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Regional
Community Development News – December 31, 2008 [regions_work]
A compilation of
news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional
development.
Published on
line since November 11, 2003.
________________________________________________________________________
Contents
Top
Regional Community stories … 1. – 9.
U.S.
Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State – news articles
…10.01 - .29
Other
Regional Community News for Our Local Planet … 11.01 - .28
Blogging
about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .12
Announcements
and Regional Links … 13.01 - .10
Financial Crisis and Government …14.02
Custom
search: region, regions, regional communities … 15.
Happy New Year!
Top Regional Community stories
1. Atlanta watches with envy as Phoenix light rail debuts
- Atlanta Journal
Constitution
A train seems about as normal as a
water buffalo on Phoenix’s Central Avenue, but here one comes, gliding
along what used to be the center lane. Excited would-be passengers chatter
under an artsy awning as it approaches their platform. The word
“Disneyland” keeps popping up — the train’s sleek shape
prompts thoughts of Tomorrowland.
As of this week, Phoenix has light
rail, and metro Atlanta mass transit boosters are jealous.
“I continue to be frustrated
that we can’t seem to move in that direction,” said Sam Olens,
chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission [ http://www.atlantaregional.com/arc/html/
] and the Cobb County
commission. “We’re losing our competitive advantage.”
Two years ago, the Metro Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce invited reporters to hear officials from Phoenix and other
cities talk about their new transportation initiatives. The message was clear:
Atlanta and Georgia could be left in the dust.
On Wednesday, Sam Williams,
president of the chamber, said in a statement that “cities that have made
transportation a priority, like Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, continue to
leapfrog Atlanta with respect to regional mobility. … While these areas
make progress, we seem choked in congestion with little leadership to get us out.”
As another legislative session
begins, Atlanta remains the second-most-congested urban area in the nation. The
Georgia Legislature has tried and failed to pass a transportation funding
measure and is preparing for another go in the 2009 session.
…
Rail transit opponents in Georgia
agree that congestion must be addressed. But they say rail isn’t an
effective way to do it, especially in a spread-out area like Atlanta.
Both Phoenix and Charlotte got
nearly half of their rail money from federal funds. …
Phoenix, like Atlanta, is a
sprawling collection of communities. Life without a car there is challenging.
…
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/12/31/atlanta_mass_transit.html
RC: Metropolitan Phoenix -
Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) - http://www.mag.maricopa.gov/
2. “Shovel Ready” Versus “Renewable Future”
- Regional Excellence by Bill Dodge
New York’s Governor David
Paterson has joined a chorus of state, regional and local leaders calling for a
federal economic stimulus program to finance “shovel ready” public
works. He is referring to the road, bridge, sewer, water and other public works
projects that have already been designed and lack only financing for their
implementation.
And the numbers are impressive!
The governors came up with a list of $136 billion, the mayors $73 billion, and
the regional councils of
governments, $25 billion. Clearly, the need for public works has far
outstripped the resources to build them.
Meanwhile, the Obama
Administration and Congress are searching for a response to an economy that has
slipped into recession, not only domestically, but globally.
Investing in public works is an
especially attractive part of the response. First, it can provide jobs for
those who have lost them. Second, it can provide the public works needed to
grow a business or raise a family. And, it has a track record of proven success
in previous economic declines.
However, this economic downturn
has some unique characteristics. It had its share of excessive economic
behavior, such as in housing, like earlier downturns. If that was the extent of
the challenge, moderating this excessive behavior should restore economic
health.
Unfortunately, this economic
downturn appears to have even more triggered by excessive cultural behavior.
Since the last century, we have been increasingly consuming on credit,
depending on foreign oil, borrowing from the world, shrinking the middle class,
using an unsustainable share of natural resources, and rarely looking beyond
the current quarter. We have not saved, invested in alternative energy,
balanced our trade, moderated rich-poor polarization, recycled natural
resources, or addressed global warming and other long term challenges.
We have been unwilling to make the
cultural changes that will make us energy ...
http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/2008/12/shovel-ready-versus-renewable-future-by.html
3. Local
governments vie for stimulus money - Peoria Journal Star - Peoria, IL, USA
The quickest, most effective way
to create jobs and rebuild the nation's infrastructure is to send federal funds
directly to local governments.
That's according to a position
paper drafted for President-elect Barack Obama's transition team by the
associations representing local governments. The transition team asked for
ideas about how to get infrastructure dollars to local governments under an
economic stimulus plan designed to jump-start the economy.
The message? Local governments
know their needs best. Funneling the money through other avenues - such as
state government - only bogs down the process.
