July 29, 2011
Date & Time: Friday, July 29, 2011; 12:00 pm
Location: Chamber of Commerce
Description: The quarterly meeting of the Economic Development Goal Team led by Ellis Bruce and Tyrone Stayton.
Economic Development Goal Team Meeting Minutes for 7.29.2011 (.pdf)
July 26, 2011
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 26, 2011; 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: Great River Co-op
Description: The quarterly meeting of the Education Goal Team led by co-chairs Suzann McCommon and Kyle Miller.
Date & Time: Monday, July 25th, 2011; 3:30 pm
Location: Southern Bancorp (Cherry St. branch) – upstairs conference room
Description: The quarterly meeting of the Tourism, Recreation and Quality of Life Goal Team led by Chair Paula Oliver (Main Street Helena)
July 7, 2011
Date & Time: Monday, July 11, 2011; 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: Chamber of Commerce
Description: The quarterly meeting of the Leadership Goal Team led by Doug Friedlander and Kathleen Bell
July 5, 2011
This summer Civil War Helena (Tourism Goal 4), the 29-site tourism initiative focused on telling Helena’s unique Civil War story, will be ramping up with work on several key sites.
FORT CURTIS: Work began last week on Fort Curtis, the earthen-walled Union fort once located in the downtown. The fort will feature several cannons, one of which will be operational, and will allow visitors to walk through and explore its interior. Located on Columbia Street at the former site of Jefferson Elementary School, this three-fourths replica of the original fort will occupy the entire block and will be the only reconstructed fort of its kind in the region.
FREEDOM PARK: Engineering and survey work is underway for Freedom Park, a four-acre site located on South Biscoe across from Estevan Hall. Freedom Park has been designated as the first Network to Freedom site in Arkansas, a National Park Service designation for key Underground Railroad sites across the nation. The park will feature five major outdoor exhibits and is expected to be one of the major draws for the Civil War Helena initiative. The exhibits will explore the African-American experience in Civil War Helena, following the journey from fugitive slave to Contraband to freedom and, for some, enlistment in the Union Army and participation in the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism released plans last month for a new multi-million dollar Arkansas Welcome Center in Helena (Tourism Goal 1, Action Step D). The Welcome Center will be located at the current Super 7 Motel site at the foot of the Highway 49 Bridge.
The design for the center features a hilltop mansion in the “informal Italianate style,” and was inspired by architectural elements seen in many of Helena’s historic buildings. Inside, a series of display cases will highlight area attractions and a computer station will enable travelers to look up destination phone numbers and book last minute hotel rooms. The plans for the center will go out for bid in December, with estimated completion in 2013.
Through an ongoing partnership between Main Street Helena and the Delta Bridge Project, citywide gateway and directional signs are being developed to guide visitors to destinations throughout the Helena area. This project (Tourism Goal 1, Action Step C) will support ongoing tourism development by highlighting our community’s assets, including the Delta Cultural Center, Helena Museum of Phillips County (formerly the Phillips County Museum), Helena River Park and the St. Francis National Forest.
A group of approximately 25 community stakeholders has helped develop and review the sign designs and location plan. MERJE, the design firm leading the project, has also incorporated the recommendations of the city’s 2010 Branding and Marketing Report. Phase one of the signage plan is targeted for installation in October of this year and will focus on directing visitors to destinations in the historic downtown.
Giving back in Phillips County has become easier than ever! The Phillips County Volunteer Corps (PCVC) is a countywide volunteer program that seeks to connect interested volunteers with volunteer opportunities. The PCVC website (http://www.volunteermatters.com/pcvc) allows registered volunteers to sign-up for volunteer shifts with nonprofit organizations all over the county. A weekly e-newsletter highlights upcoming volunteer events and celebrates volunteer accomplishments. PCVC will host an annual celebration to recognize and reward Phillips County citizens who give back to their community.
This Leadership Goal Team project (Leadership Goal 2) is operated under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce and is run by Teach For America alumna Kathleen Quinlen, who serves as PCVC’s volunteer director.
July 4, 2011
Below is an update on recent grant activity in support of the 10-year Strategic Community Plan:
Grants received:
Grants submitted: