Making Middlesborough the DIY Capital of Eastern Kentucky

Participants in one of the classes now being held every Thursday night and Saturday afternoon at the Makers Market, 2008 Cumberland Ave. Credit: Donnelly Bryant.

Middlesborough, Kentucky, is making some moves to further strengthen our reputation as the "DIY Capital of Eastern Kentucky." Our two Better Block events and efforts at creative placemaking have transformed the downtown for the better with pop-up parks, pop-up shops, and parklets. The Makers Market that was started in April 2014 now represents nearly three-dozen artists, crafters, and food producers. Most recently we submitted an application to the Levitt AMP [Your City] contest. Online voting starts November 1 for our chance to win $25,000 to put on ten concerts downtown during the summer of 2015.

Here are a few more upcoming events that we appreciate your help getting the word out on:

• November 3, 9am-5pm, Simulcast of Placemaking Convening, Makers Market, 2008 Cumberland Ave. We'll be live broadcasting the placemaking convening being held in Washington, DC, at our Makers Market right here in Middlesborough. Creative placemaking involves artists in transforming places to make them more livable. Throughout the day we'll be building pallet furniture and working with our artists to make Middlesborough better. Lunch will be provided.
• November 18, 6:30pm-8pm, Tri-State Messiah Sing Along Dress Rehearsal, First Baptist Church, 2300 Cumberland Ave. In preparation for Handel's Messiah, we'll have a dress rehearsal at First Baptist. This is your chance to get familiar with the music and be ready for the big event. Cookies and light refreshments will be provided.
• December 6, 3pm, Middlesborough Christmas Parade, along Cumberland Ave in downtown Middlesborough. The Middlesboro High School Band, marching groups, youth groups, churches, and fire companies will ring in the Christmas season. You can easily register online any time before November 25. No late registrations will be accepted.
• December 6, 7pm-8:30pm, Tri-State Messiah Sing Along, First Baptist Church, 2300 Cumberland Ave. We will ring in the Christmas season with selections from Handel’s most well-known work...featuring live musicians and local talent. The best part? The choir is comprised of... YOU! If you love to sing along, or even if you’d like to sit back and listen, we invite you and yours to join us for an evening of Hallelujah’s.

None of these activities and events would be possible without the excellent support of our many partners. The Better Block projects and the Makers Market were funded by an Appalachian Regional Commission Flex-E-Grant through the Kentucky Department for Local Government and administered by the Brushy Fork Institute of Berea College. 

The Fund for the Arts out of Louisville, along with the Humana Foundation and the LG&E Foundation provided matching dollars through the Power2Give.org website. Once again we're partnering this Christmas season. Anyone can make an easy and secure online contribution today to help make our Christmas dreams come true.

http://power2give.org/kentucky/Project/Detail?projectId=8634

In the past month the Kentucky Arts Council released their exciting new Strategic Plan. This is available on their website at http://artscouncil.ky.gov/. Be sure to read it as it fits in nicely with the increasing emphasis on arts and cultural activities in downtown Middlesborough. 

For those wanting more information or with an interest in getting involved, please contact Discover Downtown Middlesboro at (606) 248-6155 or visit http://www.downtownmiddlesboro.org. We're also on Facebook and Twitter @DDMBoro.

Live Webcast of Placemaking Convening - November 3, 9am-5pm

Some of our creative placemakers making a pop-up park during the Better Block Middlesborough event in May 2014. Credit: Rodney Wolfenbarger, Brushy Fork Institute, Berea College.

Arts and community leaders in Middlesborough, Kentucky, are pleased to announce that a simulcast will be provided of the "Placemaking Convening" being held concurrently in Washington, DC. The location for this day long event will be the Makers Market at 2008 Cumberland Ave. Arts leaders from throughout Eastern Kentucky and the Commonwealth will be invited to participate.

Since launching in April 2014 as a pop-up shop, the Market represents nearly three dozen artists, crafters, and food producers. Their work is on display and available for sale. A growing number of classes are being offered to the public every Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. For more information, please visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MakersMarketKY.