"The people who know best
about their local conditions are the local folks. We're the owners of almost
all the infrastructure in the country," Peoria County Administrator
Patrick Urich said.
…
Obama has proposed a stimulus
package that could be worth up to $300 billion and would create and retain
hundreds of thousands of jobs while rebuilding the country's highways and other
infrastructure. The goal is to have a plan in place as soon as possible after
Obama takes office Jan. 20. The plan is expected to significantly increase
federal spending on health care, education, infrastructure like roads and
bridges, aid to states, and energy.
The position paper recommends an
economic recovery package provide funds to support individuals through job
training, public employment to temporary public employment, extension of
unemployment insurance and a temporary increase in food-stamp benefits.
…
The group also recommends creating
an Intergovernmental Policy
Council. Among other things, it would serve as a conduit of information to
local and state governments.
"It is critical to rebuild
the intergovernmental partnership and to commit to new communication
channels," according to the report.
The ICMA, National Association of
Counties and National League of Cities drafted the position paper.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x923254707/Local-governments-vie-for-stimulus-money
4. For Region: Cooperation - Courant.com – Hartford, CT, USA
... , the 2009 agenda for the region is
regionalism. The municipalities in Greater Hartford must work together to a
greater degree than ever in the past. There are at least three reasons to do
this.
First, as a number of national experts have taken
pains to point out, the metropolitan region is the economic driver of the 21st
century, as it has been for millennia. It is at the regional level where ideas
are germinated, relationships are developed and ventures are created.
Regions that can plan, marshal their assets and
respond to opportunities are the ones that are thriving around the country.
Greater Hartford, although it has excellent resources, is lagging behind.
Second, many functions and services that towns want
to provide cannot be done on a local level. Transportation systems, workforce
training and many environmental initiatives cross local boundaries.
Finally, working together should save money.
…
Brookings has identified several factors that separate
the dynamic metros from the drudges. These include infrastructure, innovation
inputs (developing new technologies and businesses), human capital, quality of
place and effective regional governance to put it all together.
Greater Hartford is better at some of these factors
than others, …
Alas, we have no regional governance. We have a number of
regional organizations — a council of governments, a metro business
group, a water and sewer authority, etc. — but no regional governance. County
government, or what was left of it, was abandoned nearly a half-century ago,
and there's no clamor to bring it back.
But a regional entity with some power might be helpful in achieving regional
improvements. One way to do it? Merge the Capitol Region Council of Governments
[http://www.crcog.org/ ] with the Metropolitan District
Commission, the water and sewer authority. The MDC charter allows it to take on
greater responsibilities.
…
5. PRI showcases Charlotte USA and regional collaboration - The
Lincoln Tribune - Lincolnton, NC, USA
Motorsports is a critical industry
for the Charlotte region. Last week, the Charlotte Regional Partnership [http://www.charlotteusa.com/
] led a contingent of 20
people, representing six of the Partnership’s 16 counties and two
colleges, to the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando. The
world’s largest show that’s targeted to the racing industry, PRI
features the latest in racing products and engineering. Charlotte USA’s
strong showing underscored the region’s commitment to this industry.
“At PRI, we underscored the
collaboration among our 16 counties and presented a strong regional
brand,” said Ronnie Bryant, Charlotte Regional Partnership president and
CEO. “I know of few other areas that are able to set aside individual
interests to work for the greater economic good of the region. Our ability to
do so is our greatest strength and a competitive advantage.”
This was Kim Phillips first trip
to PRI. The Lincoln Economic Development Association business manager thought
traffic at the show might be sparse in light of the economy. …
“I believe our participation
in this show is a real positive,” Phillips said, “and I think it
will pay dividends for our area economically.”
That’s exactly what members
of the Charlotte Regional Partnership group did. They fanned out, leveraging
those contacts and strategically targeted the 1,449 exhibitors. They thanked
those already located in the region and let selected companies know how they
would benefit from having a presence in Charlotte USA. And, of course, the
Charlotte USA exhibit reinforced the region’s brand.
…
The economic impact of the
motorsports industry in North Carolina is $6 billion, according to a UNC
Charlotte study by John Connaughton. Much of that is centered in and around
Charlotte USA, which boasts more than 400 motorsports-related companies. Over
90 percent of NASCAR’s teams are located within 50 miles of the region.
http://www.lincolntribune.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=10473
RCs: Centralina
Council of Governments, NC - http://www.centralina.org/
Counties:
Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union
Western Piedmont
Council of Governments, NC - http://www.wpcog.org/
Counties:
Alexander, Catawba
Isothermal
Planning & Development Commission, NC - http://www.regionc.org/
Cleveland
County
Catawba Regional
Council of Governments, SC - http://www.catawbacog.org/
Counties:
Chester, Chesterfield, Lancaster, York
6. Many men, one voice - Harvard Post - Harvard, MA, USA
The Joint Board of Selectmen has turned over a new
leaf, and with it, plans for Devens are being driven forward.
