Monday Mailing
Year 21 • Issue 34 11 May 2015 1. Collaboration, Innovation Lead to Award for Metro and 1000 Friends of Oregon 2. Less Water In Northwest Rivers Will Mean Less Hydropower 3. League of Oregon Cities – Select Bill Summaries 4. Hazards Related Web Resources 5. Salt Lake City to Install Nation’s First Protected Intersection for Bicycling 6. Water Pricing in Two Thirsty Cities: In One, Guzzlers Pay More, and Use Less 7. Upcoming TREC Transportation Seminar: Development of a Pedestrian Demand Estimation Tool: a Destination Choice Model 8. Free eBook: The Guide to Effective Online Engagement 9. This is The First Road-Legal Big Rig That Can Drive Itself 10. WEBINAR: Main Street, LLC: Put Your Money Where Your House Is 11. Funding Opportunities 1. Collaboration, Innovation Lead to Award for Metro and 1000 Friends of Oregon A recent award spells great things to come for Metro’s ability to meaningfully engage the region’s residents. The Center for Public Service at Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government has awarded its inaugural Oregon Innovation Award to Metro to help develop a new inclusive public engagement model.
Quote of the Week: "Almost always the creative, dedicated minority has made the world better." ~Martin Luther King Jr.
The award provides Metro’s Planning and Development Communications work team and 1000 Friends of Oregon with 1,000 hours from an Oregon Fellow to improve how Metro works with community-based organizations over the long term, and explore better ways to measure the effectiveness of the agency's public engagement. To access the full story, click here.
Oregon Fast Fact: At 11,239 feet Mount Hood stands as the tallest peak in Oregon. Mount Hood is a dormant volcano.
2. Less Water In Northwest Rivers Will Mean Less Hydropower Water supply forecasts are looking bleak for many Northwest rivers this year. Managers say that means the region will generate less hydropower. At a meeting in Portland this week, power managers with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council will hear an update on the region’s snow pack and stream flow forecasts.
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Jim Ruff, manager of main stem passage and river operations for the Council, submitted a memo to the council saying dismally low snow pack in many areas of the Columbia River Basin will mean less water in rivers, and that will negatively affect fish and wildlife, agriculture and hydropower generation. To access the full story, click here. 3. League of Oregon Cities – Select Bill Summaries Throughout the 2015 session, bills of city interest will be available to view here. Summaries and status updates are included weekly to keep cities current on legislation affecting local governments during the session. Bills are categorized by city concern using the League’s standing and issue committee titles. This summary provides a hyperlink directly to the bill language and additional bill information, located under the bill number, as it becomes available during the legislative process. This includes, but is not limited to, staff measure summaries, testimony, sponsor(s) and amendments. In addition to these new features, users can view a summary of the bill, see which lobbyist is assigned to the bill, and get an up-to-date bill status report. To access this resource, click here. 4. Hazards Related Web Resources The CDC Climate Ready States and Cities Initiative Experts have predicted the impacts of climate change will take a toll on human health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is doing something about it. This initiative, currently active in 16 states and 2 cities, uses atmospheric and epidemiological models to predict health impacts in an area, assess vulnerability, and then prepare for and respond to the effects of climate change. Visit the site for more on the CDC framework used in the initiative and to see the efforts of the cities and states currently participating in the program. Directory of FEMA Earthquake Partners If earthquakes are on your mind, you’ll want to tap into the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s extensive network of partners working and providing resources in the field. This freshly updated directory lists more than 300 organizations that can be of help in various ways, including providing information and helping promote awareness efforts.