Middlesborough has also earned a national reputation as an innovator in placemaking. Two successful Better Block events in October 2013 and May 2014 engaged hundreds of volunteers over a weekend in efforts to make the downtown a more vibrant and welcoming place. Pop-up shops, a pop-up park, and parklets have all given the downtown a new energy. In October 2014 the vacancy rate in the 40 block downtown area reached its lowest point in over three decades at 7.5%. Over the past year the unemployment rate in Bell County has fallen over 2.6%. In September 2013 Middlesborough won the "Successful Communities Contest" held by the Orton Family Foundation and Community Matters and in May 2014 Middlesborough was named "One to Watch" by the National Main Street Center.

Those wishing to participate in the simulcast should RSVP to downtownmiddlesboro(at)gmail.com. Lunch will be provided to those who register before November 3. Throughout the day we'll have fun and exciting events. We may even break out and make a pallet chair together!

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From Our Partners...

Live Webcast of Placemaking Convening

Focus on Performing Arts Organizations

DC Casineros at DanceAfrica DC 2013. Photo © Enoch Chan. FOR ONLINE ONLY 2 (1).jpg

The DC Casineros perform at DanceAfrica. Photo by Enoch Chan.

October 22, 2014

Washington, DC— The multiplatform convening, Beyond the Building: Performing Arts and Transforming Place, will be live webcast on Monday, November 3, 2014, from 9:00 am-5:00 pm ET. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), with support from ArtPlace America, is hosting this event that examines how performance-based organizations, and the artists they engage, transform places through their artistic practices. To register for the live webcast, go to the NEA's webinar page. 

The goal of the event is to create an opportunity for sharing experiences and exchanging key points of view that will benefit creative placemaking practices in the performing arts realm. The onsite participants include 26 representatives from dance, music, theater, and multidisciplinary organizations along with national arts leaders and are listed on the Beyond the Building webpage. The conversation will be facilitated by Barbara Schaffer Bacon, author, teacher, and co-director of Americans for the Arts' Animating Democracy initiative.

As detailed on the day's agenda, snapshot case studies and breakout sessions will punctuate the group discussions. Twitter chats on the convening’s topics will be led by HowlRound's Vijay Mathew at #PerformPlace. The morning's chat at 10:45 will focus on "When is performance placemaking?" while the afternoon chat  at 3:15 looks at "What are the opportunities and challenges to performing arts organizations engaging in placemaking strategies?

Participant bios and other resources will be posted on the convening page in the days leading to and during the convening. The webcast will be archived and posted on the NEA webinar page after the event.

For more information on the NEA's creative placemaking work go to the Partnership section of the NEA website. 

- See more at: http://arts.gov/news/2014/live-webcast-placemaking-convening#sthash.2IUiePTY.dpuf

Downtown Middlesborough Prepared for Halloween 2014, Plans for Christmas

ARH Middlesboro HomeCare Store

 at 1916 Cumberland Avenue handing out candy.

Bell County Chamber of Commerce getting involved in 2011.

Middlesboro, Kentucky - Historic downtown Middlesborough will once again be your destination for thrills, chills, and family fun this Halloween. The popular Nightmare on 20th Street will return again on Saturday, October 25, 2014, starting at 4pm. North 20th Street in downtown Middlesborough will have food, crafts, and bouncy houses.

Bell County Chamber of Commerce is organizing another fun event for the benefit of schoolchildren in our community. On Wednesday, October 31, 2014, students from participating schools will go trick-or-treating from business to business downtown. Participating store owners will be encouraged to wear Halloween costumes as will the kids. If the experience of past years is any guide, this special trick-or-treat is sure to be fun for everyone involved. For businesses or schools that have not already registered, you are welcome to contact  the Bell County Chamber at 606-248-1075.

Promotional shot for Middlesborough Christmas 2014, showing Fountain Square and the original Alexander Arthur building superimposed in the background.

Getting Ready for the Christmas Parade

Middlesborough is planning an epic Christmas celebration for the Tri-State area of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. On Saturday, December 6, 2014, we'll host our popular annual Christmas Parade at 3pm. The theme this year will be "A Child Will Lead Them." Those wishing to register for the parade may do so by Tuesday, November 25, 2014, via an online survey form or by calling (606) 248-6155.

Following the parade at 7pm we'll host the first ever Tri State Messiah Sing Along at First Baptist Church of Middlesboro, 2300 Cumberland Ave. We'll be staging Handel's famous work and invite the audience to sing along. Both events will build on Middlesborough's growing reputation as the DIY Capital of Eastern Kentucky.