Witness the most recent board meeting — a brainstorming
session held on Dec. 11.
In the previous board meeting, Joint Boards of
Selectmen chairman Leo Blair proposed a brainstorming session in which board
members from Harvard, Ayer, Shirley and Devens were to say what they really
think would be best for their communities. Montachusett Regional Planning
Committee (MRPC) [ http://www.mrpc.org/
] was
retained to referee, to not allow the group to get mired in details. The
brainstorming session sounded dangerous and exciting, rife with potential for
explosive progress or for too much, too soon.
Two new members of the Devens Committee were
introduced at the session — Richard Barnkow and Armen Demeajian. Glenn
Eaton, executive director of MRPC, was on hand with three assistants, giant
maps and markers spread on the table and poster-sized Post-its on easels and on
the walls. Television cameras were ready to roll.
Three posters on the wall were already marked with
three discussion questions: 1. Identify some possible opportunities that might
be available to ease or facilitate the transition of Devens. 2. Identity the
next steps in the Devens JBOS, and 3. Other.
Eaton asked each selectman to address the first
question and a new dialog began to unfold.
Regionalization, a topic under
discussion since October, was now agreed upon by all present. Selectman Carolyn
McCreary, Ayer, noted that sharing resources between communities would ease the
Devens transition and would meet the objective that Devens should function as “an
economic engine” for the region.
Committee member Tom Kinch, Devens, added that the
four communities should embrace regionalization because it provides
“economies …
… something new and exciting did happen:
members of the joint board spoke as one voice.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/harvard/news/x1009175363/Many-men-one-voice
7. Entire region vital to Ozark Chamber - News-Leader.com
Members of the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce have
more on their side than just their fellow members.
The Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership [ http://www.ozarkspartnership.com/ ] offers them a 10-county region to draw
input from.
Jeff Seifried, OREP manager of regional
development, told Ozark chamber members at their monthly luncheon that
networking throughout the region is one of the most important aspects of
chambers. It's also one of the biggest benefits to its members.
"Small business is what it's all about, and
that drives the community," Seifried said. "That provides the quality
jobs that make our community strong."
Of the number of job creations in the region, 65
percent to 75 percent are through expansion of businesses.
New companies to the region represent 15 percent to
25 percent and start-up companies make up 5 percent to 20 percent, Seifried
said.
While cooperating with other regions for economic
development may seem odd, it's important to establish a name in the state.
"Believe it or not, outside of our 10-county
region, there aren't too many folks that care about Buffalo; there aren't too
many folks that care about Ozark; there aren't too many folks that care about
Springfield," Seifried said.
That's because when a company outside the state
tells the Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership that they need a certain space
with certain requirements somewhere in southwest Missouri, they don't care
where it is.
It then becomes a regional issue.
"Why regional economic development? Because it
makes sense," Seifried said.
…
OREP -- covering Christian, Greene, Stone, Taney,
Barry, Lawrence, Dade, Polk, Dallas and Webster counties -- began 10 years ago
for the sole purpose of having counties, cities and chambers work together to
grow the entire region through its work force. …
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20081223/COMMUNITIES0204/812240424/1003/RSS03
RC: Southwest
Missouri Council of Governments - http://smcog.missouristate.edu/
8.
Outgoing school chief advises more consolidation -
Enterprise News - Brockton, MA, USA
The Freetown-Lakeville school
system should fully regionalize before the state forces it into a more
difficult scenario.
That was outgoing School
Superintendent Stephen Furtado’s main advice in his last meeting with the
Freetown-Lakeville School Committee on Wednesday night.
It was a recommendation with which
most committee members agreed.
Furtado said his study of
regionalization options will be at the top of his final report to the committee
at the end of the month.
He said the two towns, which are now
partnered in grades 5 through 12, should craft an agreement for all grades
— kindergarten through 12th grade — before the state steps in to
tell the two towns which school region it will join.
That could mean having to join a
larger, countywide school region or dissolving the current Freetown-Lakeville
pact, he said.
“The state is looking at
models from across the country on which regionalizations
work and fail,” he said. “My advice as I leave is to continue
moving forward (on full regionalization plans). It’s important that you
be the folks to craft the agreement, not the state.”
He said the state eventually will
force towns and communities to examine consolidating services with the goal of
making their operations more efficient.
School Committee member Jean Fox
agreed.
