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March 19, 2008
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Whether it’s an update to a community’s comprehensive plan, leveraging existing resources to better meet a new clientele group’s needs, or gathering resources to expand needed infrastructure to a community commerce park, teamwork and collaboration continue to be the name of the game these days in Extension. You’ll notice that the entries in this issue focus largely on working together to achieve impact.
The January CD Program Retreat participants may recall sharing the various types of programming they intend to conduct in the near future. We’ve summarized and organized those retreat notes so you can better see who else in the organization is planning programs similar to you. This information is posted at http://www.comdev.ohio-state.edu/documents/ExtensionTeachingInGroupSettings.pdf and we encourage you to take a moment to review this listing to identify potential program collaborators in areas such as: local foods; community land use planning; strategic visioning/planning; leadership development, and; business, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
Working together is definitely in our future. A number of folks have recently asked us about the Extension Strategic Plan that is currently under development. Keith mentioned in his Communique’ of February 26, the plan is being designed to ‘lead us into the future.’ We strongly believe that this future involves increased collaboration among individuals within Extension, the university, and with individuals, committees, and stakeholder groups within the communities we serve. To be a part of this new organization, please plan to attend the ‘Launching the Strategic Plan: See Yourself in Extension’s Future’ Conference on May 15, 2008 at the Rhodes Center (State Fairgrounds) in Columbus.
Following in this theme of teamwork and collaboration, we would like to congratulate several CD colleagues for their recent CD Team funding awards. Julie Fox (Tourism), Rose Fisher-Merkowitz and Treva Williams (Facilitation), and David Civittolo (Local Government) were provided dollars that will leverage additional dollars to fund programming for targeted audiences. Their efforts will involve collaborators from within Extension, the university, and with individuals, committees, and stakeholder groups within the communities we serve. Contact any of the individuals listed above to learn more or to become a part of their program team.
Finally, in an attempt to foster sharing, communication and teamwork, we’d like to invite folks in the field to host an informal gathering of their colleagues in 2008. We are anticipating from 2-4 such meetings designed to showcase the host’s community, their programming highlights, and give attendees an opportunity to share, learn, and participate in fellowship. If you are interested in scheduling, please contact Shirley Cook at 614-292-6232 or cook.22@osu.edu. If you want to learn more, contact John or Greg.
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We are in the final stages of writing the 2008 Comprehensive Development Plan for the City of London. The Madison SWCD Office and OSU Extension Madison County facilitated the development of the Madison County Comprehensive Plan 3 years ago. Last year, they were asked to help with the City's plan. Community meetings, ward meetings, meetings with consultants and developers, and a mail survey of the community has led to finalizing the plan with the steering committee. If you need more information call Eric Imerman at 740-852-0975 or email at imerman.1@osu.edu
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The Madison SWCD, Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails, the Central Madison Joint Recreation District, OSU Extension in Madison County, the Madison Conservation Foundation, the City of London, and others are working together to conduct an Earth Day Invasive Plant Clean-up at a local 55-acre wetland that the community plans on restoring into an interpretive center. This project combines our Natural Resources cap with our CD cap because although the project has an environmental component it is seen more as community organization and mobilization to rally behind a needed park area in the City of London. If you need more information call Eric Imerman at 740-852-0975 or email at imerman.1@osu.edu
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Lt. Governor Lee Fisher announced in December that the Ohio Department of Development is making available $48.5 million, with assistance of up to $5 million for each eligible Job Ready Site project. The OSU Extension Economic Development Office is working with Poggemeyer Design Group on behalf of the Van Wert City and County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) to prepare an application for a grant of $5 million to provide for infrastructure improvements to support a 1,600 acre Super Site in Van Wert County. The site was featured in the January 2008 edition of Site Selection magazine, a publication that reaches site selection consultants and companies worldwide. The exposure gained for the site and for Van Wert will be beneficial in our efforts to attract an end-user to the site. Although the original site was not selected by Honda in 2006, the future prospects look bright for landing another similar type of project at the new site. If the CIC’s request for JRS funding is approved this fall, monies would be available in 2009 to begin work to ready the site for development. Contact Nancy Bowen at 419-238-2999 or nbowen@cfaes.osu.edu for more information.
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Fifteen small business owners in the Coshocton County area are signed up for a website development workshop. They'll learn everything they need to know to build and launch a Website to help them market their businesses. The workshop will be Tuesday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to noon at Montgomery Hall - COTC Coshocton Campus. OSU Extension, AEP, and the Coshocton Economic Development Council are making this educational opportunity possible. Contact Marissa Mullett at 740-622-2265 or mullet.50@osu.edu for more information.