2014 East Tennessee Preservation Conference

JOIN US IN THE SECRET CITY AND LEARN HOW TO CAPITALIZE ON THE EXPERIENCE-BASED ECONOMY!
 

As America moves toward a growing “experience-based economy” preservation is more important than ever for communities seeking comprehensive and sustainable economic and community development.  From revitalized downtown's to heritage tourism to new ways of experiencing history interactively, these growing segments of local economies take preservation efforts to new levels of understanding. Preservation enthusiasts have known this for a long time, but now THE SECRET IS OUT ……. preservation secures our heritage while making real dollars and sense.

View the full schedule and register:
www.knoxheritage.org/conference

** EAST TN PRESERVATION AWARDS DINNER **
November 6 at 6:00 PM

** ALEXANDER INN GALA CELEBRATION **
November 7 at 6:30 PM

AIA CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
  

 ** KEYNOTE SPEAKER **
FRANKLIN VAGNONE

THE ANARCHISTS GUIDE TO HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUMS
“Finding the Poetic In Other People’s Houses”
 

Franklin Vagnone is the Executive Director of the Historic House Trust of New York City.  He has been called controversial, provocative, thought-provoking and inspiring regarding his approach to managing historic house museums. Mr. Vagnone encourages those who love historic house museums to change the way they operate in order to re-invigorate and re-engage with the communities they serve. He has consulted, lectured, and taught nationally for an extensive list of historic sites, museums, historic houses, community-based historic societies, and membership organizations. Seen as a national thought leader in innovative & entrepreneurial non-profit management for historic sites, Franklin has instituted culturally diverse strategies that transform institutions, encouraged innovative thinking that increases operational functionality, engages diverse new audiences, expands relevancy, attendance and fundraising capacity. All of this facilitated with robust partnerships and strong messaging through traditional and social media.
 

Also featuring: Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker, Real Estate Developer David Dewhirst, Tennessee Main Street Director Nancy Williams, The Brushy Mountain Group, among others.
 

SEE YOU IN OAK RIDGE!

Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Organization, Family Pride Corporation, Merit Construction and the East Tennessee Foundation along with Campbell County, East Tennessee Quality Growth, Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, Investigative Services of East Tennessee, Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Sweetwater, and Thomason and Associates.

Selling to the World Training Sessions

Some great opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs follow. Please be sure to take advantage of these resources in our own back yard.

RFP for Redevelopment of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Home, Middlesboro, Kentucky

City of Middlesboro, Kentucky  

Redevelopment of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Home

Project Scope:

The City of Middlesboro is seeking to hire a consultant to complete a predevelopment report on the Benevolent and Protective order of Elks Home.  The data collected will be used to evaluate different approaches to rehabilitation for this property and will be combined with existing documentation and structural reports.  The final report will present an assessment of potential approaches to rehabilitation on the property and will clearly illustrate how such work will be carried out in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.  In addition, the report will be used to guide all future work on the historic resource.

Qualifications:

Architecture/Engineer with professional experience working with historic structures and/or a Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firm with adequate knowledge of historic architecture and rehabilitations.  The final selection can also be a combination of both an Architect/Engineer and a CRM firm who choose to work in partnership with each other. 

Submission:

Please submit the following information to:

Isaac Kremer

Discover Downtown Middlesboro

P.O. Box 1156

                Middlesboro, Kentucky 40965

• Cover letter
• Agency narrative describing the size of the firm and the type of projects regularly completed.  Include experience with historic buildings, pre-development, and rehabilitation projects.
• Proposal and/or outline of final report that succinctly addresses the scope of work and the firms capacity to fulfill the project requirements.
• Itemized list of deliverables including their associated costs.
• Timetable of the proposed process, and periodic deliverable.
• Examples of previous projects/experience, particularly involving pre-development of historic resources
• Three references, including telephone and email contact information, of previous clients
• Resumes of primary personnel

Questions:

Any questions about the project scope or the proposal that arises should be emailed to Mr. Isaac Kremer at downtownmiddlesboro@gmail.com or via phone at (606) 248-6155

Deadline:

Final Proposals must be received by 4:00 pm on September 29^th, 2014. 

$500,000 available for building improvements in downtown Middlesboro

Media Contact: Paul Wright, (859) 986-2373, pwright@maced.org, and Isaac Kremer (606) 248-6155, downtownmiddlesboro@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 $500,000 available for building improvements in downtown Middlesboro

Berea, Ky. – The Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) will announce on Friday, Sept. 12 its partnership with Discover Downtown Middlesboro (DDM) and America Saves! to offer Energy Savings Loans to downtown Middlesboro, Ky., business and building owners.

