Discover Downtown Middlesboro

Discover Downtown Middlesboro Executive Director Resigns After Four Years of Service

2016-08-31T10:58:00.002-07:00

Kremer with participant at the Creative
Placemaking Bootcamp held at the
Main Street Now conference in
Milwaukee, 2016. Credit: DDM.

Middlesboro, Kentucky – Nearly four years to the day since he first arrived, Isaac Kremer announced that he will be leaving Discover Downtown Middlesboro where he served as Executive Director to assume leadership of a Main Street program in New Jersey.

During his tenure Kremer built partnerships that mobilized hundreds of volunteers and helped to attract over $500,000 for revitalization of this historic Appalachian Kentucky downtown. Funding came from a variety of sources including Federal government agencies, the Levitt Foundation in Los Angeles, the New York Community Trust in New York, and the largest and highest level of private giving in the history of the organization.

“Downtown Middlesboro has witnessed remarkable transformation and change these past four years,” Kremer said. “Discover Downtown Middlesboro has received national recognition as a leader in creative placemaking through our Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series, several Better Block events, and the success of our pop-up shop The Palace.”

Among the earliest, strongest, and most consistent support came from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). They provided an initial $10,000 for strategic planning through a grant administered by the Center for Rural Development in Somerset. Some goals that were identified through extensive public input were trail building, job creation and entrepreneurship, and encouraging historic preservation.

Early results came through a $100,000 Recreational Trails Program grant awarded in 2013 by the Kentucky Department for Local Government. This assisted with the first phase of a trail to connect the downtown with the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The National Park Service joined in the effort through a technical assistance grant from the Recreational Trails Conservation Assistance program. The NPS worked with a class of landscape architecture students from the University of Kentucky and Middlesboro residents to design a citywide trail system in 2014.

Additional funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Kentucky Heritage Council through the Certified Local Government program assisted with development of a preservation plan. Many building owners proceeded with building renovations and façade improvements, aided by technical assistance from the Kentucky Heritage Council. The first tax credit project downtown in 25 years was completed by Dr. Stallworth. This has since been followed by owners of five other buildings seeking to utilize this incentive.

Before and after of the Pinnacle Building. Credit: DDM.

Better Block Middlesborough was a signature project that rallied people and resources to bring change about in a short period of time. In October 2013 over a hundred volunteers transformed a block of the downtown through low-cost citizen-led interventions. Mike Lydon with Street Plans Collaborative participated in the event and later included a photo from Middlesboro in his book Tactical Urbanism. This event was repeated in May 2014 and again in June 2016, brining further impressive changes about from pop-up shops, to pop-up parks, and public space improvements.

Middlesboro was invited to present this tactical urbanism and placemaking work at the National Main Street conference in Detroit in 2014, Atlanta in 2015, and Milwaukee in 2016. The US EPA also invited Middlesboro to present at the National Brownfields Conference in Chicago in 2015. Middlesboro was honored to be named a Great American Main Street Award Semi-Finalist in 2014 and recipient of the first-ever “One to Watch” award that same year. Other awards include winner of the Successful Communities Contest held by the Orton Family Foundation and CommunityMatters in 2013, the Kentucky Main Street Economic Restructuring Initiative Award in 2014, and Local Foods, Local Places winner in 2016.

The Makers Market was a pop-up shop opened in April 2014 to demonstrate the potential of an artisan-led economy downtown through an ARC grant administered by the Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College. Following this demonstration project The Palace was launched in the same storefront starting in December 2014. Over time this grew to become a vibrant community meeting space featuring the work of 40 Appalachian artisans available for sale. Recognizing the success of this effort, the New York Community Trust awarded $110,000 to hire a director and assistant to run an entrepreneurship training program. Partners with DDM in this “Selling to the World Initiative” include the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series started on a vacant gravel lot transformed through
creative placemaking. Credit: DDM.

An effort to build a small sixteen by sixteen foot wooden stage during the first Better Block event came to full fruition through competing in and winning the Levitt AMP [Your City] contest in 2015. Middlesboro was among 10 cities in the US awarded $25,000 to transform a neglected public space through creative placemaking, and to hold a series of ten concerts there. Unused farmers’ market sheds were transformed in to a stage, sod laid down over the gravel, and a lively green space for live music was born. Middlesboro competed and won again in 2016. An impressive steel canopy was donated by a local company and put up over the stage. The series has been well received and local leaders are already talking about competing for a third year of concerts.

Middlesboro was selected as a Local Foods, Local Places grant recipient in 2016. The US EPA, ARC, and numerous other agencies assisted with a community workshop and development of a plan to put local foods at the center of revitalization efforts. Projects that were selected for funding included development of a demonstration garden on the Levitt lot to show the possibility of developing local food, and creation of a marketing plan to promote local food, trails, and the downtown. A marketing deal with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture provided support for the successful Wing Fling competition and the Levitt concerts, through encouraging use of Kentucky Proud products supporting Kentucky farmers.

Middlesboro benefited from numerous training opportunities. Sixteen residents and local leaders attended the Brushy Fork Annual Institute since 2013 and received training in community philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and effective communications. A team was selected to participate in the Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative in Abingdon in 2014, to learn about asset-based approaches to revitalization. Participation in the Appalachian Rural Development Philanthropy Initiative gave guidance on community philanthropy. One other recent opportunity was participation in the Kentucky Rural Urban Exchange and the Kentucky Institute on Economic Development.

“In reflecting on my four years of service and the broader history of Middlesboro, it has been my honor to elevate the profile of Middlesboro nationally and win support for revitalization efforts. As DDM prepares to celebrate the ten year anniversary of its incorporation on October 13 this year, I hope that people recognize the gains made over the past decade and redouble their commitment to revitalization of this naturally beautiful and historically significant town and region. Middlesboro is one of the bright lights in Appalachia and truly America’s next great investment opportunity,” Kremer said.

Free Concerts Return to Downtown Middlesboro Every Saturday Starting July 30, 2016

2016-07-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series returns for the second year to the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Pop-Up Park—downtown Middlesboro’s increasingly vibrant green space that was formerly a vacant, gravel lot—to augment the city’s community-driven revitalization of its economically challenged downtown, encouraging further community investment in the arts and promoting Middlesboro as a cultural destination.

The Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series is supported in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a private family foundation that empowers towns and cities across America to transform neglected public spaces into thriving destinations through the power of free, live music. In 2016, more than 450 free Levitt concerts will take place in 21 towns and cities, all featuring a rich array of music genres and high caliber talent. Learn more at levitt.org.

So bring a lawn chair, a picnic dinner, and enjoy an evening of free live music among friends and neighbors at the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Park, just off of Fountain Square in downtown Middlesboro. Opening acts start at 6pm and headliners go on at 7pm. See you at the show!

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 AT 7PM

ROOSEVELT DIME

Step back in time this summer with East Coast quartet Roosevelt Dime, that celebrates music of a bygone era with a toe-tapping fusion of acoustic Americana, folk, rock and rhythm and blues.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 06, 2016 AT 7PM

CIRCA BLUE

As its name implies, Circa Blue is all about bluegrass, fusing the old and the new through an irresistible combination of tight vocal harmonies, clean instrumentation and creative arrangements.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2016 AT 7PM

BILL LLOYD

Bill Lloyd—songwriter, guitarist, producer, musicologist and Nashville legend—is best known as one half of the ‘80s country-rock duo Foster & Lloyd.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 AT 7PM

JJ THAMES

“Mississippi Blues Diva” JJ Thames is a force of nature on stage, bending her magnificent, bluesy voice to a mix of R&B, funk, Motown, ska, reggae and soul.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016 AT 7PM

JENI CARR

Warm your heart this summer with Jeni Carr, an acclaimed country-rock singer/songwriter based in Nashville, Tenn.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 03, 2016 AT 7PM

ELAM MCKNIGHT BAND

Tennessee-based singer/songwriter Elam McKnight and his band draw upon the region’s blues, rock and country roots.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2016 AT 7PM

MOLLY VENTER AND GOODNIGHT MOONSHINE

The husband and wife team of indie pop band Goodnight Moonshine puts real-life stories into song.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 AT 7PM

JIM HURST TRIO

Award-winning bluegrass and country guitarist Jim Hurst brings his distinctive picking style and expressive voice to the Levitt AMP Middlesboro stage.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 AT 7PM

KRISTEN BRASSEL

Kristen Brassel mines her Southern roots for a honeyed blend of country, roots and pop.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2016 AT 7PM

GRADY CHAMPION

Harmonica virtuoso and blues singer Grady Champion captivates audiences with his energetic live performances.

