Graham Revitalization Economic Action Team – GREAT
    

2012 Report to the Public

GREAT Activities and Accomplishments
  

The year of 2012 was a GREAT year for the organization.  General membership of the organization has increased to over one hundred people and forty local, regional and state agencies are partners.  The seven committees continue to be very active in various Graham County initiatives.  Committee and partner activities have resulted in almost nine hundred thousand dollars ($897,627) being awarded to support the organization’s initiatives.

Attached is a complete list of accomplishments for GREAT.  Highlights of the year include:

·        Alcoa Foundation grant to continue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics activities for Graham County Schools students;

·        Marshall University funding to the Graham County Diabetes Coalition for prevention and diabetes management activities;

·        Involvement of youth through the organization of the GREAT Youth Leadership Organization and collaboration with the Graham County Extension Service Office;

·        NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources funding to support recycling efforts in Graham County;

·        Completion of the Revitalization Community Workshops and presentation of the Reimagining Robbinsville document to the public;

·        Increased internet access for Graham County with the DNet Wireless, Bypass WiFi and Frontier Connect America projects;

·        Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) and WNC Nonprofit Pathways support for strategic planning revision; and

·        Support for general operating activities from CFWNC, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and Duke Energy Foundation for the organization.

Thank you for your involvement with GREAT and support of its activities to improve the quality of life for Graham County citizens.

 

Sincerely,

Rick Davis

Rick Davis, Executive Director

 

 

Activities and Accomplishments

 

Economic Development, Business and Industry Committee – Claudie Burchfield

  • Qualla-T Customer Service and Hospitality Training  

  • Development/production of Graham County Business Directory  

  • Collaboration with Stanley Furniture   

  • NC Rural Center Entrepreneurship Grant - $18,000

  • Handmade in America – Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) organization included as subcommittee

  • Representation on Graham County Economic Development Commission

o       Submission and approval of $10,000 for RV dump station

o       Submission and approval of $6,000 match for Toolbox Implementation Fund

·        Collaboration with Graham County to promote Young America Recreation Park

 

  2012 saw the creation of the Graham County Economic Development Commission, Graham County Chamber, changes within Travel and Tourism and the hiring of a new Economic Development Director for Graham County.   GREAT remained actively interested and involved in Economic Development within the county during this time by serving on the Commission, supporting the efforts of the other two organizations that directly impact economic development and by championing the cause for hiring a new Director.    

- Claudie Burchfield, Chair 

Leadership and Government Committee – Mike Harwood

  • ARC/NC Department of Commerce Board Leadership Training - $18,250 

  • Brushy Fork Annual Institute Training

  • Knights of the Round Table - Cherokee Preservation Foundation Grant for 2009-10 school year to develop leadership skills through community Environmental Awareness and Education activities - $15,000

  • Office of Economic Opportunity/Catholic Social Services - $4,000 for Leadership Program

  • Formation of the GREAT Youth Leadership Organization (GYLO) in order for youth to have a voice in Graham County issues and discussions

  • Knights of the Round Table - NC Rural Center – New Generation Leaders – $20,000 grant to Graham County Extension Service to encourage young people, ages 16 to 30, to become more active in civic and economic affairs through selection of a community improvement project of their own creation. The teams of young people will work with established leaders to design and implement a project while also immersing themselves in the community's history, culture and economy.

 

Education and Workforce Development Committee – Rhonda Anderson

  • CFWNC Opportunity Grant with Graham County Schools - $6,900

  • NC Dropout Prevention Grant ($150,000)/Renewal ($150,000) - $300,000

  • RDA – Construction Technology Class Project  

  • 21st Century Afterschool Program proposal in collaboration with  Graham County Schools, Swain County Schools and Stecoah Valley Center - $1.2 million over four year period  

  • Dolly Parton Imagination Library - $12,699 in donations as of March 01, 2011

  • Graham County Schools 21st Century Community Learning Center 2010 Summer Program - $150,000 (3 year project/$50,000 per year)

  • Alcoa Foundation – Project ESTEME (Engaging in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education - $28,050

  • North Carolina Energy Office – ARRA funds to improve lighting, install occupancy sensors in bathrooms and hallways and upgrade heating and air conditioning system controls - $199,380

  • Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust – a three year grant to support the establishment of a student support team to expand substance abuse and mental health services to low-income students of Graham County - $199,798