Connecting America: Building Resilience with Social Media
This report is the result of efforts by the Center for National Policy to understand how to better promote resilience and what tools work best for helping Americans respond and adapt to natural disaster. The report finds that the values of resilience are easily communicated using social media and are closely aligned with group values of social media users. Authors recommend updating the Emergency Broadcast System, maintaining Social Media Emergency Operations Centers, and developing critical network notifications as ways to more fully envelop social media into emergency preparedness and response. Asteroid Day While most of the current awareness of asteroid danger comes from improbable Hollywood plots, a new movement is looking to change all that. The first Asteroid Day will be held on June 30 (marking the day in 1908 when huge asteroid exploded over the Tunguska river in Siberia) and aims to educate people on asteroids and ways to protect the planet. Visit the Web site for a wealth of information on asteroid detection and tracking, strike prevention, and other planetary defense tactics. Page 2 of 8
Archivist Pocket Response Plan Local, state, and government archivist can now carry preparedness in their pocket thanks to this sturdy, credit-card sized response plan. The pocket plan is designed to be customized to hold all the information needed by archivists should their organization encounter a disaster. With elements such as an emergency communications directory and an emergency response checklist, this tiny guide will be a big addition to agency disaster plans. FEMA Careers Anyone with aspirations to join the Federal Emergency Management Agency team will appreciate this new Web site dedicated to helping navigate the federal employment process. Visitors can search for jobs, find career resources, learn about temporary and volunteer opportunities, and track their applications. Drought Impacts to Critical Infrastructure This recent report by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis examines the impacts of current drought conditions on critical infrastructure systems such as water and wastewater, energy, food, and agriculture. The report outlines the effects now visible on systems and planning and policy measures to address them. Bracing for the Storm: How to Reform U.S. Disaster Policy to Prepare for a Riskier Future This SmarterSafer report takes a hard look at how current disasters in the United States are handled and provides recommendations for creating a more sustainable model. Among its suggestions are encouraging more mitigation and planning, fortifying infrastructure, reforming flood insurance, ensuring equity in disaster preparedness and response, and improving coordination among federal, state, and local response agencies. 5. Salt Lake City to Install Nation’s First Protected Intersection for Bicycling Salt Lake City is on track to implement America’s first protected intersection for bicycling this summer. The intersection design is based on a Dutch template that minimizes potential conflicts between people biking, driving, and walking. For example, it allows cyclists to make a left turn in two stages without crossing against oncoming car traffic. It will be part of a protected bike lane running a little more than a mile through a central portion of the Utah capital. The National Association of City Transportation Officials said that to the best of its knowledge, this will be the first protected intersection design in the United States. To access the full story, click here. 6. Water Pricing in Two Thirsty Cities: In One, Guzzlers Pay More, and Use Less FRESNO, Calif. — When residents of this parched California city opened their water bills for April, they got what Mayor Ashley Swearengin called “a shock to the system.” The city had imposed a long-delayed, modest rate increase — less than the cost of one medium latte from Starbucks for the typical household, and still leaving the price of water in Fresno among the lowest across the entire Western United States. But it was more than enough to risk what the mayor bluntly admits could be political suicide.
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“It wasn’t that long ago,” Ms. Swearengin said, “that people here were fighting the installation of water meters.” To access the full story, click here. 7. Upcoming TREC Transportation Seminar: Development of a Pedestrian Demand Estimation Tool: a Destination Choice Model Friday, May 15, 2015 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm There is growing support for improvements to the quality of the walking environment, including more investments to promote pedestrian travel. Planners, engineers, and others seek improved tools to estimate pedestrian demand that are sensitive to environmental and demographic factors at the appropriate scale in order to aid policy-relevant issues like air quality, public health, and smart allocation of infrastructure and other resources. Further, in the travel demand forecasting realm, tools of this kind are difficult to implement due to the use of spatial scales of analysis ... Read more Speaker: Chris Muhs, Ph.D. student, Portland State University Watch online: Use this link on the day of the seminar Attend in person: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center at PSU 8. Free eBook: The Guide to Effective Online Engagement This guide will help you learn how to use online tools and tactics to engage your community. We outline what to look for in a good tool, as well as best practices and tips gleaned from our 18 years of experience in public outreach projects. To access your copy, click here. 9. This is The First Road-Legal Big Rig That Can Drive Itself Last night, atop the Hoover Dam, Freightliner unveiled the Inspiration Truck — a partially autonomous big rig that could save lives, mitigate driver fatigue and stress, and reduce CO2 emissions up to 5 percent. Daimler, which owns Freightliner, says it has done more than 10,000 miles of testing on the truck. And now it's street-legal, having been officially granted one of Nevada's "Autonomous Vehicle" license plates (the first for a commercial truck) by Nevada governor Brian Sandoval at a media event before the unveiling. The Inspiration Truck and Daimler's underlying "Highway Pilot" technology isn't meant to replace truck drivers completely. Instead, it's meant to solve the problem of fatigued driving, something that plagues truck drivers who have to pull long shifts. According to Daimler, 90 percent of truck crashes result from driver error, and in one out of every eight of those cases driver fatigue plays a role. To access the full story, click here. 10. WEBINAR: Main Street, LLC: Put Your Money Where Your House Is Friday, May 15, 2015 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (EDT) Is your downtown succumbing to vacant and decaying historic buildings? To combat downward momentum, Rick Hauser, mayor of Perry, New York, and owner of In. Site: Architecture developed Main Street, LLC, a community-based for-profit development corporation. Main Street, LLC recognizes the quantitative and qualitative benefits of reversing neglect and urges people to “put their money where their house is.”