AMP It Up Volunteer Event - July 27, 2016 - Downtown Middlesboro

2016-07-21T11:53:00.004-07:00

Volunteers are at the heart of our work in downtown Middlesboro.

On July 27, volunteers from the tri-state area and beyond will gather to get Middlesboro ready for exciting summer events. Starting at 4 p.m. volunteers will gather in the Levitt AMP lot, in between the Public Library and Cumberland Avenue. Volunteers will help get the lot ready for the upcoming FREE concert series! Others will build raised garden beds as part of the USDA’s Local Foods, Local Places Program. Please register by calling (606) 499-7894, e-mailing middlesborovolunteers@gmail.com or by going to our Facebook page, facebook.com/DDMboro.

The Levitt AMP Concert Series is coming back for a second year. Starting July 30 and running for 10 weeks there will be free concerts, events and a chance for everyone to come together for family-friendly fun. Volunteers will get the space ready, help prepare for food vendors and take ownership of the site.

We will be grilling out to feed our hungry helpers! Chips and drinks will be available also. Our urban garden has some healthy vegetables ready to eat on the side!

“This is an opportunity for community members to really come together to make Middlesboro work for them,” said Isaac Kremer, Executive Director of Discover Downtown Middlesboro. “We have the chance to transform the Historic Downtown into a place for everyone to enjoy year-round.”

Volunteers are asked to meet at 4 p.m. at the Levitt AMP lot. There is plenty of parking in the City Parking lot behind the Palace at 2008 Cumberland Avenue.

About Discover Downtown Middlesboro

Discover Downtown Middlesboro (DDM) is a non-profit organization that encourages citizen participation in the revitalization of Cumberland Avenue between 10th and 24th Street and several mixed-use walkable blocks to the north and south. We seek to improve the physical appearance of the downtown while maintaining its historic integrity; to retain existing businesses and to attract new ones; and to make downtown Middlesborough the center of the economic, civic, and social life of the Tri-State area. For more information, go to downtownmiddlesboro.org.

Contact: Jackie Risner

AmeriCorps VISTA

Discover Downtown Middlesboro

(606) 499-7894

middlesborovolunteers@gmail.com

Partners for Education to Lead Regional Creative Asset Mapping Project – Volunteers and Citizen Input Needed

2016-07-14T13:35:00.001-07:00

Partners for Education at Berea College (PFE) is launching an extensive creative asset mapping project across southeastern Kentucky. PFE aims to provide training and support to teams from each of eight Kentucky Promise Zone counties (Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Perry and Whitley) to map and promote features of the region’s culture and heritage.

Between Summer 2016 and Fall 2017, teams will receive training, facilitate meetings and listening sessions, conduct interviews and collect stories and information on community strengths and features such as annual events, local customs, traditions, historical sites, performance spaces, locally-owned restaurants, artisans, performance ensembles, service organizations, educational resources, media production and more. The teams will collaborate to create an interactive map of cultural assets in the Promise Zone to share with residents, local governments, tourism commissions and community development groups.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). As a recipient of an NEA Our Town planning grant, Partners for Education hopes to use creative asset mapping as a first step in harnessing the arts to improve livability in the Promise Zone. PFE hopes the asset mapping process will grow social and civic engagement in the region and that it will be followed by additional arts-focused projects and funding.

PFE is currently seeking volunteers to serve on the eight county teams. Ideal candidates include youth, adults, artists, activists, educators, city council and chamber of commerce members, and people from any walks of life who care about their counties and want to shine a spotlight on positive features that make their communities unique. In addition to free training and support, participants will also be eligible for funding of community projects based upon their research. More information will be forthcoming regarding meetings, listening sessions and other opportunities for general input. Contact Sarah Campbell at Berea College Partners for Education to learn more or get involved: sarah_campbell@berea.edu, 859-200-9783.

Partners for Education at Berea College provides educational programming to children, families and schools to achieve the result – all Appalachian Kentucky youth succeed in school.

CONTACT: Sarah Campbell, Partners for Education at Berea College 859-200-9783, sarah_campbell@berea.edu

Levitt Pavilions Sunsets; Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation Becomes Main National Levitt Organization: Change embodies creative placemaking focus for Foundation

2016-04-18T08:30:00.001-07:00

Sharon Yazowski, Executive Director of the Levitt Foundation at a Levitt AMP concert in Middlesboro, September 2015. Credit: Discover Downtown Middlesboro.

March 31, 2016—Beginning next month, the work of the national nonprofit, Levitt Pavilions, will be carried out by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, furthering its mission to strengthen communities across the country through free, live music. As part of the transition, the Levitt Foundation has unveiled a new logo reflecting its core values to support creative placemaking projects that are catalytic, dynamic and promote joy, inclusivity and connectedness.

“This exciting change signals our resolve to direct the majority of the Foundation’s philanthropy towards creative placemaking programs that focus on free concerts in public spaces” said Liz Levitt Hirsch, president of the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation. “With funding now geared to one main cause, it made sense to place the operations of our national organization under one roof and to function as the Levitt Foundation, thus sunsetting Levitt Pavilions.”

Since its founding in 1963 by Mortimer Levitt, founder of The Custom Shop retail stores, and his wife, Mimi, the Levitt Foundation has provided funding to a variety of performing arts organizations and educational institutions. In the early 1970s, as summer residents of Westport, Conn., Mortimer and Mimi were approached to support a community-driven project to transform a problematic landfill into an outdoor music venue. They ultimately became the campaign’s largest private contributors, prompting the town to name its new pavilion after them. In 1974, the first Levitt Pavilion was born. Its continuing success in presenting free concerts to the community over the decades later inspired the Levitts to support free outdoor concerts in other communities across America.

During the mid-2000s the Foundation began to accelerate its venture philanthropy investments modeled after the Levitt Pavilion in Westport, partnering with communities in developing permanent outdoor Levitt venues to present free concerts. It then recognized a need to provide targeted support and resources to each local Friends of Levitt nonprofit in a growing number of cities. Hence, the national nonprofit Levitt Pavilions was founded in 2009, complementing the Foundation’s support by providing meaningful resources to its Friends of Levitt partners presenting free concerts in their communities. In recent years, Levitt Pavilions has created new programs like the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards; commissioned a multi-year study researching the social and economic impact of Levitt venues; and has made the case—and raised national visibility for—the power of free, live music in public spaces to create joy and more vibrant communities.

Recognizing the deep impact of Levitt concert series in communities that collectively reach over 600,000 people across the country every year, during the past 18 months the Levitt Foundation has redirected its giving to focus on furthering the Levitt mission. With the transition, the mission remains the same: to empower communities to transform neglected public spaces into welcoming destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together and invigorates community life.

The Levitt Foundation’s primary funding areas include:

• Permanent Levitt venues

o Provide seed funding to build or renovate a permanent outdoor music venue, known as a Levitt Pavilion or Levitt Shell, and multi-year annual operating support to partially fund a Friends of Levitt nonprofit partner that manages, programs and fundraises for the Levitt program of 50+ free concerts each year. These community-driven, public-private partnerships are typically geared to cities with populations over 400,000 and, while representing significant investments for the Foundation, each Friends of Levitt nonprofit partner receives the majority of its annual funding from the local community.

o Permanent Levitt venues are located in Arlington, Texas; Bethlehem, Pa; Los Angeles; Memphis; Pasadena, Calif.; and Westport, Conn. Future venues are planned for Denver, Houston and Sioux Falls.

• Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards

o Provide $25K annual matching grants to 15 nonprofits operating in small to mid-sized towns and cities to activate neglected public spaces through the Levitt AMP Music Series of 10 free concerts each year. Reflecting the Foundation’s ethos that all Levitt projects are community-driven, each year finalists are selected through an online public voting process.

o 2016 Levitt AMP Winners hail from Asbury Park, N.J.; Carson City, Nev.; Charlottesville, Va.; Cleveland, Miss.; Denison, Texas; Frederick, Md.; Greensboro, N.C.; Jacksonville, Ill.; Middlesboro, Ky.; Midvale, Utah; New Albany, Miss.; North Adams, Mass.; Sheboygan, Wis.; Trenton, N.J.; and Utica, N.Y.