  • Golden Leaf Community Assistance Initiative – Technology Project - $175,000

  • Alcoa Foundation – STEM Project  - $26,834

  • NC Department of Health and Human Services – PREPare for Success/Teen Outreach Program - $100,000 per year for three years - $300,000

  • Collaboration with USFS for upgrades/maintenance on the Massey Branch Fitness Trail by RHS Technology Construction Class

  • RDA/Carpentry Class Project house sold

  • Imagination Library Project - $5,940 donations for 2011

  • Alcoa Foundation – GCS STEM Project  - $20,165

  • Imagination Library Project – funding in the amount of $7,785 for 2012 from individuals and businesses

The GREAT Education and Workforce Development Committee has just completed another fantastic year.  Robbinsville High School received an award by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. June Atkinson, for the highest graduation rate in the state of North Carolina—this due largely to the NC Dropout Prevention Grant and the GATEWAY Dropout Prevention Initiative which is in its fifth year of existence at RHS.  The Dolly Parton Imagination Library has also been a tremendous success currently serving 342 students’ ages 0 – 5, having graduated 198 preschoolers, and having served 567 children since its inception.  A new partnership with the USFS and the RHS Carpentry program has been initiated which allowed high school carpentry students to provide maintenance to the Massey Branch Fitness Trail and build a new hunter’s shelter.  Alcoa Foundation’s generous gift of $20, 135 at the November 2012 meeting was another highlight for this committee and will provide additional STEM activities for students.  The Golden Leaf Community Assistance Initiative also provided Notebook computers for all Automotive Technology students who began instruction online through “Today’s Class” at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. 

As chairperson of the GREAT Education and Workforce Development Committee, I want to personally thank each member for their dedication and service.  Efforts such as this only reap positive benefits for the children of our county—our future.  Thank you everyone!!    

 - Rhonda O. Anderson, Chair

Health and Social Committee – Alicia Parham

  • Urgent Care Access/Facility Initiative  

  • Fit Communities grant for Playground - $60,000  

  • Continuation of SBHC with “bridge” funding for 2009-10 school year - $75,000

  • Access to Health Care – North Carolina Department of Commerce: HealthNet - $50,000 with matching funds of $15,000 from Town of Robbinsville and Graham County - $65,000

  • Access to Health Care – Appalachian Region Commission (ARC): A $52,300 grant to cover the cost of contracted providers, a clinic administrator, patient treatment, medications and medical supplies and equipment. This heath clinic will provide primary care for over 700 low-income patients.  

  • Continuation of  SBHC - NC Glaxo Smith Kline Foundation-Ribbon of Hope ($25,000) and North Carolina Department of Commerce: HealthNet ($60,000) - $85,000

  • Janirve Foundation - $25,000 to support the mental health program at SBHC

  • Continuation of SBHC and Hilltop Health Care – HealthNet - $87,000

  • Marshall University/ARC – Grant funding for a four year project with the STEP UP Diabetes Coalition for prevention and management of diabetes –$40,000 ($160,000 over four year period)

  • North Carolina Coalition Initiative  - A $30,000 grant funded for planning and capacity building for the Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Graham County.  Eligible to apply for Year 2 funding for an additional $30,000.

  • North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services Division of Public Health School Health Center Program awarded a three year funding to the Robbinsville School Based Health Center - $43, 840 ($131,520 over three year period)

  • HealthNet funding for the Continuation of the School Based Health Center and Hilltop Health Care funds - $74,000

  • Partnership with the award to Western North Carolina 8 counties of a Community Transformation Grant for three years to target Active Living and Healthy Eating and Tobacco Free Living in Graham County.

The Health and Social Committee has had another good year.  Funding was maintained for the Hilltop Health Care Clinic through HealthNet money, county funds and the Town of Robbinsville.  The Robbinsville School Health Center received funds through the North Carolina School Health Center Program for $43, 840 per year for three years.  Hilltop Health Care is seeing an average of 12 to 17 clients per week which is above the original projected numbers.

A comprehensive Community Health Assessment was completed in December of 2012 in a joint effort with Murphy Medical Center.  This is an exciting new initiative to show collaboration with the hospitals and local providers in working toward the same disparities and targets to improve the population health of Graham County.  The findings are located on the Graham County Public Health website or at the Public Health facility. 

Diabetes and heart disease still are topping the data for major concerns within Graham County.  The Community Transformation Grant is working on leading projects in collaboration with the Health & Social Committee to target Healthy and Active Living with the citizens of the county.          