“MACED is committed to helping small businesses save money in downtown Middlesboro, and making downtown buildings more affordable to operate and more appealing to lease,” MACED Enterprise Development Director Paul Wright said. He added “We support reinvestment in downtown and commercial corridors, and believe in demonstrating how a local economy can benefit from energy efficiency improvements.”

America Saves! is a national program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Main Street Center. It helps building owners across the country identify long-term energy cost savings. Discover Downtown Middlesboro is one of America Saves! first pilot program sites. DDM received a grant from America Saves! to enroll 100 buildings in the energy efficiency program.

“If  all 100 buildings enrolled in America Saves! implemented an average sized energy efficiency upgrade, it could result in at least $500,000 in new investment in downtown Middlesboro,” DDM President Jay Shoffner said. He continued, “We’re so happy that MACED is ready to help downtown Middlesboro businesses and building owners make wise investments today to strengthen their businesses tomorrow.”

Participants will receive free energy savings potential analyses in easy-to-understand technical reports with improvements prioritized based on energy savings and payback. Building owners who apply for a MACED energy efficiency loan can access up to $50,000 to help implement energy efficiency projects by December 31, 2015. MACED will waive loans fees for Middlesboro projects that qualify. 

The announcement about the partnership between MACED, America Saves! and DDM will be made at the “Achieving Energy Savings Workshop” at the Makers Market, 2008 Cumberland Ave. The workshop is open to the public and will be on Friday, Sept. 12, from 11:30am-1pm. Presenters will include: Preservation Green Lab Associate Project Manager Jeana C. Wiser, America Saves! Project Manager Lindsey M. Wallace, DDM Executive Director Isaac Kremer, MACED Enterprise Development Director Paul Wright, and MACED Energy Efficient Enterprises Program Coordinator Josh Bills. Those interested in attending may RSVP by calling (606) 248-6155 or sending an email to downtownmiddlesboro@gmail.com. A free lunch will be provided. 

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About The National Main Street Center

Established in 1980 as a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Main Street Center works with a nationwide network of communities to encourage preservation-based economic revitalization that utilizes the Main Street Four-Point Approach.® The Center participated in the renewal of more than 2,000 older commercial districts during its 30-year history. Now a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Main Street Center provides information, offers technical assistance, holds conferences and workshops, and conducts research and advocacy on critical preservation and community revitalization issues.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Preservation Green Lab

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, through its Preservation Green Lab, strengthens the fabric of communities by leveraging the value of existing buildings to reduce resource waste, create jobs, and bolster a strong sense of community. The Preservation Green Lab is helping cities and community development organizations revitalize their economy and community well-being through various initiatives. The program is a national model for delivering energy efficiency to small businesses and buildings, driving cost savings and new investment in existing buildings.

About MACED

The Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED)creates economic alternatives that work for low-income people and natural places in Kentucky and Central Appalachia. MACED employs three core strategies—community investment, research for policy change and demonstration initiatives. Four paths of work flow directly from these strategies: strengthening the key sectors of energy and forestry; promoting entrepreneurship; influencing Kentucky’s economic policy; and advancing an Appalachian Transition.

Image Links:

http://www.preservationnation.org/assets/photos-images/information-center/sustainable-communities/green-lab/america-saves/AmericaSaves_RGB.png - America Saves! logo

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wxAmlMQ5k6XyPPtA44jfPVgcr5lIfNMm8tJQ2SbUCHKT69ByqIk509Pe_YDmPY-n_3L1nI_O4cdIiW1CMkGtXysLCTrKkgyslVUQYJQvFYyAZQwC3LJ5tQAG2MWJOinrAgbEHNtlG-w/s1600/MACED+logo+ED+(1).jpg - MACED logo

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNfNd4p0Y0An7sTOAmudqVt0DdnUBHInYiFalZDgw242kIVAdhV8sdX5G02-4-RTTAJgGFW9IQ68qSqBIel_pZrADivupkh0ilzA6PGUjuevWc3PJaXG5fizwmKKPuOLMXWntcqcAD_o/s1600/ddm+logo+copy.png - DDM logo