Both permanent Levitt venues and Levitt AMP sites present free, family-friendly concerts of the highest caliber in welcoming outdoor settings, inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to come together and experience a broad range of music genres and a shared sense of community.

The impact is far-reaching: activating once-neglected public spaces, ensuring access to the performing arts, spurring economic development, and amplifying community pride. Permanent Levitt venues have inspired additional investments, both public and private, including improvements to park infrastructure and the opening of new restaurants and retail in the venue’s vicinity due to increased foot traffic. With this success, additional communities are seeking Levitt support for their own town or city. In the coming years, the Levitt Foundation anticipates expanding the types of projects it supports to further strengthen communities and ensure access to the performing arts in public spaces.

Learn more at http://www.levitt.org

The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, private foundation.

Contact: Vanessa Silberman

Senior Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives

213.201.6106

vanessa@levitt.org

Local Foods, Local Places Community Planning Events, Mar 7-8 in Middlesboro, Kentucky

2016-02-23T07:49:00.001-08:00

Update: We have a growing list of Federal, State, and Regional leaders joining us for our Local Foods, Local Places Community Planning Session next week.

Anne Keller, US Environmental Protection Agency
Barry Turner, USDA - Kentucky
Christopher D. Taylor, Housing and Urban Development
Damasi "D" Bell, USDA, Southeast Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Services
Donna Baker McClure, US Senator Mitch McConnell
Elaine Russell, Kentucky Obesity Protection Program
Erin O'Keefe, US Environmental Protection Agency
Jodie Williams, Kentucky Department for Local Government
Kenny Madden, Fahe
Mary Moran, Appalachian Regional Commission
Melissa Bond, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
Rebecca Jane Miller, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
Reed W. Cripps, USDA
Sandi Curd, Kentucky Highlands Promise Zone
Stephanie Bertaina, US Environmental Protection Agency
Troy Hearn, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Who: Stakeholders and community leaders such as you, interested in making Middlesboro a more livable, healthy, vibrant, and engaged community through the building and strengthening your local food economy. Participants include representatives from community agencies, organizations, elected officials, residents, and a technical assistance team including representatives of EPA, USDA, ARC and other federal agencies as well as facilitators from from Renaissance Planning Group who have been contracted by the EPA to lead this engaging and “fruitful” community planning process.

What: A participatory planning process on local foods and community livability in Middlesboro, including group work sessions and networking that will result in an Action Plan. The two-day process will be focused primarily around, but not limited to, the following topics:

Further develop and complete citywide trail system as an asset for active living and tourism
Repurpose Elks building as a catalytic project
Focus on entrepreneurship and economic development
Partner with health care and educational institutions as economic assets and as providers of health and food education and services
Clarify process for project and program design as well as structures of collaboration and coordination for implementing projects across organizations.

RSVP by Friday, March 4 to Tel: (606) 248-6155 or Email: downtownmiddlesboro(at)gmail.com. When you register a detailed schedule and other info will be sent.

Background: In 2015, the City of Middlesboro submitted an application for technical assistance from the federal Local Foods, Local Places Initiative. A team of experts will join local stakeholders like you in a two-day workshop to develop an action plan to better tie together the resources we have, identify the major missing pieces, and bridge gaps. We will work to prioritize next steps and identify roles, responsibilities, and resources to move forward. Your participation and knowledge of Middlesboro and the region, its local food systems, culture, economy, and vitality are necessary to help make this event a success.

For more information, see:

Discover Downtown Middlesboro, Trails page, http://downtownmiddlesboro.org/trail.htm
Discover Downtown Middlesboro, Elks Home page, http://downtownmiddlesboro.org/elks.htm
Discover Downtown Middlesboro Blog, Local Foods, Local Places Press Release, http://mboroky.blogspot.com/2016/01/middlesboro-among-27-communities.html

Middlesboro Among 27 Communities Nationally to Boost Neighborhood Revitalization through Local Food Enterprises

2016-01-25T11:25:00.004-08:00

Middlesboro, Kentucky - Discover Downtown Middlesboro is one of only 27 winners nationally and the only city in Kentucky selected this year to receive technical assistance through the "Local Food, Local Places" program. Federal partners in this program include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and Delta Regional Authority (DRA).

This technical assistance program is designed to help communities nationwide who are looking to capitalize on the growing demand for local foods to:

Boost economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses, and foster entrepreneurship.

Improve access to healthy local food, particularly among disadvantaged groups with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Revitalize downtowns, main street districts, and traditional neighborhoods by supporting farmers markets, food hubs, community gardens, community kitchens, and other kinds of local food enterprises, and by providing people with affordable choices for accessing those amenities, such as walking, biking, or taking transit.

The Local Foods, Local Places program will build on the success of previous planning efforts and initiatives that Discover Downtown Middlesboro has been working on for several years.

In 2013 DDM completed a 5-year strategic plan with support from the Appalachian Regional Commission through a Flex-E-Grant administered by the Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College. This plan laid out targeted strategic actions around areas including trail system development, job creation and entrepreneurship, and historic preservation.

Middlesboro and the Cumberland Gap region were invited to participate in the Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative training in Abingdon, Virginia. This training was jointly held by The Conservation Fund, Appalachian Regional Commission, National Endowment for the Arts and National Trust for Historic Preservation. It focused on asset-based approaches to revitalization.

The University of Kentucky Department of Landscape Architecture and the National Park Service partnered with DDM in 2014 to develop an award-winning plan for a city wide trail system that connects the downtown to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and surrounding neighborhoods. Construction of trails called for in this plan has begun.

Most recently the Selling to the World Initiative was started to help train artisans in entrepreneurship and to sell their work online. Funding for this initiative was provided by the New York Community Trust and involves a partnership with the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College and the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program.

Trail plans developed with assistance from the University of Kentucky and the National Parks Service. Credit: DDM.

DDM Executive Director Isaac Kremer said "Selection as a Local Foods, Local Places winner is a validation of the hard work our organization has done and acknowledges the amazing opportunities ahead for our town and region. Improvements downtown are reaching a critical mass thanks to efforts to convert vacant and underutilized spaces for community use. The Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series, pop-up parks we've created, and the possibility of new restaurants opening downtown all stand to benefit from this latest win."

Elements included in DDM's winning application included plans to create pallet gardens, low-cost mobile food carts, and business strategies for restaurants; a co-op grocery store; and other local food enterprises to employ low-income residents.

Technical Assistance Process

A Steering Committee is being formed to help prepare for the upcoming workshop. Specific groups we're seeking to participate include Agricultural Service Providers, Community Leaders and Elected Officials, Community Groups and Institutions, Funders, Local and Regional Farmers, Health Care Providers, Gardening Groups, Local Food Groups, Local Businesses, and the Media. A full list of groups we're seeking to participate is on our website.

The assessment phase involves identifying community issues and opportunities and coordinating partners in preparation for the on-site workshop. This phase lasts about six to eight weeks and involves selecting a local steering committee to guide the project and participate in three or more preparatory calls. The convening phase includes a 1.5 day workshop where the community gathers with the consulting team and federal and state partners to develop a set of goals and an action plan. During the next steps phase, the consulting team works closely with the steering committee to begin preparing the action plan. This phase takes about six to eight weeks and involves reviewing the draft plan, noting any missing pieces, and identifying implementation resources.

A public meeting will be held the evening of Monday, March 7 at The Palace, 2008 Cumberland Ave. Those wishing to participate should contact Discover Downtown Middlesboro at (606) 248-6155 or via their website at www.downtownmiddlesboro.org.

The full release follows...
Obama Administration to Partner with 27 Communities to Boost Neighborhood Revitalization through Local Food Enterprises

Release No. 0024.16

Contact:

Office of Communications (202)720-4623

Obama Administration to Partner with 27 Communities to Boost Neighborhood Revitalization through Local Food Enterprises

Local Foods, Local Places Empowers Creative Economic Development in Rural and Urban Communities in 22 states

WASHINGTON, January 25, 2016 – Today, on behalf of the White House Rural Council, six federal agencies joined together to announce the selection of 27 communities in 22 states that will participate in Local Foods, Local Places, a federal initiative that helps communities increase economic opportunities for local farmers and related businesses, create vibrant places and promote childhood wellness by improving access to healthy local food.