“The state is looking at
which regionalization styles work and which don’t. What doesn’t
work is the type that we have.”
…
http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x30969942/Outgoing-school-chief-advises-more-consolidation
9. New plan, new challenge, new name - Palladium-Item - Richmond, IN, USA
Chamber's name change reflects a more regional drive for development
Improving the local and regional economy will be a
huge challenge with the national economy in a period of recession. Despite a
few really cool local developments, our area has lost population, jobs and per
capita income in recent years.
How can we best respond?
With a can-do attitude, a willingness to take risks
and try new approaches, the Chamber is developing an aggressive plan of work
for 2009 called Bright Futures Together.
The plan is an outgrowth of our community being
selected to participate in a national initiative for regional sustainable
development. The project is funded by the Ford Foundation and administered by
the American Chamber of Commerce Association.
Because our participation in this initiative is
ongoing and part of a national initiative, we will have benefit of expert
regional development resources to support us through each of several steps of
the process.
First, we will recruit area chambers, development
groups and businesses, individual entrepreneurs and other leaders from our area
to participate in discussions to benchmark our economic condition.
Second, we will hold a jobs summit in 2009 to
clarify our desired employment and job targets. What kinds of employment will
our current resources support? What do we need to change or do in order to
attract and retain the kinds of employers, entrepreneurs, and jobs we want?
Third, we will look to our economic development
professionals to lead in the creation of a strategic development action plan
that will bring about the new economy. To succeed, we will need to promote,
lead, unite, and serve diligently in order to make certain the plan is
implemented rather than put on a shelf.
Bringing folks together and holding a jobs summit
will …
http://www.pal-item.com/article/20081221/NEWS0301/812210334
10. U.S. Regional
Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.
Bold font words are Google search terms. Bold italic words considered worth noting. In this and section 11, links
to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the
first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find
every regional council in the U.S. in a news story as well as recognizing other
regional organizations. In most cases, where a full name is present, a Google
search will quickly get one to that organization. News reports do not always
get the organization name correct. Contents
.01 An Obama presidency can get rail-passenger service
rolling again
Seattle Times - United States
The pending inauguration of a strong pro-rail president
and an even more fervid pro-rail vice president means the chances for a healthy
rail-passenger system and high-speed service in America's major regions are the brightest since Amtrak's
founding in 1971. Rail enthusiasts, for decades spurned by presidents of both
parties, were elated by the news that Barack Obama will travel to Washington
for his inauguration by train from Philadelphia.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008562621_opin28peirce.html
.02 Routing the Rails Through the Suburbs
Wall Street Journal - USA
It seemed like a common-sense transaction when Canadian
National Railway Co. signed a deal with U.S. Steel Corp. to buy a suburban rail
line, seeking to reroute its freight trains around the worst railroad
bottleneck in the country. ... Rail congestion in Chicago is a big issue for
companies all over the U.S. Six of North America's largest seven railroads
converge on Chicago ... the suburban Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway line
... forms a large semicircle outside downtown Chicago ... The outcry against
the proposed deal caught the company off guard. ...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122990092492124959.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
.03 U.S. signs off on Canadian National rail plan
Chicago Tribune, United States
Federal regulators have given a green light to Canadian
National Railway's plan to divert freight traffic through Chicago's suburbs,
... Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said the federal decision was a blow to towns that
had opposed the plan. More than two dozen communities formed a group called The
Regional Answer to Canadian
National, or TRAC. ... The current system of 2,800 miles of crisscrossing
railroad track creates bottlenecks across Chicago. The purchase would shift
freight traffic away from the city by looping it through the outer suburbs. ...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-canadian-national-25-dec25,0,6672248.story
.04 Birmingham Regional Chamber members vote to merge with MDB
Bizjournals-com
The members of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce
voted to merge with the Metropolitan Development Board on Friday, moving
consolidation of the city’s business advocate organizations one step
closer to reality. “We are pleased to have taken this important step
today toward a strategic joining of forces," Chamber Chairman Dudley
Reynolds said. "We are confident the region
will be better served as a result of this new alignment of economic development
agencies." The consolidation effort, first reported by the Birmingham
Business Journal in August, was initiated by Alabama Power Co. CEO Charles
McCrary. It will eventually include Region 2020. ...
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2008/12/15/daily47.html
.05 Bringing NBAF to Kansas Would Enable Collaboration
with Huge Animal Health Network Already in Place
Kansas City infoZine
Collaborators could include any number of animal health
and nutrition companies and regional veterinary colleges, along with the Midwest
Research Institute, Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, Kansas City Area
Development Council, Greater Kansas ... a 2006 report by Brakke
Consulting concluded that no other region in the country is investing
specifically in trying to attract animal health companies. The 2006 report
found that the Kansas City region is home to more than 120 companies
specializing in animal health and nutrition or supplies and services for that
sector. ...
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/32815/
.06 Mid-Atlantic "Super Region" Conference
The Vantage Point - PA Chapter - APA
... The conference sponsor was the Regional and
Intergovernmental Planning Division (RIPD) of the American Planning Association
with co-sponsorship by the APA chapters from Delaware, Maryland, National
Capital Area, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The 90 attendees
included planners and appointed officials, business persons and citizens from a
broad “Super Region” between Virginia and New York. ...
http://www.planningpa.org/PPA_VP_Dec08_B.pdf
Conference presentations –
current and prior years: http://semanticommunity.wik.is/Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Planning_Roundtables/2008_November_7,_5th_Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Planning_Roundtable
.07 A kinder, gentler, ambitious Irvine - pockets bulging
with cash
OC Register- Orange County, CA, USA
... Kang, an immigrant from South Korea who feels he is
truly living the American Dream, came on the board in 2004 and has a vision for
Irvine that the city can afford to pursue. Public transportation, Great Park, regional cooperation…. Just as Obama
hopes to boost America’s reputation in the world at large, Kang hopes to
mend fences with Orange County cities that see it as the prideful, boastful big
sister - ... Kang notes that Irvine - one of the county’s largest and
most sprawling cities - doesn’t even have a seat on the regional Orange
County Transportation Authority. ...
.08 Cost of
Separate Fire, Ambulance Costs Buried In Consultant’s Report
KCTribune.com - Kansas City, Missouri,
USA
“Regionalism
is a big issue in Kansas City,” Bauer said. “A major theme of the
report is regionalism and you already have that with MAST. To go back to
non-regional operations would be moving away from that model and away from
achieving economies of scale. From our perspective that is important.”
KCTribune recently received an alert from a prominent Kansas City businessman
that the PFM report was edited at some point to water down discussion of
possible savings from combining fire and ambulance services. ...
http://www.kctribune.com/article.cfm?articleID=18581
.09 Chattanooga hosts majority of regions job growth
Chattanooga Times Free Press -
Chattanooga, TN, USA
The Chattanooga regional area is fairing better
economically than many other regions in the United States, according to a
report released today by the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies. [ http://www.ochscenter.org/regionreport.php
] The report
shows that between 2001 and 2007, jobs grew 3.2 percent in the region, which
includes Hamilton, Marion and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee and Walker, Dade
and Catoosa counties in Georgia. ...
.10 Housing Inventories on the Rise
New York Times, USA
... foresees a “structural shift” in housing
demand that will come into sharper focus in the region when the overall market
improves. “Right now we are all focusing on how bad it is,” he
said, “but what we are also seeing is a historic reversal of home-buying
demand away from suburban and rural areas to cities and inner-ring suburbs that
are more walkable than driveable.” Mr. Otteau says the shift was partly
because of higher energy prices. But the dominant reason is that the number of
households with children living at home is on a persistent decline. ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/realestate/28zone.html?ref=business
.11 Study finds housing key to job growth
Boston Globe - MA, USA
... executive director the
Massachusetts Housing Partnership, said housing options are as important as
prices. A region needs to provide a wide variety of housing to attract and hold
on to the diverse workforce it needs to prosper. ... "We believe
there's a connection, and the lack of housing production is holding us back in
job growth," said Bialecki. "We need to be attracting the next
generation." But Geoffrey Beckwith, executive director of the
Massachusetts Municipal Association, said zoning, housing, and economic growth
are complex issues. ... "A lot of factors determine economic growth,"
Beckwith said. " 'If you build it, employers will come' needs a lot more
evidence."
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/12/30/study_finds_housing_key_to_job_growth/
.12 Lake Lanier advocates unite to save lake
NorthFulton.com
... residents, marina owners, the
area boating industry and business people who rely on the tourism and
recreation that surrounds the lake are organizing as the 1071 Coalition. Chief
among its goals is to get the lake back to a level of 1071 feet. To do that,
the 1071 Coalition plans to launch an awareness campaign in the metro Atlanta
area to bring the lake back to sustainable levels. ... Sam Olens, who is both
chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission
and Cobb County Commission chairman, said the Lake Lanier economy is $2 billion
a year, and it is ground zero to tourism in neighboring Alabama, South
Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. ...