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On May 15, Rick joins CommunityMatters® and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design™ (CIRD) for a 60-minute webinar. He’ll offer new insights into a longstanding challenge for towns and small cities—getting the ball rolling to overcome vacancy and blight in key downtown locations. Speaker - Rick Hauser, mayor of Perry, New York and owner of In.Site: Architecture To register for this webinar, click here. 11. Funding Opportunities Lincoln Financial Group Invites Submissions for 2015 Lincoln's Legacy Award<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBVQ9v$B8ixfdB9BWBnAACSSkj0/rfpb21> DEADLINE: May 15, 2015 A single grant of $50,000 will be awarded to a nonprofit organization working to boost high school graduation rates and college preparedness.... THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is offering funding to nonprofits and public agencies through the Partnerships to Increase Coverage in Communities II Initiative. Funding is offered for programs to educate various uninsured populations who are eligible for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. These populations include racial and ethnic minority people and those that are economically or environmentally disadvantaged (such as limited English proficient and immigrant and refugee populations). Programs would offer education about the Marketplace and assist with enrollment and completion of the application process to determine eligibility and obtain or purchase health coverage offered through the Marketplace. Deadline: 5/22/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-x/> for funding guidelines and an application. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is offering grants to fund demonstration projects that provide eligible individuals with the opportunity to obtain education and training for occupations in the healthcare field that pay well and are expected to either experience labor shortages or be in high demand. Deadline to apply: 5/29/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-m/> for funding criteria. THE LOWE'S CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION supports nonprofit organizations and local municipalities undertaking high-need projects such as building renovations/upgrades, grounds improvements, technology upgrades, and safety improvements. Most grants range from $10,000 to $25,000. Deadline: 5/29/2015. Visit the company’s website here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-c/> to take the eligibility quiz and submit an online application. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE is offering grants to nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes with a demonstrable history of providing community-based reentry programs and services for Latino/a youth. The objective of this program is to provide Latino/a youth with supportive services based on and matched to their assessed risks and needs and to support their successful reentry to the family and community. Deadline: 6/1/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-a/> for additional funding guidelines. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE is offering grants to nonprofit and public agencies to provide an array of new and expanded mentoring activities. Deadline: 6/2/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-f/> for funding guidelines. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR is offering grants to public or private nonprofit organizations through YouthBuild, a community-based alternative education program for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are high school dropouts, adjudicated youth, youth aging out of Page 5 of 8
foster care, youth with disabilities, homeless youth, and other disadvantaged youth populations. The YouthBuild program simultaneously addresses several core issues important to low-income communities: affordable housing, education, employment, leadership development, and energy efficiency. Funding available: $700,000 to $1,100,000 over 40 months. Deadline: 6/5/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-z/> for application guidelines. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION is funding programs for American Indians with disabilities who reside on or near federal or state reservations so that they may prepare for and engage in high quality employment that will increase opportunities for economic self-sufficiency. Deadline: 6/8/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-v/> for application guidelines. THE FOUNDATION FOR A HEALTHY KENTUCKY is offering funding to research, document, and examine health conditions in the Appalachian region. Researchers should document health disparities; identify communities that have better than expected health outcomes, and identify community-based models and policy implications. Deadline: 6/8/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-e/> for funding guidelines. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is offering grants through the Assets for Independence (AFI) Demonstration Program. Deadline: 6/15/2015. AFI enables community-based nonprofits and government agencies to implement and demonstrate an assetsbased approach for supporting low-income individuals and their families. View information about resources, trainings, and other assistance for grantees and potential applicants on the Assets for Independence Resource Center website here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-s/>. THE TONY HAWK FOUNDATION is offering grants to nonprofit and public organizations for funding the construction of new, quality skateparks located in low-income communities throughout the United States. The Foundation primarily supports projects that can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment, particularly in the form of planning and fundraising by local skateboarders and other community groups. Deadline: 6/17/2015. Visit the Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-g/> to review grant criteria and submit an online application. THE WELLS FARGO REGIONAL FOUNDATION offers two grant programs to improve the quality of life for children and families living in low-income neighborhoods in Delaware, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. 1. Neighborhood Planning Grants of $25,000 to $100,000 support intensive 12 to 24 month resident-driven neighborhood planning processes. The application deadline for this program is 9/4/2015 (required Intent to Apply Calls will be held on June 18 and June 24). 2. Neighborhood Implementation Grants of $100,000 to $750,000 over three to five years support comprehensive community development projects that target specific neighborhoods. The application deadline for this program is 10/23/2015 (required Intent to Apply Calls will be held on August 7 and August 12). Visit the Wells Fargo website here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiiluw/> to learn more about both grant programs and to take the eligibility quiz. USDA is offering funding for the Section 514/516 Farm Labor Housing Loans and Grants Program. Deadline: pre-applications for construction or purchase and substantial rehab of off-farm housing are due 6/23/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-yd/> for funding guidelines.