Developed as a partnership between USDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority, this initiative is part of the White House Rural Council's Rural Impact work to improve quality of life and upward mobility for children and families in rural and tribal communities.

"The community where a child grows up impacts her odds of graduating high school, health outcomes and lifetime economic opportunities," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "This Administration has embarked on a different, locally-driven approach to empower homegrown solutions. Projects like these help us learn how to better coordinate and target federal assistance as we work with communities to ensure zip codes never determine a child's destiny and every part of America prospers."

"Local Foods, Local Places helps people access healthy local food and supports new businesses in neighborhoods that need investment," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "The program is good for the environment, public health and the economy. By helping bring healthy local food to market and offering new walking and biking options, Local Foods, Local Places can help improve air quality, support local economies, and protect undeveloped green space."

"The United States is facing a growing population and demographic shifts that demand a transportation system prepared for the 21st century," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "Local Foods, Local Places helps to promote investments in local roads and transit services that connect farmers, businesses, and residents further strengthening local economies and improving the quality of life in rural and urban communities."

"Healthy food and regular physical activity are key ingredients to a long, productive life – but access to vegetables, fruits and walkable areas is limited for some," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD MPH. "The Local Foods, Local Places program can increase access to these important resources, and CDC is proud to support the expansion of this program in 2016."

"Local Food, Local Places provides tools for Appalachian communities to make local food more impactful for local economies," said Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Earl Gohl. "It's exciting to see how community leaders leverage Federal support to build stronger and healthier economies across Appalachia."

"One of the greatest opportunities we see in the Delta region is entrepreneurship and innovation in the agriculture sector. Delta communities have some of the richest farmland and experienced farmers in the world and thus a competitive advantage to develop impactful strategies to feed their residents and boost economic and community development," said Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chair Chris Masingill, "We're seeing impressive results from last year's Local Food, Local Places communities and look forward to the innovative strategies these new communities will create."

The 27 communities selected for 2016 were chosen from more than 300 applicants. Each Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP) partner community works with a team of experts who help community members recognize local assets and opportunities, set goals for revitalizing downtowns and neighborhoods, develop an implementation plan and then identify targeted resources from the participating federal agencies to help implement those plans.

Launched in 2014, LFLP has already helped 26 communities make a difference in people's lives. With technical assistance through LFLP, participants are taking innovative approaches to common challenges, like launching business incubators to support food entrepreneurs and starting cooperative grocery stores to help revitalize main streets. They are developing centrally located community kitchens and food hubs to aggregate and market local foods. Through the integration of transportation and walkability planning they are connecting people to markets and local restaurants. Health outcomes are being targeted through school and community programs that teach children about nutrition, provide hands-on experience growing food and expand local markets and increase access to them through expanded use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Working with LFLP technical supports teams:

Williamson, W.V. (population 3,000) is working to improve its food and health care systems with a Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to establishing a culture of health through community and clinical interventions by expanding the local food system, improving access to fresh, healthy foods, promoting an active lifestyle and providing greater access to health care.
Rocky Mount, N.C. (population 56,325) is exploring opportunities to establish a farmers' market and urban community gardens on former brownfield sites, Federal Emergency Management Agency buyout lots, and nearby affordable housing developments.
Clarksdale, Miss. (population 17,011) is developing a vegetable farming-based job training program and a series of community gardens that will supply food for a new farmers market and café.
Fallon, Nev. (population 8,439) is organizing stakeholders to start a community-owned grocery store in an abandoned building downtown.

Local Food, Local Places is one of the Administration's community-based initiatives in action across the country. In these places federal experts are working side by side with residents and local leaders to create customized solutions; bolstering coordination across agencies and improving how we interact with communities as a 'one Government' partner; and relying on valuable data to help inform solutions and evaluate what is working and what is not.

The 27 communities selected for 2016 include:

Alabama

Bessemer, Alabama, will receive technical assistance to start a farmers market in their downtown, convert vacant lots into community gardens, and build an urban farm and garden project using a former public housing property on a federally designated flood plain.

Alaska

Grow Palmer, in Palmer, Alaska, will receive technical assistance to support a sustainable food system and trail network in its downtown and foster coordination among organizations working on Palmer's local food economy.

Arkansas

Lake Village, Arkansas, will grow the city's community garden, expand worksite wellness programing for local businesses, and connect its parks with new trail systems to improve local food access, promote active living, and stimulate economic development.

California

Fresno, California, plans to establish the Downtown Fresno Public Market as a downtown anchor, leveraging existing resources to provide local food access and attract residents and visitors.

Colorado

Denver, Colorado, will receive technical assistance to identify strategies to enhance local food systems and local food education, and incorporate local foods into the redevelopment of the National Western Center to improve public health and economic and community development opportunities for neighborhood residents.
The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, will partner with the city, downtown businesses, and community organizations to connect their existing health and well-being initiatives with a new program in sustainable food systems.

Georgia

The Winder Housing Authority in Winder, Georgia, plans to develop a pedestrian-accessible community kitchen and garden in the city's Community Development Center.

Hawaii

The Hawaii Community Development Authority in Honolulu, Hawaii, plans to identify food-based projects that will spur greater investment and stewardship in the Kakaako Makai community, improve returns on local food production, integrate food security initiatives with community and transit-oriented development planning, and reduce stormwater runoff and vulnerability to sea level rise.

Indiana

Gary, Indiana, will receive technical assistance to encourage urban agriculture programs across 12 neighborhoods, develop strategies to strengthen local garden groups' impact on public health, and forge connections among existing neighborhood planning initiatives.

Kentucky

Discover Downtown Middlesboro, Inc. in Middlesboro, Kentucky, plans to create pallet gardens, low-cost mobile food carts, and business strategies for restaurants; a co-op grocery store; and other local food enterprises to employ low-income residents.

Maryland

The Baltimore Public Markets Corporation in Baltimore, Maryland, plans to revitalize Avenue Market in the distressed Upton/Druid Heights neighborhood to increase access to healthy food and promote economic development.
Somos Inc. in Crisfield, Maryland, will receive technical assistance to establish a year-round farmers market downtown, restoring community members' access to healthy foods, which was lost when Superstorm Sandy destroyed the town's grocery store.

Massachusetts

Gloucester, Massachusetts, will receive technical assistance to integrate seafood into food systems planning and use local foods to improve health and drive downtown revitalization.

Missouri

Ozark County Homegrown Food Projects in Gainesville, Missouri, plans to start a community garden in the city park and open a community kitchen and food shop in Gainesville Square.

Nevada

Henderson, Nevada, will receive technical assistance to develop a food access plan that connects key community areas and offers residents healthy, convenient alternatives for accessing food, work, school, and play throughout downtown Henderson.

New Jersey

Passaic, New Jersey, will receive technical assistance to strengthen business partnerships in the Eastside neighborhood's ethnic restaurant and food service enclave so those local businesses can better market and connect themselves with the area's redevelopment projects.

New York

The Adirondack North County Association and community partners in Keeseville, New York, will receive technical assistance to connect revitalization efforts downtown with local food and agritourism activities.

North Carolina

High Point, North Carolina, will receive technical assistance to develop a farmers market and other health and wellness programs for its new central library plaza.

Pennsylvania

The Redevelopment Authority in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, will receive technical assistance to attract more producers to the farmers market, expand cultivation of specialty crops, develop a flexible kitchen space facility, and establish a restaurant corridor reflective of the area's historically diverse cultures to entice people to downtown.

South Carolina

The Colleton Museum and Farmers Market in Walterboro, South Carolina, will receive technical assistance to build partnerships, explore funding opportunities, and grow markets for local food.

South Dakota

Rosebud Economic Development Corporation of the Sioux Tribe in Mission, South Dakota, will receive technical assistance to establish a hub of healthy activity centered on local food using a new trail system that links the local grocery store, community garden, farmers market, creek, and wetlands.

Tennessee

Jackson, Tennessee, plans to create a school-based farmers market using food from the local high school's garden and to connect the West Tennessee Farmers Market with surrounding neighborhoods to improve local food access and increase economic opportunity for farmers.
Martin, Tennessee, will receive technical assistance to launch a "Using Food to Build Community" forum to facilitate regular communication between local food producers and consumers, and encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing between different groups.
Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market in Memphis, Tennessee, will receive technical assistance to develop a permanent, versatile, and more accessible space to host its farmers market and serve as a public square for the city.

Texas

Dallas, Texas, will receive technical assistance to form a local food branding campaign and an alliance of garden and farm enthusiasts to build public awareness, community cohesion, and relationships between growers and local businesses and help community gardens share expertise and increase the size and variety of their yields.

Virginia

Christiansburg, Virginia, will receive technical assistance to identify funding and marketing strategies to expand its newly established farmers market, find a permanent location for the market, and attract more shops and restaurants downtown.

West Virginia

The Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation in Rainelle, West Virginia, will receive technical assistance to establish a mentor program for farmers and producers, develop a community grocery store, form a food alliance, and put vacant land into productive use.

USDA Office of Communications sent this bulletin at 01/25/2016 11:01 AM EST

Christmas in the Crater Brings a Double Helping of Joy This Saturday!

2015-12-03T10:37:00.003-08:00

Discover Downtown Middlesboro will continue a multi-year tradition bringing successful, exciting, and family-friendly events downtown with our Christmas Parade at 3pm followed by the Tri-State Messiah Sing Along at 7pm. As the only town in America built entirely inside a meteorite crater, fittingly we are calling our celebrations this year "Christmas in the Crater."

What better way to get in the holiday spirit than to come out for the Midddlesboro Christmas Parade? This favorite annual holiday event runs along Cumberland Ave from 15th to 21st Street. Bring your whole family out to get a healthy dose of fun and entertainment, all culminating with Santa Claus riding down Cumberland Avenue! The parade starts off promptly at 3pm. Some groups will provide brief performances in Fountain Square. Entries will be judged and the winners awarded prizes. Be sure to come out for the excitement! Please visit the Christmas Parade event page on Facebook, tell us if you're going, and invite your friends!

Here's the official 2015 Christmas Parade lineup:

Middlesboro High School JROTC Color Guard
Middlesboro High School JROTC
Kentucky State Senator Brandon Smith
RTR Dance & Tumble
RTR Dance Squad
Bell County High School AFJROTC
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, US Park Ranger Law Enforcement
Bell County Tourism and Friends of the Cumberland Gap Park, "Remembering America's Greatest Treasures"
Middlesboro Youth Cheerleaders
Middlesboro High School Marching Yellow Jackets
Middlesboro High School Key Club
1955 Ford Crown-Vic, Jim Grubb
1979 Oldsmobile, Bill Gunter
Cumberland Mountain Fall Festival Queens
Frakes School Center Cheerleaders
Red Bird Christian School Praise Team
West Cumberland Avenue Baptist Church, "Happy Birthday Jesus"
1957 Thunderbird, Cora Ann Yeary
1957 Thunderbird, Don Miracle
Tri State Paranormal Investigators
Covenant Kids
CGHS Pantherettes
Old Fashion Church of God
1936 Unstyled A John Deere Tractor, Orville Lawson
Boy Scout Troop #559
American Rental
Liberty Tax Service
Girl Scout Troop #1523
1999 Chevrolet Silverado SuperBeast, Cox & Sons Garage
1991 Chevy 1500, Cox & Sons Garage
1972 Plymouth Cuda, Gary England
Buddy's Repair Shop
Green Hills Funeral Home
Middlesboro Coca-Cola
A2Z Performance
Middlesboro Bell County Airport
City of Harrogate Volunteer Fire Department
City of Middlesboro Fire Department
Santa Claus

Also, join us for the Tri-State Messiah Sing Along after the Parade. We'll bring together professional soloists, an orchestra, and hundreds of audience members who will double as the chorus in a thrilling performance of Handel's masterpiece, Messiah. The performance will be held at First Baptist Church in Middlesboro and start at 7pm. Go to the Messiah event page on Facebook, tell us if you're going, and invite your friends!

Gene Roberts will serve as conductor for the Messiah Sing Along. Performers and soloists will include:

ORCHESTRA

Elizabeth Farr, violin 1

Andrew Duncan, violin 2

Nina Missildine, viola

D. Scot Williams, cello

Joy Bundon, flute

Brittany Knop, trumpet

Josh Sumter, organ

SOLOISTS

Kristy Bay, soprano

Beth Johnson, alto

Beth Parker, alto

Mike Bundon, tenor

David Glover, bass

Christmas in the Crater has received generous support from a number of sponsors and friends. Sponsors include LG&E and KU Energy, Middlesboro Coca-Cola Bottling Works, and Shoffner Realty. Generous contributions have also been made from Abraham Music, Bowling Law Office, First Baptist Church Middlesboro, Home Federal Bank, J.R. Hoe and Sons, Middlesboro Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Middlesboro Walmart Supercenter, St. Julian Catholic Church, and St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Individual donors include Zach and Kristy Bay, Keith Nagle, and Steven and Deborah Obermann.

Through a partnership with Fund for the Arts based out of Louisville and Power2Give.org every dollar raised in support of Christmas in the Crater will be matched by .50 cents from LG&E and KU Energy LLC. You have until December 5 to make your donation at Power2Give.org.

Middlesboro Competing with 40 Cities Nationally to Bring Free Music Concerts in 2016

2015-11-13T04:29:00.001-08:00

November 13, 2015 --- Discover Downtown Middlesboro is now in the running to bring a 10-week live music series to Middlesboro, Kentucky during the Summer of 2016.

Sponsored by Levitt Pavilions, the national nonprofit behind the largest free concert series in America, Middlesboro hopes to qualify as one of the 15 winning organizations competing in the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards.

The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards are an exciting matching grant opportunity created by Levitt Pavilions to serve small to mid-sized towns and cities up to 400,000 people. Fifteen nonprofits, or municipalities partnering with a nonprofit, will receive up to $25,000 each in matching funds to produce their own Levitt AMP Music Series—an outdoor, free concert series featuring a diverse lineup of professional musicians.

Discover Downtown Middlesboro submitted the proposal for Middlesboro. The proposed venue site is the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Pop-up Park just off of Fountain Square at 20^th and Cumberland. Middlesboro’s proposal is now posted on the Levitt AMP website for public voting. http://levittamp.org

A successful campaign for Discover Downtown Middlesboro depends on community participation to get as many online votes as possible to bring the concert series to town. Community support, as measured by the number of online votes received, will be one of the key factors when Levitt Pavilions selects the 15 winners.

Supporters are asked to visit https://grant.levittamp.org/voter-registration-page/ to register and vote. Online public voting is now open and ends Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. The Top 25 finalists will be selected through online public voting. Levitt Pavilions will then review the proposals of these 25 finalists and the 15 Levitt AMP winners will be announced on January 5, 2016.

“We have already seen the power of the Levitt concerts to transform our community for the better. Moving forward we hope to make Middlesboro a live music destination for the 150 million people who live within a days drive,” said DDM Executive Director Isaac Kremer.

Discover Downtown Middlesboro asks supporters to start spreading the word to family, friends, colleagues and neighbors and rally the community to sign up and vote for Middlesboro’s proposal.

Learn more at http://levittamp.org.

How to Vote
8 Simple Steps to Bring the Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series to your Community!
1. Go to http://levittamp.org and click one of the voting buttons to take you to the sign up to vote page (see image below). To directly visit the sign up to vote page, click the link below: https://grant.levittamp.org/voter-registration-page/
2. Sign up to vote for your favorite Levitt AMP proposal by filling out the online form and creating a user ID and password.
3. After clicking “submit” on the sign up to vote page, a confirmation email is sent to you with a link to activate your Levitt AMP voter account. If this email is not received in your inbox, please check your spam folder for this message (and add amp@levittpavilions.org to your safe senders list), so that your voter registration can be finalized.
4. Click on the activation link in your confirmation email and you are ready to start voting!
5. Visit https://grant.levittamp.org/voter-registration-page to log-in to your account.
6. Once logged in, click “view proposals” to view all posted Levitt AMP proposals.
7. Find your favorite proposal(s) and either click “vote now” to place your vote, or click “learn more” for more information about the proposal(s). You can vote for a total of 5 different proposals, but can only vote for each proposal once.
8. Be sure to spread the word to friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors to bring a Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series to your community!

Community Invited to Help Make Mile Long Trail Along Canal a Reality on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015

2015-10-22T06:19:00.001-07:00

Portion of the Canal Walk between 17th and 19th Street that will soon be paved.