.13 NETWORKS revamps its marketing plans
Kingsport Times News - Kingsport, TN,
USA
NETWORKS, a joint effort of Sullivan County, Kingsport,
Bristol, Tenn., and Bluff City, is asking what percentage of its marketing
should go toward automotive parts and components and a list of other
industries: metal products, plastics, telecommunications, electronics,
printing, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, aviation-related industries or
other suggested industries. ... More than half of NETWORKS 2008-09 marketing
and travel budget of nearly $193,000 goes to the Regional Business Alliance, a regional umbrella marketing organization.
...
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9010643
.14 Montana’s got wind, needs power lines
The Christian Science Monitor –
USA
Gov. Brian Schweitzer envisions a day when New Yorkers
will be driving cars powered by the wind that howls across the Montana prairie.
The Democrat recently called on the federal government to spend $15 billion to
build a next-generation transmission grid to link such far-flung regions. ... They talk a lot about wind
power, but their real interest is vastly expanded use of coal in generating
electricity,” says Larry Swanson, a regional economist at the
O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana
in Missoula. ...
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/12/29/montana%E2%80%99s-got-wind-needs-power-lines/
.15 EPA ruling leaves loophole to reverse decision
BETTENDORF.COM
Even before Monday's (12/22) designation of Scott, Rock
Island and Muscatine counties as "non-attainment" for fine
particulate pollution, Iowa and Illinois environmental agencies were hard at work
analyzing 2008 air quality data to challenge the decision ... Bi-State Regional Commission officials also say a
"sponsored research" project by two University of Iowa researchers
will be submitted to the EPA in February. ...
http://www.bettendorf.com/node/819
.16 City council approves solid waste ordinance
Laurel Leader Call - Laurel, MS, USA
All solid waste generated within the City of Laurel and
other member agencies of the Pine Belt Regional
Solid Waste Management Authority must go through the facility. The
Laurel City Council recently approved the second reading of an ordinance ...
the authority is one of four in the state and represents five counties —
Jones, Perry, Covington, Stone and Jefferson Davis counties — and three
cities — Laurel, Hattiesburg and Petal. the new ordinance helps the
authority “to operate uniformly.”...
http://www.leadercall.com/local/local_story_365093613.html
.17 Plane Accident at Batesville Regional Airport
KAIT - Jonesboro, AR, USA
On Wednesday afternoon, Region 8 News learned a plane landing at
the Batesville Regional Airport slid off the runway. ...
http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9577523&nav=menu67_2
.18 $355,500 to prepare for BRAC
Baltimore Sun - Baltimore, MD, USA
Harford Community College has received two grants for regional
BRAC growth planning from the Office of Economic Adjustment, Department of
Defense, and in coordination with the Chesapeake Science and Security Corridor
Consortium. ...
.19 Work Smarter, Not Harder, with Public Works
Spotlight on the Region - Vol. 7, No. 23
- RPA
... smart infrastructure guys and gals are now concluding
that more is not always better. Good infrastructure is about figuring out why
people need something, and trying to meet those needs in a more strategic,
efficient - and often cheaper - way. ... Of course old, heavy infrastructure is
sometimes still necessary, although if it's "smart," it will be built
in a better way. The Tri-State region
is currently engaging in four or five projects that are mostly about adding
capacity. ...
http://www.rpa.org/2008/12/work-smarter-not-harder-with-public-works.html
.20 Homeland Security forecasts 5-year threat picture
The Mercury News - San Jose, CA, USA
Intelligence officials also predict that in the next five
years, terrorists will try to conduct a destructive biological attack.
Officials are concerned about the possibility of infections to thousands of
U.S. citizens, overwhelming regional
health care systems. There could also be dire economic impacts caused by
workers' illnesses and deaths. ...
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11311041?source=rss
.21 Columbia treaty may affect hydropower future
KEPR CBS 19
The 1964 treaty with Canada authorized construction of
three large dams in British Columbia to protect against regional flooding and
boost electricity generation. Last week in Portland, the Bonneville Power
briefed the Northwest Power and Conservation Council on the first phase of an
international review of the treaty. ...
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/36534369.html
.22 Rail revival derailed for now
Daily Comet - Thibodaux, LA, USA
... probably take 10 years of negotiations, said Kevin
Belanger, CEO of South Central Planning and Development Corporation, a regional development group. ...
.23 Locke Reynolds: new name, clout
indy.com - Indianapolis, IN, USA
"Yes, we're giving up our name and taking their name,
because one of the things we're looking for is a regional name for our clients,
and Frost Brown is very well-known regionally,"
said James Dimos, a partner at Locke Reynolds who helped broker the deal.
http://www.indy.com/posts/locke-reynolds-new-name-clout
.24 Metro Ford of Schenectady Adopts Social Media Campaign
PitchEngine - Potratz Partners
Metro Ford of Schenectady is ready to set an example for
car dealers around the Capital Region. With the importance of new media at an
all-time high, one of Albany’s largest and most successful dealerships is
abandoning most traditional media and embarking on an entirely new social
campaign ... outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, among others, allow Metro
Ford to reach thousands of prospective customers at a fraction of the price.
