee. Francis had a group of four coaches with him when he met with the Marion group; Tim Lane from IDPH, Marie Steenlege from IDED, Sam Shea from IDOT and Jeff Bercker from DNR were all there to help. Francis' coaching itinerary for the month of June was Tama, Corning, Marion, Marquette-McGregor, and Sioux City. Then he was off to Marion, Elkader, Rolfe, Waterloo, Clinton, Elkader again, Decorah and Charles City during the month of July. Linda's southern Iowa coaching trips during June, July and August consisted of two trips to Van Buren County, one to Lee County, and two trips to Albia. She also headed north to Belmond twice and Elkader once. Linda travelled to the far western parts of the state in her trips to Elk Horn and Sibley. Francis, DCA Director Cyndi Pederson, and Robin Andersen, Chair of the Citizen's Advisory Board, visited the pilot communities of Sioux City, Coon Rapids and Clinton to conduct exit interviews which were very helpful to our program. Information on the effectiveness of the program and what were concerns and strengths of the program was conveyed by these communities. Although these three months were demanding of everyone, applicants and Great Places staff alike, they are also very productive. We, as state representatives, are better able to understand local issues at a very comprehensive level and local leaders learn how state programs can help them implement their visions. Site visits scheduled for September; Iowa's next Great Places to be named in October
| | SAVE THE DATE | | Great Places Awards Ceremony
Friday, October 16, 2009 5 - 8:30 pm Iowa Great Places is proud to announce the First Annual Great Places Award Ceremony at the State Historical Building, Des Moines. Tickets will go on sale in mid-August. The dinner will cost $25 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased at www.iowatix.com.
The event on Friday, October 16, 2009 will recognize:
- the new 2009 Great Places;
- the three pilot places: Clinton, Coon Rapids and Sioux City;
- the best Great Places projects in several categories; and
- the volunteers of the year for each existing Great Place.
Agenda for the Evening
5-6 pm Cocktail party - Cash Bar
6-7 pm Dinner in the State Historical Building Atrium
7-8:30 pm Award Ceremony in Auditorium
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Iowa Great Places Project Spotlight: Great Rivers Center | | The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque plans to convert the existing Diamond Jo portside building into a center that will have dynamic exhibits to tell the stories of America's rivers. The Great Rivers Center will be the newest addition to the Museum's campus in Dubuque. Stemming from Dubuque's Envision2010 campaign, the Center is one of 10 projects selected by the community to move forward by the year 2010. The center will feature exhibits and information on the rivers of America and will serve as a research station on the Mississippi River for scientists and historians. Among the new amenities in the Great Rivers Center will be three featured galleries: River Ways, Rivers to the Sea, and RiverWORKS. These spaces will demonstrate the importance of rivers in history, illustrate the way in which rivers connect to other water bodies, and provide hands on activities for children and families to understand the importance of water in their daily lives.  The Museum & Aquarium, operated by the Dubuque County Historical Society, was integral in the successful proposal to make Dubuque an Iowa Great Place in 2007. This project will join the Museum & Aquarium with other organizations across the country so more people can benefit from the River Research Center and its efforts to educate the public about river conservation. "We are happy to announce that one of the primary goals of the Great Rivers Center will be education about sustainable rivers, not only locally, but nationally," said Dubuque County Historical Society Executive Director Jerry Enzler. The Museum & Aquarium's educational efforts will not only be shared with people in Dubuque, but also with visitors to the Smithsonian's Ocean Hall exhibit through a network of 21 aquariums across the country, the Great River Road Network's 62 museums, and the stewardship organizations of the Mississippi River to the Gulf Network. | | $1.9 Million in Grants Awarded to Great Places | | | Governor Chet Culver and Lt. Governor Patty Judge announced July 30, 2009, that 17 cities and counties across the state will receive 23 Iowa Great Places grants totaling $1.9 million.
Now in its fifth year, Iowa Great Places is an initiative that combines state resources with local assets to help Iowans make their communities, regions, districts or neighorhoods great places to live, work and raise a family.
"With these grants, communities are taking their next steps in fulfilling their agreements with the state as part of the Iowa Great Places program," Governor Culver said. "As Governor, I am pleased that state resources are being combined with local assets to improve the quality of life in these communities and create economic opportunities."
"As I have traveled the state, I have seen the many unique and interesting things that make our state a great place," said Lt. Governor Judge. "These funds will be instrumental in helping Iowa's Great Place communities continue their work of highlighting all that Iowa has to offer."
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs awarded $1.9 million to the following Iowa Great Places: Adams County, Appanoose County, Charles City, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Dubuque, Fairfield, Guttenberg, Jackson County, Marquette-McGregor, Mason City, Perry, Spencer, Valley Junction, Warren County and West Union.
State agencies continue to work with Iowa Great Places to achieve their visions by identifying technical assistance and existing programs such as grant and financial aid programs.
Following is a list of Iowa Great Places funding:
- Adams County: Corning Opera House & Cultural Center $20,000
- Adams County: French Icarian Colony $25,000
- Adams County: Lake Icaria Improvements $23,000
- Appanoose County: Lelah Bradley Playing Fields $150,000
- Charles City: Riverfront Park Development $179,450
- Council Bluffs: Pedestrian Bridge Plaza Park
- Davenport: Centennial Park Sprayground $100,000
- Decorah: Trout Run Trail $200,000
- Dubuque: Millworking District Streetscape $150,000
- Fairfield: Bikeway/Walkway Plan $45,000
- Fairfield: Fairfield Loop Trail $15,000
- Fairfield: Maasdam Barns Restoration $10,000
- Guttenberg: Guttenberg Marina $75,000
- Jackson County: Copper Creek Trail $100,000
- Marquette-McGregor: Ina Maka Park $50,000
- Mason City: Park Inn & City National Bank Building $89,286
- Perry: Downtown Revitalization $80,000
- Spencer: Grant Enhancements $80,000
- Spencer: Spencer Community Theatre Remodel & Expansion $85,000
- Valley Junction: Historic City Hall $20,000
- Warren County: Memorial Park Amphitheatre $100,000
- West Union: Green Pilot Streetscape Project $160,000
| | STAFF | |  Linda Howard, Advisor (641) 895-4515 (cell phone)
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Linda shares her expertise as program director, community organizer and grant writer when working with the communities seeking Great Places designation. She is also the designer and instructor at formal training sessions for the program. She joined the staff in January of 2009. She is typically in the office on Mondays and Tuesdays. | | | | | | | | Created in 2005, Iowa Great Places is a program designed to promote bold thought, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the local and regional level in Iowa. Places - neighborhoods, cities, counties, or regions - engage in an inclusive strategic planning process to assess their strengths and areas of opportunity, create a vision for augmenting their unique attributes and quality of life, and design a roadmap to turn that vision into realty.
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