Halloween will not only be a fun filled day for the kids. We’re also starting work on upgrades to the Canal Walk that will eventually result in a mile long paved path from Cumberland Ave near First Baptist Church all the way to 15th Street and Lothbury Ave.

Prior to asphalt being laid in just a few weeks, we need volunteers to help us clear brush and ready the trail for major work ahead.

“This is an amazing opportunity to bridge history with modern needs. From bicyclists to Middlesboro residents taking their children on an afternoon walk, the Historic Canal Walk will become a vital part of the community,” said Isaac Kremer, Executive Director of Discover Downtown Middlesboro.

Middlesboro will also be the first community in Kentucky to install a permanent Green Lane for bicyclists. Volunteers will paint the newly designated path along the City parking lot between 20th and 21st Street. We will also use temporary paint and materials in other sections to demonstrate the potential for an interconnected Green Lane system throughout Middlesboro.

When completed, the walk will be eight feet wide and will go from Cumberland Ave near City Hall all the way up to 15th Street. All residents in Middlesboro are welcome to help on our first work day on October 31st. We will now be meeting at 17th Street and Ashbury Ave at 10 a.m. Please bring gardening or heavy duty gloves, limb trimmers or shears and a positive attitude. Churches, businesses, and community groups that want to bring multiple people are welcome to participate. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP no later than Thursday, October 29 to middlesborovolunteers@gmail.com.

What: The Historic Canal Walk Work Day

When: October 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Meet at 17th and Ashbury

How 10 Music Concerts Made a Town Better

2015-10-03T01:56:00.002-07:00

Middlesboro has reached the end of an amazing journey, that started when we were one of only 10 cities nationally selected by Levitt Pavilions in their AMP Your City contest. In truth, the origins of this accomplishment reached back much further, at least to the Better Block Middlesborough event held in October 2013. For it was then that over one hundred citizens rallied for the first time over a weekend to make their town better. They demonstrated through picking up something as simple as a hammer or broom, they had the power to bring change about. Just in case you weren't there we strongly recommend that you view this video.

Better Block Middlesborough, 2013.

Over the course of that weekend nearly two-dozen tactical interventions were carried out. By their very nature these were low-cost citizen-led interventions to demonstrate the possibility for long-term change. A vacant storefront became a pop-up shop, a parklet created a welcoming place for people to sit on the street, and a pop-up park was built in a vacant gravel lot. The timing of this event was fortuitous for it also marked the culmination of a year-long planning process that engaged hundreds of residents in determining the future that they wanted for their town. This led to a strategic plan, a preservation plan, and a philanthropic fundraising plan. After taking the time to listen and hear what people really wanted, Better Block allowed us to transform these many plans in to action.

Of all the documents that were produced, the Vision Statement for the downtown was probably most significant and predictive of what was about to happen:

Beautifully restored historic buildings and clean and attractive public spaces have made Downtown Middlesborough a leading regional and statewide attraction. A world class hiking, biking, and horse trail system draws people downtown and connects with Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. A wide variety of shops and restaurants provide everything from daily necessities and a quick and inexpensive meal, to higher-end goods, services, and fine dining all at locally-owned businesses. People travel from miles around to be part of the fun and excitement downtown has to provide.

During that first Better Block event a 16x16 foot open air stage was built on a vacant gravel lot facing our main street. Formerly a Woolworth's department store and soda fountain had been located here. This building and business was long gone by now. The vacant gravel lot had hosted a farmers' market shortly after DDM was founded in 2006. This too fell by the wayside, leaving behind market sheds slowly allowed to rot. The paint was peeling and cars were parked between them, giving the perfect symbol for everything that wasn't quite right in the heart of the downtown.

First concert on our open air stage during the Better Block event, October 2013.

While a stage was built on this site, the hoped for concerts never took off. It's probably because the gravel surface was unappealing, especially in the Kentucky summertime heat. And, then there was the fact that given the constrained resources in the area there simply was not the money to pay for big name talent.

Fast forward to Summer 2014. While signs of progress were beginning to pop-up all over town in the form of new businesses opening, over 100 new jobs created in a two year period, and a generally improving overall look and feel of town - the old farmers' market lot and the newly built stage there still languished. Around this time the Levitt Pavilions organization in Los Angeles - that also happens to be the largest producer of free concerts in the United States - launched their groundbreaking AMP Your City contest. The idea was simple. It asked for proposals from communities with 400,000 people or less for how they might transform a neglected public space with "creative placemaking" and then hold 10 free concerts on consecutive weeks. After entries were submitted there was a month long voting period where registered users could vote for up to 5 of the 26 entries submitted. Once voting closed the top 20 vote-getters went to the Levitt Pavilions organization and the winners selected. This combination of popular online voting and then having professionals in the industry review applications from contestants and select a winner ensured artistic quality and that only high-potential, high-achieving applicants were selected. After doing their review 10 winners were awarded $25,000 each.

When we set about to make our submission it was an idea held by a few people. One was our Director of DDM who recognized the shortcomings of the effort to build a stage in 2013, and the undesirable message the vacant and unused farmers' market sent. He also saw how this particular grant was a perfect fit to address these clear shortcomings. Another was a lover of music who genuinely wanted to see good things happen to her town. Then there were the partners who offered to join in, not fully comprehending what the future might hold. When Middlesboro was selected as a winner it was a vindication for all of those people who believed that it was long overdue for something better to happen on this site and in Middlesboro.

Immediately upon winning work shifted in to making these plans for concerts a reality. Many spirited discussions were had about whether such a transformation of the selected lot was desirable or even realistic. Maybe we should use another space instead? There were questions about whether we could attract the premier acts that Levitt requested given our remote Appalachian Kentucky location. One of the criteria of the grant was creating a grass-like setting. Given the fact the lot was covered in gravel, there were questions about whether we could afford grass, and, even if we could, whether it would take root? Needless to say the obstacles as they appeared before us in January 2015 were seemingly insurmountable. The one thing we had going for us was being one of only 10 winners nationally and the $25,000 of secured funding from Levitt Pavilions. Taking those important facts to heart, from this point we proceeded to make magic happen.

OUR 10 STEPS TO SUCCESS

We've distilled our experience down to 10 steps to make the whole process easier to understand. Granted, this process might vary significantly from community to community and should only be taken as a general guide. These might also be helpful guidelines for other communities seeking to participate in this exciting program.

Step #1: Begin at the Beginning

After the giddiness of being one of only 10 communities to win the contest wore off, the hard work began. First and foremost was persuading our Board and partners that this project was SMART. For those familiar with this concept, this stands for S - specific, M - measurable, A - achievable, R - realistic, and T - timely. This required several meetings of key stakeholders and the willingness to have a respectful while sometimes critical conversation about what we had set out to do met all of these criteria.

Eventually we were able to do this and a core group of volunteers coalesced. We were also encouraged by some early votes of confidence in the form of a $5,000 anonymous contribution, and the potential to raise another $8,000 through a funding opportunity from the Kentucky Arts Council. This funding together brought us to our cash match requirement of $12,500. With the volunteers mobilized and the resource picture beginning to take shape, this allowed us to move on to the text two steps that were done more or less simultaneously - selecting the acts and building the venue. The motivation for pursuing these together is that we had a reporting deadline for Levitt no fewer than 10 weeks before the concerts occurred. By that time they required an act list and photograph of the completed venue. As that date rapidly approached (around Memorial Day) the pressure ratcheted up day by day.

One of our earliest committee meetings popped-up following our Annual Meeting in March.

Step #2: Select the Acts

Getting the right acts is critical to the success of any series. The expectations of the Levitt AMP contest were acts that could perform on one of the permanent Levitt stages in major metropolitan areas. This put a high demand on the budget that most AMP communities were dealing with of $50,000 or less.

We were greatly assisted by a volunteer who can only be described as a true lover of all kinds of music. In her spare minutes on any given day she was reaching out to acts from all over the country asking them if they'd consider traveling to Middlesboro to perform. Ever gradually as the deadline approached we began to lock folks in. Those who most wanted to perform told us right away and these were the easiest dates to fill. Several who had some reservations to join in required some additional work - maybe offering a higher level of compensation or some other perks they were looking for.