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Chambers of Commerce Grants to Ignite Youth Entrepreneurs<http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/young-entrepreneurs-academy> - Deadline: May 30, 2015 Funder: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Woodard & Curran Foundation Invites Applications From Environmental Organizations<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBVQ9v$B8ixfdB9BWBnAACSSkj0/rfpb12> DEADLINE: June 15, 2015 Grants of up to 20,000 will be awarded to projects that promote a clean and sustainable environment and demonstrate community involvement in environmental stewardship.... Knight-VICE Innovators Fund Accepting Applications From Journalists<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBVQ9v$B8ixfdB9BWBnAACSSkj0/rfpb26> DEADLINE: June 1, 2015 The fund is designed to support journalists and others seeking to adopt new ways of storytelling for the next generation of news consumers.... U.S. Department of Education Announces $3 Million In Grants Available to Help Native Youth Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: June 2, 2015. Applications Due: June 29, 2015. The U.S. Department of Education today announced the availability of an estimated $3 million in grants to help Native American youth become college- and career-ready. In a Federal Register notice<https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/04/28/2015-09832/applications-for-newawards-indian-education-discretionary-grants-programs-demonstration-grants-for>, the Department said it would award five to seven demonstration grants ranging from $400,000 to $600,000 to tribal communities before Sept. 30. The new program is based on significant consultation with tribal communities and recognizes that these communities are best-positioned to: * Identify key barriers to improving educational and life outcomes for Native youth, and * Develop and implement locally produced strategies designed to address those barriers. Each grant will support a coordinated, focused approach chosen by a community partnership that includes a tribe, local schools and other optional service providers or organizations. For example, the program allows tribes to identify ways to achieve college and career readiness specific to their own communities – whether it’s early learning, language immersion or mental health services. Communities can tailor actions to address one or more of those issues. The success of these first projects will guide the work of future practices that improve the educational opportunities and achievement of preschool, elementary and secondary Indian students. The President’s FY 2016 budget proposal calls for increased investments across Indian Country, including a total request of $20.8 billion for a range of federal programs that serve tribes – a $1.5 billion increase over the 2015-enacted level. The budget proposal includes $53 million for fiscal year 2016 – a $50 million increase from this year – to significantly expand the Native Youth Community Projects program. For more on the Administration’s investment in Native American issues, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/nativeamericans. SNAP - Farmers’ Market SNAP Support Grants Applications Due - June 18, 2015 these funds are intended to support “the participation of farmers’ markets in SNAP by providing equipment and support grants to new markets and those currently participating in the program.” The goals of the FMSSG program are to increase SNAP accessibility and participation at farmers’ markets, and support the establishment, expansion, and promotion of SNAP/Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) services at farmers’ markets. This is a new program, which may continue in subsequent years. http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/snap/FMSSG-RFA-FINAL-05.05.15.docx.pdf
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THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS is offering grants to arts organizations, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, local education agencies, and other organizations that can help advance the goals of the Arts Endowment. The program seeks to support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. Deadline: 7/23/2015. Click here<http://rurallisc.cmail2.com/t/r-l-allktdt-jrdkjkiilu-yh/> to visit the website for details. Best Buy Foundation Accepting Applications for National Youth Technology Program<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBVQ9v$B8ixfdB9BWBnAACSSkj0/rfpb20> DEADLINE: November 1, 2015 Grants of up to $200,000 will be awarded to programs that provide underserved teens with access to new technologies and help them become interested and fluent in digital learning.... Community-Based Learning Center Grants<http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/nonprofits/> - Deadline: Open Funder: Microsoft Corporation
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