...
.25 About a dozen
waiting for state wind power grants
Examiner.com - Washington, D.C.
Maryland Energy Administration administrator Joe Cohen
says the state allotted about $50,000 for grants this year. That money has run
out, but Cohen says the state could more grant funds from the Regional Green Gas Initiative - the
multistate program that sells carbon offsets. Cohen says the state was
surprised at the large number of applicants.
.26 Grant awards keep programs up and running
Traverse City Record Eagle - Traverse
City, MI, USA
Now in its third year, the program is made possible
through a $5000 grant from the Grand Traverse Regional
Community Foundation, an award that will help purchase 500 coupons.
...
http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_365095233.html
.27 Horrendous Holiday Sales Likely to Force 73000 Stores
to Close in the First Half of 2009
Cleveland Leader - Cleveland, OH, USA
... investors will begin seeing a wide variety of retail
chains seeking bankruptcy protection in February when they file financial
reports: “You’ll see department stores, specialty stores, discount
stores, grocery stores, drugstores, major chains either multi- regionally or nationally go out. ...
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/8374
.28 Building an Advocacy Strategy
American University - Public Affairs and
Advocacy Institute - C-Span Library
Greg Simon speaks about successful representation of
client interests, building alliances with policy makers, and developing new and
transparent lobbying strategies. He also talks about using lobbying as a means
of public advocacy rather than public relations, as well as methods to build
relationships with various interest groups. "The first rule of
advocacy: How do you get people to turn off their iPod and listen to
yours." ... "How do you get people to stop thinking about what they
are thinking about and playing their tape over and over and listen to something
new?" Video of presentation. Other lectures for series available.
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=283061-3
.29 Internet Providers Move to Shape Broadband Push
Wall Street Journal - USA
President-elect Barack Obama's call to improve the
nation's broadband infrastructure has cable and phone company lobbyists
maneuvering to get a leg up. … Large cable operators are seeking to
increase the FCC's definition of broadband download speed to about five
megabits per second, about 6½ times as fast as the current definition,
according to people familiar with the situation. Internet-service providers
building out "unserved" regions,
where service of that speed isn't available, would be given the full benefit of
tax incentives or grants. ...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123059580600140977.html?mod=djkeyword
11. Other Regional Community News
for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 Communication skills
Philippine Star - Manila, Philippines
... If we are going to develop our national language, we
should expand its vocabulary so that we don’t have to keep switching to
English when we are at a loss for Filipino translations, and vice versa. We
should also do our best to get everyone on board – particularly people
whose strong regionalism has made them resist efforts to promote the use of
Tagalog-based Filipino. There are people in this country who would rather speak
English than Tagalog. This regionalism was
a major hindrance to the promotion of Filipino as a national language when it
was made the principal medium of instruction two decades ago. That move has
been blamed for the rapid deterioration in the average Filipino’s
proficiency in English. Today many Filipinos have lost their proficiency in
both English and Filipino. This deficiency may be hard to correct for many
Filipino adults, but it’s still possible to give younger generations a
better chance at proficiency in the two languages. The ability to communicate
has always been indispensable for national competitiveness. This is even more
so in the age of globalization and cyberspace.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=425978&publicationSubCategoryId=64
.02 Realising the potential of collaboration will require
vision, leadership and courage–and lots of it - Public Service Review: Local Government
and the Regions Issue 13
Public Servant Online - Staffordshire,
UK
Collaboration has become the new policy buzzword ... Our
analysis suggests that there is a strong economic rationale for collaboration across boundaries. ... That local
government boundaries have remained largely static even whilst economic
structures have shifted is challenging because evidence suggests that economic
growth is stronger when there is alignment between administrative and
functional economic boundaries. In the absence of any desire for wholesale
local government re-organisation, collaboration between local authorities
within functional economic areas or city regions is now viewed as the most
feasible way of overcoming the challenges posed by administrative boundaries
that do not reflect economic reality. ...
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=11053
.03 ZIMBABWE: Regional trust in Mugabe withers
IRIN
President Robert Mugabe no longer enjoys the trust of the regional body, the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), to distribute humanitarian aid fairly, although
China is giving cash directly to the ruling ZANU-PF government to combat a
national cholera outbreak. ...