Even after we had everyone in place we became aware of the reality that everything has the possibility to change. One of our earlier acts cancelled on us due to complications with travel. They cancelled within the one month window required by the contract document that Levitt provided us. So, even if we wanted to somehow require them to appear, there was little we could do. What we did instead was reach out to the band leader and talk through how we might be able to get them. This approach was successful and crisis was averted. Several weeks after the series was underway we learned that our final act retired and would not do any more performances. This did require a scramble to find someone that could fill his place. Ultimately we were successful on this front too recruiting some excellent musicians.

One of the frequent comments we heard was "why didn't you include more local acts?" To meet the qualifications of Levitt we needed acts suitable for presenting on one of their permanent stages. And, while the quality of many local acts was strong, they did not meet the standard that Levitt set. Something we missed early on that might help other people is that nothing restricted us from having local/regional performers as opening acts. We discovered this halfway through the series after so many local acts approached us asking if they could perform. From the moment we began adding local acts to our shows, we saw a marked increase in our attendance. After all, there is no better promoter of live music than other musicians. Right?

Step #3: Build the Venue

While we were selecting acts the pressure to build the venue was great. What we had to work with was basically a vacant gravel lot with some rapidly decaying farmers' market sheds on it. We organized our first Community Build for Saturday, April 18, 2015. The work we were able to accomplish with around 20 volunteers was significant. A concession stand on the shed was scraped and painted. The existing 16x16 foot stage was doubled to 16x32 with an extension to the front. Extensive effort went in to promoting this first work day. Lunch was provided for all participants. That was likely part of the draw. There was no denying the fact, however, that this was hard work and was going to require everything that everyone had to give.

From this point forward we learned to get help wherever we can. A Fulbright Scholar from Ukraine joined us a few days after our first build. Community groups and church groups also stepped up. One of these that helped to "deconstruct" the farmers' market sheds just happened to be with the same organization that built the sheds several years prior. We instituted a Wednesday Workday to give an element of regularity to when we'd be working on the lot. Between that and nearly every Saturday for several months - eventually we made the headway that was needed.

One day a rainbow with no beginning or end appeared just before we had a major breakthrough on developing the lot.

As we rapidly approached our deadline one critical piece missing was the grass. Unlike other venues that were located in a city park that was already covered in grass, we had selected a gravel lot (partly because of the potential for a dramatic transformation). This brought with it obvious challenges from the perspective of how do we get a significant amount of grass to take root? With about a week until our reporting deadline we got desperate and sent a message to a few sod companies. With the days ticking away we gave it our best shot...

On 2015.05.12 19:30, Isaac Kremer wrote:

Dear Mr. Shingleton,

We're a non-profit organization seeking to plant a lawn in a gravel
lot in downtown Middlesboro. We were one of ten communities in the US
and the only one in Kentucky to win the Levitt AMP Your City contest.
This will allow us to hold ten free concerts downtown this summer
starting August 1. We've already made great progress building a stage
and finding acts. Getting good sod to cover the lot has been
challenging.

I visited your website and noticed you have some state-of-the-art
equipment. Something I wanted to ask is if you'd consider helping us
bring a 40x100 foot lawn to our downtown? This is a high-profile
project with the potential to win national exposure for you and your
company.

If you're interested in working with us, perhaps we could arrange a
time to talk at your first convenience.

Thank you,

Isaac

You can only imagine the relief when we received this message:

On Wed, May 13, 2015 at 1:18 PM, wrote:

Dear Mr. Kremer,

We would be willing to donate the sod to your project but due to a very busy schedule, we would be unable to deliver & install the sod.

If you are still interested, please let us know.

Agri-Sod Sod Farms

Of course, this presented some obvious challenges. Most significantly was the volume and weight of 4,000 sqft of sod, and how we'd get this from Lexington to Middlesboro given our time constraints. Then an idea came to our Director just like a lightning bolt. A local company had donated their flatbed truck to use as a stage before. What is the chance they'd make available the same truck to haul the sod? After reaching out, sure enough, they did. Only problem is that given the routing and availability of the truck we only had about 15 hours from the time the truck was available to be picked up until the time it needed to be installed.

The city laid 7 truckloads of dirt. A volunteer with a bobcat helped us spread the dirt as evenly as possible. Minutes later the semi-truck pulled up with seven pallets of sod. After unloading these, we set to work immediately with just a handful of volunteers to begin rolling out the sod. In a few short hours we managed to cover nearly the entire extent of the lot that we had hoped to cover. A decision was made to keep portions to either side of the sod and towards the rear of the lot uncovered and keeping the original gravel.

Step #4: Share Your Results With Levitt 10 Weeks Before the Show

With some major help from businesses in Lexington and Middlesboro were were on track to meet our reporting requirements. Some final effort went in to finalizing the act list, getting signed contracts, and forwarding a picture of the lot by the deadline. With this completed and behind us, we were ready to start getting ready to bring some music downtown.

Step #5: Market and Promote the Series

We were fortunate to encounter an extremely talented graphic designer a few months after work on the Levitt series began. Of all things we met her while she was live streaming a tour of our downtown using the new video streaming app Meerkat. After giving a nearly hour-long tour of the downtown before a live online audience that at times numbered over a thousand, the professional relationship was secured. After reviewing her portfolio we followed up several days later to ask her to design our poster, a rack card, and a postcard to promote the series. With very little input we were quite simply blown away by the quality of product she put out. Middlesboro now had an iconic graphical image and identity to promote our concerts.

This was only one piece of the marketing. Another was getting the series before major media in our area. We tried everything from press releases, to calendar postings, and even calling a few publishers directly asking for coverage. What we found took us by surprise. No one else seemed quite as excited as we were or recognized the significance of the fact that Middlesboro was among an elite group of ten communities nationally to put these concerts on. Instead, all that most media outlets saw was another concert series and they gave it little recognition. This caused us to bite the bullet and to purchase paid advertising. We were especially pleased by the animated banner that the Middlesboro Daily News made for us.

Probably one area we could have done better was getting in to more of the restaurants, social service agencies, health department and other places where people gather. We printed over 20,000 rack cards that were placed just about everywhere we could imagine putting them. One of the unexpected surprises we found was to put them in the official tourist brochure racks required spending several thousand dollars to have a professional marketing firm distribute them for you.

Which brings us to our last point on this issue, marketing is probably best left to the professionals. In retrospect our series would have greatly benefited from the hand of an experienced marketer. Dedicating a significant portion of the budget to making that happen probably would have been well worth it in the long-run.

Step #6: Hold the Concerts

Before we knew it the first concert was upon us. We had a special convergence of events that day. Not only was it our first Levitt show. We had some volunteers who approached us a few months prior asking to do a Wing Fling. Basically we invited contestants to cook wings and let the audience judge their favorites. There was also a panel of judges that tasted all the wings and picked their top contestant who received a sizable cash prize. This first of its kind event for Middlesboro was a huge success attracting hundreds of people. All of the 480 pounds of wings and tickets to taste them were sold out in a 3-4 hour period. That left an unexpected gap of several hours between the Wing Fling and other events going on. We also had a repeat of our Ducky Dash race just before our first concert. Several hundred rubber ducks were dropped in our canal and the first three to cross the finish line won prizes. From the Canal we walked to the Levitt stage a block over to announce the winners. Already were assembled several hundred people for our first concert. We announced the winners of the Wing Fling and Ducky Dash, then we were off to the races with our Levitt series.

We could very easily recount each and every act that filled our stage. This is probably not the time or the place to do so. There were some similarities across all of the acts worth noting. 1) All were of a high level of talent and accomplishment in their respective genres, 2) They were all incredibly positive and professional and happy to be performing in our town, 3) Whether there was a hundred people or several hundred, they played as if Middlesboro was Madison Square Garden. The quality of shows that we brought to our Levitt AMP stage was quite simply phenomenal. Larger cities would be hard pressed to put on as fine a series of concerts as we were able to.

Step #7: Build Your Audience

Gradually as we provided high-quality shows week-after-week the word got out. We began attracting more people and a real sense of excitement emerged about what was happening. There were the regulars who showed up week after week unfailingly. Then there were one-timers who we were lucky to get only once. Maybe they knew someone in the band, or their schedules were so prohibitive it did not allow attending multiple shows.

For the regulars it was important to provide a consistently high level of performers, and also starting at the designated time without delay. The few times we had late starts we noticed how it hurt our numbers the following weeks. Most people don't want to sit around indefinitely.

A big part of success is getting the message out that the concerts are free and that anyone is welcome to attend. In all honesty, more door-to-door and in-person outreach probably could have been done to increase participation. We were unprepared for how to go about doing that.