– Alicia Parham, Chair                                             

 

Recreation, Natural Resources and Water Quality – Joe Bonnette

  • Conservation Field Day with RMS  

  • Collaboration with Little Tennessee Land Trust (LTLT) to clear hiking trail at Yellow Creek Falls  

  • Collaboration with Health Department for Playground Proposal to Fit Communities - $60,000  

  • Graham Clean Sweep Project

  • Partners of Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness organization included as subcommittee

o      National Forest Foundation – funds for two summer Wilderness Rangers and a botanical invasive species study -  $18,000

·        Graham County Recycling Initiative

·        Proposal to Graham County Economic Development Commission for $10,000 to provide RV dump stations

·        Collaboration with USFS for upgrades/maintenance on the Massey Branch Fitness Trail

·        NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources – $58,914 grant to support recycling efforts in Graham County and the towns of Fontana, Lake Santeetlah and Robbinsville.  Total grant including matching funds is $71,936.

·        $7,600 grant for the Partners of Joyce Kilmer  from National Forest Foundation  for 2012 employment of a Wilderness Ranger

·        Collaboration with Graham County Commissioners and Economic Development Commission resulting in the construction and opening of a dump station for RV's and camper trailers

·        Promotion and completion of a workday involving 28 volunteers from Alcoa, Graham County, USFA and GREAT  on the Santeetlah Bike Trail

·        Support and sponsorship of  the formation of  the Santeetlah Bike Club

·        Sponsorship of a yearlong forum on water quality in Lake Santeetlah with representatives from Alcoa, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ALCOA, Town of Santeetlah, US Forest Service, NC Division of Water Quality, NC Natural Heritage Commission, the Environmental Quality Institute/UNCA, GREAT, and several local fishermen, and citizens of Graham County.

·        Sponsorship of a Santeetlah Lake Clean-up Day in partnership with Big/Clean Sweep and Alcoa

·        Support and sponsorship of the bi-annual Clean Sweep program picking up roadside trash in the county

·        Collaboration/support of the Partners of Joyce Kilmer with fundraising and project completion resulting in $45,000

The Natural Resource, Recreation, and Water Quality Committee held six bi-monthly meetings during 2012 discussing these listed issues and projects. Our meetings included anywhere from 12 to over 30 participants representing a wide range of interests at each meeting.  Our work involved more than attending meetings with many of us volunteering hundreds of hours of labor and/or additional work benefitting these projects.  We worked closely with several other GREAT committees, government officials, and interested citizens to accomplish and support these issues/projects that will hopefully benefit our community.  We sincerely appreciate all those who made contributions. 

This committee believes its work did make some strides toward making our community a little bit of a better place to live, visit and enjoy.  We are dedicated to GREAT's mission and are looking forward to even more accomplishments in 2013 and beyond.    

– Joe Bonnette, Chair

Revitalization and Infrastructure Committee – Brenda Artiss

  • Verizon and e-NC Authority Grant for DSL - $257,000  

  • NC STEP Program - $125,000 ($25,000 planning grant/$100,000 implementation grant) for revitalization efforts

  • CFWNC Next Step Grant Fund - $12,000 toward Comprehensive Master Planning process

  • Golden LEAF Foundation - $44,888 to UNC-Chapel Hill/Center for Sustainable Community Design to support a Community Engagement and Planning Process for Robbinsville & Graham County

  • Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) - $15,400 to support the Telecommunications Study Project for Graham County

  • Submission of proposal to Toolbox Implementation Fund with Region A Commission/ARC for $20,000 to support Comprehensive Planning/Charrette

  • Submission of grant proposal to ArtsPlace for $915,000 to renovation of historical Snider’s Store

  • Agreement with DNet and Graham County to provide wireless internet access to Graham County residents via Wachacha Bald tower - $80,000

  • Implementation of NC STEP revitalization projects in the amount of $100,000

  • Fund raising activities by the Committee has resulted in $4,450 to purchase streetscape amenities to enhance Downtown Robbinsville and the Bypass.

  • Donation and delivery of crepe myrtle trees in the amount of $12,000 by Ted and Avis Phillips

  • Asheville Design Center – $44,090 grant of in-kind services from ADC to conduct series of  Community Workshops to develop plan for future of Robbinsville and Graham County

  • Completion and presentation of Reimaging Robbinsville document

  • Toolbox Implementation Fund - $14,286 grant from Appalachian Regional Commission to the development of a pedestrian connectivity plan for the Town of Robbinsville.