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2008/12/mil-081224-irin03.htm
.04 Regional bloc launches aid package for crisis torn
Zimbabwe
AFP
"This is regional solidarity. When you are facing
difficulties, you have to count on the solidarity of your brothers. We cannot
fail in assisting Zimbabwe, that's the critical and most important thing,"
said Salamao. Regional countries who contributed to the package include
Tanzania, Botswana and Namibia. ...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jQ1fhVT0mz4aHFtw3TDeHz60484Q
.05 China makes yuan an international currency
Times of India - India
Communist China on Thursday celebrated Christmas by
announcing a high-end capitalistic dream: Making the Yuan an international
currency. The government wants to implement some aspects of this dream in a
limited fashion. It has allowed businesses in certain regions of China to make payment settlements in Yuan instead
of using a reference currency like the US dollar, with countries like
Singapore. It has allowed businesses in certain regions of China to make
payment settlements in Yuan instead of using a reference currency like the US
dollar, ...
.06 United, North-East trio could overshadow ASEAN
The Canberra Times - Canberra,
Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Global financial dislocation and the economic slump are
putting Asia-Pacific regional cooperation
to the test. They also appear to be shaping somewhat different responses in
North-East Asia and South-East Asia. The latter, which formed the Association
of South East Asian Nations way back in 1967, has a big head start in
institutionalising collaboration and this week signed a charter that makes the
group a legal entity for the first time. North-East Asia has no equivalent
organisation to ASEAN.
.07 Material matters
and the search for resilience: rethinking regional and urban development
strategies in the context of global environmental change
International Journal of Innovation and
Sustainable Development
… In part this growth reflects neoliberal strategies
for urban and regional development
that seek to maximise the global movement of people and things. This raises
questions about how we think – or perhaps more accurately should think
– about regional and urban development and possible transitions to more
resilient and sustainable cities and regions as a necessary element in a
transition to a more resilient and sustainable planet. Can those who live in
the core cities and regions of the affluent global 'north' continue to rely on
the global movements of commodities and people from distant regions to sustain
their lifestyles?
http://www.inderscience.com/search/index.php?action=record&rec_id=22224&prevQuery=&ps=10&m=or
.08 Can Roads and Rain Forests Co-Exist?
Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com
Major infrastructure investments are now transforming the
respective ends of the world for Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru into an expanding
transportation and energy corridor. While there are definite benefits for regional development, the rate and
magnitude of these investments may produce significant colateral damage to
regional ecosystems and societies. The investments planned for the next five
years in MAP and neighboring regions are on the order of 10-20 billion dollars
...
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/can-roads-and-rain-forests-co-exist/
.09 Not every region will need an RDA
Centre for Cities
A new report from the Centre for Cities is calling for
radical reform of regional development agencies (RDAs) after the next general
election. The next Government should consider merging some RDAs and closing
others - to focus more on where economic development and investment is most
needed - like Northern and Midlands cities. ...
http://www.centreforcities.org/index.php?id=657
.10 China to send Navy to fight Somali pirates
China View
China is making preparations to deploy warships in the
Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast to fight rampant pirates, after a
Chinese ship escaped pirate hijack in the
region. … China's decision on Tuesday to send naval ships to
the waters off the Gulf of Aden and Somali coast was welcomed by the
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. …
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/18/content_10525310.htm
.11 United States Eager to Team with China to Deter Pirate
Attacks
America.gov
Collaboration among countries can put a powerful check on
criminal activity. ... Sixteen nations have been working on the problem off the
coast of Somalia, and now China has decided to deploy navy ships to the region
after several of its commercial ships were attacked. ... Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice said not all the African regional states have the requisite
judicial and law enforcement capabilities to prosecute pirates successfully.
She has said that the United Nations and other nations can help rectify this.
...
http://www.america.gov/st/peacesec-english/2008/December/20081222172545sjhtrop0.5483972.html
.12 From ’Pax Belgica’ to ’Eigen Volk
Eerst’ : The Causes and consequences of the rise, decline, and fall of
the Belgian unitary state
Europe2020
On December 2, 2008, the Council
of Europe’s Congress of Local Authorities issued a sharp indictment of
Belgium’s Flemish regional government, which had refused to ratify the
elections of three francophone mayoral candidates in Brussels suburbs on the
grounds that linguistic rules relating to election documents had not been
followed. ...
http://www.europe2020.org/spip.php?article578
.13 Chamber in pledge over future survival
Stoke & Staffordshire -
Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK
... "Regionally and locally, we are trying to secure
funding streams for business and to encourage local purchasing initiatives.
"We are working hard to ensure Staffordshire will survive this recession
with world-class companies able to provide long-term employment and wealth to
every part of the county."
.14 Turkey, Syria sign MoU for regional cooperation
World Bulletin
Turkey's State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Nazim
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