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Joe E. Heimlich, Extension Environmental Specialist, is now based at COSI! In a new partnership, Joe is continuing to do capacity building for zoos, nature centers, museums, aboreta, etc., but is expanding that work to include more visual and performing arts organizations as well as the environmental ones. COSI is attempting an innovative relationship with OSU Extension (called OSUExtension@COSI) to help change the role of the museum from within its walls into the community. In addition to direct support of institutions, Joe will be establishing a series of workshops for museum educators (the AAM definition including zoos, botanical gardens, parks, nature centers, and the like) with the first being April 24 or 25 at COSI on "Learning about Mediated Learning." Current efforts in the OSU Extension@COSI include the zoos in Ohio, specific projects at Cleveland and Cincinnati zoos, Columbus Museum of Art, the Jazz Arts Group, University Circle museums, the Ohio Historical Society, Franklin Park Conservatory, and the Ohio Museum Association. Joe will continue to provide expertise in organizational capacity building and visitor studies outreach programs to Extension field personnel. To learn more, contact Joe at 614-228-2674, Ext. 2425 or heimlich.1@osu.edu
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Results of the Lodge and ConferenceCenter at Geneva State Park Guest Survey were used to promote coastal tourism in AshtabulaCounty in a press conference at the Lodge. In 2006, sales generated by the Lodge were estimated to be between $5.5 million and $10.9 million with an average of $8 million. Of the sales generated by the Lodge between $2 million and $4 million in sales were generated for locally produced products and services other than lodging or transportation. The Lodge is an important part of the local recreation and service economy (Lichtkoppler, Sohngen, Hnytka; Dec 2007).
Final Report: Ex Post Benefits of the AshtabulaRiver Dredging Project Preliminary Data Collection by L. J. Hushak and F. R. Lichtkoppler was submitted to the Lake Erie Protection Fund in November. The interim report, Benefits of Ashtabula River Dredging Baseline Data Collection by F. R. Hushak and L.J. Hushak was submitted to the USEPA in Chicago. (Lichtkoppler & Hushak; 2007).
The Great Lakes Commission and the Michigan State University Marine Research Center used information from Great Lakes Sea Grant Network charter industry surveys led by Ohio Sea Grant Extension to estimate the direct economic impact of Great Lakes charter customer trip spending for 2003 at $16.7 million in sales, $6.9 million in wages and salaries, and $9.2 million in value added to local economies, sustaining 331 jobs. (Lichtkoppler, et al. 2007)
Since 1994, Ohio Sea Grant has contributed the Ashtabula River Partnership efforts to clean up contaminated sediments in AshtabulaHarbor. The $62 million environmental dredging of the AshtabulaHarbor started in 2006 is 90% completed. The federal-state-local cleanup project is being funded by the Great Lakes Legacy Act, the State of Ohio EPA, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the industries responsible for the pollution. Funding to complete the project in the spring of 2008 is in place. (AshtabulaRiver Partnership, Lichtkoppler et al. 2007)
Two hundred and thirty eight charter captains responded (46% rate of return) to the 2006 Ohio Sea Grant Lake Erie Charter Captains Survey providing information on the attitudes, characteristics and economics of the Ohio Lake Erie charter fishing industry. A draft of the 2006 Ohio Sea Grant Lake Erie Charter Captains Survey results providing information on the attitudes, characteristics and economics of the Ohio Lake Erie charter fishing industry has been sent to Fisheries for publication. (Lichtkoppler, Snyder, & Riesen, Jan-Dec 2007)
For more information on any of these Sea Grant projects, contact Frank Lichtkoppler at Lichtkoppler.1@osu.edu or 440-350-2267.
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Maurus Brown, 1st VP for CD in OAEP, reminds CD professionals in Ohio that we have adopted a new process to submit award applications to NACDEP. The new process provides a great opportunity because it adds state awards to the current regional and national award categories. Please take a moment and review the process here at the CD website. The deadline for 2008 has passed but this is an excellent time to start planning for next year.
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Interested in large system change? Then plan on attending the Participatory Change program led by Chet Bowling on April 8 from 9am - 4pm. The cost is $25. Free registration, a $50 stipend and travel is offered to the first 10 registrants that agree to help with a Participatory Change program in ClarkCounty on April 9. More information is available here with registration here. For more information contact Chet Bowling at bowling.43@osu.edu or 614-296-1174.
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For folks wishing to share content relevant to our Ohio Township Trustees or township government officials, the deadline for the May/June issue of the “Ohio Township News” is April 2. For more information, contact Kaitlin Carr, Public Relations Coordinator, Ohio Township Association at 614-863-0045
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“Blazing New Trails of Leadership’ is the theme for this year’s ALE conference to be held July 13 - 16, 2008, The Davenport Hotel, Spokane, WA. The paper and roundtable submission deadline has past, but poster proposals are being accepted through March 31st, 2008. For full conference details please go to http://leadershipeducators.org/Conf2008.htm
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Understanding Communities and their Dynamics - A Series of 7 Core Competencies is being offered once again this spring. The series starts on April 1 and runs through mid-May, focusing on demographics, economics, power structure, situational analysis, sustainability, and CD approaches, for example. Please note that we have two new instructors this year. Scott Loveridge (MSU Extension) will teach the “Understanding Your Community’s Economic Base” session and Jerry Hembd, University of Wisconsin Extension, will lead “Sustainable Communities”. For more information, check out the flyer and registration form posted on the OSUE-CD webpage http://comdev.osu.edu/events.html
The second segment of the Foundations of Practice - Level 3 focusing on “Shared Leadership” will be led by Beverlyn Allen from Iowa State. The two-part series led is scheduled for April 10 and 17 from 1:30-3:00 CST through Breeze web-based conferencing. For more information, check out the flyer and registration form posted on the OSUE-CD webpage http://comdev.osu.edu/events.html
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