·        Frontier awarded grant from the Connect America Fund in order to improve the DSL quality and availability to Graham County - $227,775

·        Completion of the Graham County Telecom Survey funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Survey can be found at www.wncfiber.com

The GREAT Revitalization and Infrastructure Committee commenced 2012 on a high note working with the Town of Robbinsville Small Towns Economic Prosperity (STEP) Team to design and revitalize the US 129 Rodney Orr Bypass in conjunction with designers and planners from the Southwestern Commission.  This project is still in process.  The Revitalization and Infrastructure Committee and the Town of Robbinsville Workshop Committee assisted the UNC-CH Center for Sustainable Community Design and the Asheville Design Center with the Town of Robbinsville “Reimagining Robbinsville” revitalization plan.  This plan is a guideline for Robbinsville officials to develop projects suggested by citizens in the community at four community meetings and two weekend-long planning sessions at the Community Building where over 250 individuals attended. Projects suggested in this plan include a greenway system that focuses on the three creeks flowing into Robbinsville and the Young America Recreation Park.  Stanley Furniture has already agreed to grant the land and the Graham County Economic Development Director, Andy Cable will use the revitalization plan as one of the tools to help secure grant funds for this project. GREAT has received $10,000 in grant funds from the Toolbox Implementation Fund to develop a pedestrian connectivity plan which commences this month.

Of course, it is very exciting to get these projects underway but most exciting and most touching is seeing the pride in our students faces as they help with these activities and to see how much our citizens enjoy voicing their ideas for our future.  It’s also a lot of fun to work with town council and team members who always take the hard work and unexpected events – terrible pie, lost easels, no meeting place, meeting place locked - in stride.  What a GREAT year it was!   

– Brenda Artiss, Chair

 

Tourism and Mountain Culture Committee – Rick Davis

  • Graham County Heritage Center Initiative – Submission of grant to NC Rural Center for Building Reuse/Restoration  

  •  Graham County Birding Initiative/Ecotourism Series with Georg Ellison  

  • Quilt Trail for Graham County  

  • WNC Pulse – Production of SVC video  

  • History Channel Grant – Save Our History Program “Town of Many Names – Fontana” in collaboration with Clementine Cove Association  

  • Participation in 75th Anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway activities  

  • Stecoah Valley Center Activities

-         NC Rural Center - Economic Innovation Program: Program to offer classes that encourage the development of textile crafts businesses among former textile mill workers. The project is expected to create 10 businesses and 16 jobs in Graham and Swain counties - $50,000

-         NC Rural Center – Building Reuse and Restoration Program:  $25,000 to develop architectural plans for the renovation of a former gymnasium as a multi-use convention center.

·        Continuation/expansion of Graham County Quilt Trail with grant from BRNHA.

·        Preliminary Eco-Tourism study  - identified need for development and implementation  of recycling plan as precursor to full eco-tourism effort

·        Recycling Initiative Plan developed – shifted to Natural Resources committee 

·        Golden Leaf Community Assistance Initiative – tourism identified as a leading economic driver and highest priority based on public input. Grant funding in amount if $55,000 for Stecoah Valley Center auditorium improvements.

·        Off-season tourism ideas – 2012 Christmas event in planning stages now.

GREAT Organization

·        Grant funding in amount of $35,000 from Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for general support activities  

·        Graham County Commissioners endorsed GREAT Strategic Plan

·        Office of Economic Opportunity/CSS: Growing Opportunities Small Grants Program – This project will allow GREAT members to attend the Brushy Fork Annual Institute on the campus of Berea College to explore issues facing the Appalachia region and to develop solutions that can be implemented in their organizations and communities - $2,500

·        Establishment of GREAT website at www.grahamcounty.net/GREAT  by Mike Ingram

·        Community Foundation of Western North Carolina: Opportunity Grant – This project will provide funds to contract for financial and administrative support to the organization - $7,000

·        Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust – funds for administrative costs to implement and monitor grant for substance abuse and mental health services - $19,980

·        Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation - Grant funding in amount of $30,000 for general support activities

·        Marshall University/ARC – funds for administrative costs to implement and monitor grant for the Graham County STEP UP Diabetes Coalition for prevention and management of diabetes - $14,544 over four year period

·        Community Foundation of Western North Carolina: Janirve Legacy Fund Grant – This project will provide funds to continue the services of GREAT and build its internal capacity to be more self-sufficient and efficient - $20,000

·        Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation - Grant funding for general support activities of GREAT - $30,000