Step #8: Ask for Donations

This is something else that came to us late in the game. Mid-way through the series one of our volunteers had the idea to pass the hat. At first something like this did not seem necessary because our series was already paid for. Upon further reflection, however, it's not just this series, but also any further programming that we hope to do that needs fundraising for. An important piece when passing the hat, or box, or whatever you use - is to make a stage announcement to be clear what the intended use of the donation is for. Hint: this is a great way to raise anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand dollars or more.

Step #9: Site Visit

Perhaps the most exhilarating and also most stressful moment of the whole Levitt experience is preparing for the site visit. At some point staff from Levitt Pavilions comes to each Levitt AMP town to see how things are going. For our visit we had none other than Sharon Yazowski, Executive Director of Levitt Pavilions. During her two-day stay she sought to get an understanding of our team, our experience working with Levitt, and of our town and surrounding area. We had a wonderful time visiting with Sharon and learning about the Levitt program. We also had the good fortune of having the convergence of several coincidences unrelated to the visit, that actually enhanced the visit. One was the band from Louisville that was performing that night. This help to highlight some of the finest talent in our Commonwealth of Kentucky. Another was a community college Honors class visiting that wanted to interact with those performers because it fit in with what they are were studying. So we arranged to have a dinner with the band, college students, and some other special VIPs.

A balance between structured time and slightly less structured time afforded Sharon the opportunity to get to know our area better. Between meetings with local leaders, she was able to take a trip up to the Pinnacle in the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park that afforded a great view of the Tri-State Area.

Our volunteer Dana with Sharon just before heading up to the Pinnacle (just over the shoulders in the background).

Earlier in the day checking out our stage.

Sharon speaking to the crowd from the stage as the band prepares to start playing.

At the venue with our volunteers and the National Endowment for the Arts logo in the background.

Sharon as she prepares to drive off on her way back to Los Angeles.

Step #10: Repeat With All the Invaluable Lessons You Have Learned

As inspiring as this whole Levitt experience has been, it would be a terribly shame if we went through all of this effort and did all of this work to not build on it as we move towards something even greater. The seeds have been planted to present music of the highest quality in Middlesboro. How they sprout and grow in the coming years is a test of how much people in our area want to see this important work continue. You've seen the impact that Levitt has had so far. Now the future is up to you. The next application deadline is October 15. Voting starts in November. You've been given fair notice!

CONCLUSION
So how did all of this terribly hard work make Middlesboro better one bit? There are a number of ways, some more or less subtle than others.

We took on something bigger than most folks thought we'd be able to accomplish and got it done. This will contribute to our future success taking on similarly sized and even larger projects.
Volunteers mobilized in a sustained way over a period of several months. This is a base we will utilize in upcoming weeks and months especially when we need help.
The public relations and positive press and recognition we've gotten from hosting this series is significant. We could never pay for all of the good press that we've gotten.
Now that a venue has been established and proven, this will help us make live music an important element of community life. We have the potential to enhance this existing venue as well as to create new venues downtown.
We took unfinished projects from years ago and managed a way to build on these, while also being positive, and achieving results for the downtown that everyone wants though that were seldom achieved on any significant scale before receiving Levitt support.
Along the way we made many new friends and partnerships that will surely help not just with live music but also with other facets of our work.
Live music and performances are an important element in making our community a Trail Town. Trail users tend to like outdoor activities during the day and more artsy activities at night. We now have the potential to provide both.
Winning this exclusive competition will help raise the profile of Middlesboro as we go about securing additional funding for all of our projects across the board.
The lives of people of all ages and backgrounds have been enhanced through being able to experience the finest free live music in the heart of our town.
Small incremental changes when added up can have a large transformation on a town. It took the more than two dozen interventions from our first Better Block to get us started. Then the Levitt support helped to transform a lot for live music. Their support as well as that of the Kentucky Arts Council allowed us to pursue a strategy of small incremental change and garner national attention for our incremental approach. The key to future success will definitely be in continuing to pursue small scale incremental change.

Downtown Middlesboro Fact Sheet on Moist Vote

2015-09-14T07:53:00.002-07:00

We recognize there are sensitivities surrounding the moist issue and respect the right of everyone to form their own opinion. Here are some facts to assist with making a decision on this important issue. We also encourage you to visit the “Planning” page of our website to see our plans for the future of downtown at www.downtownmiddlesboro.org.

For residents in Middlesboro and Bell County…

The Downtown Middlesboro Market Analysis in 2013 identified $373,000 of buying power in Middlesboro and $976,000 in Bell County for alcoholic beverages consumed in restaurants.

Middlesboro and Bell County residents’ buying power for services and products

Source: Retail market analysis for downtown Middlesboro, CLUE Group, November 2013. Available online at www.downtownmiddlesboro.org/planning.htm.

For Cumberland Gap National Historical Park visitors…

Of the 854,000 visitors to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, if their household demographics are those of the national average, we estimate they spend roughly $629 million annually on dining out and alcoholic beverages at restaurants.
They also spend $798 million on gasoline and motor oil, $65 million for lodging on out-of-town trips, and $24 million on movie and theatre tickets.
Attracting just a fraction of a percentage of Park visitors – and their purchasing power – to downtown Middlesboro could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in new retail and restaurant sales for downtown businesses.

For residents of our region…

If we captured just one-tenth of one percent of the amount that residents from the Knoxville and Kingsport-Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Areas spend on dining out, this would yield approximately $600,000.
This is more than enough to support additional downtown restaurants and boost the sales of existing downtown businesses and restaurants according to our Retail Market Analysis.

The Wing Fling brought several hundred people downtown earlier this year. Photo credit: DDM.

Since 2006 Discover Downtown Middlesboro has led efforts to restore our historic downtown. We’ve done this a number of ways through helping businesses improve their storefronts, supporting new and existing businesses, and holding a number of festivals and events to attract people downtown.

Our vision statement approved in 2013 clearly describes the sort of downtown that we want:

“A wide variety of shops and restaurants provide daily necessities and a quick and inexpensive meal, to higher-end goods, services, and fine dining all at locally-owned businesses. People travel from miles around to be part of the fun and excitement that Downtown Middlesborough offers as word spreads about the wide variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options here."

Whatever your opinion, we encourage you to vote on Tuesday, September 15, 2015.

How Creative Placemaking Transformed a Parking Lot in to a Place of Pride for Middlesboro and Appalachia

2015-07-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Volunteers at our first Levitt AMP Middlesboro work day in May 2015. Credit: DDM.

Over the past three years Middlesboro has gained national recognition for our use of low-cost citizen-led interventions to bring long term change about. These actions fall under the category of “tactical urbanism” and we have experimented with dozens of tactics in Middlesboro. Our pop-up shop the Makers Market helped us secure funding for an entrepreneurship training initiative for Kentucky artisans. Vacant alleys and lots have been turned in to public gathering places through pop-up parks. And now Cumberland Avenue is lined by comfortable chairs painted bright colors made out of shipping pallets.

When the Levitt Pavilions organizations announced their AMP Your City contest last year with grants to winners of $25,000 – we saw our opening. Over a one-month period the public was invited to vote for the top 20 entries. Then Levitt selected the 10 winners. We knew online voting would be a challenge because we were going up against communities of up to 400,000 people. If we survived online voting the only way to win was to submit a competitive proposal that provided what Levitt was looking for: a public space accessible to a range of socioeconomic groups; a programming philosophy that was inclusive, family-friendly and represents a wide range of music genres; and a proven track record of presenting professional quality concerts or community events.

Rendering of our lot from the University of Kentucky Department of Landscape Architecture.

Fortunately we had a vacant gravel lot in the heart of our downtown. The lot briefly served as a farmers market that never took off and most days you’d see cars parked between the market sheds with peeling paint. The University of Kentucky worked with our community on a trail plan that suggested re-purposing this same lot as a public gathering place with a lawn. Since Levitt was looking for a grass-like setting for the concerts we took the designs UK produced for us and entered these in to the contest.

When online voting ended in November we were #11 out of 26 proposals. Now everything hinged on Levitt Pavilions and what they thought about our organization and proposal. Fortunately we were a good fit. We learned ten days before Christmas that Middlesboro was one of 10 winners. We were ecstatic. You couldn’t have given a better present to our community. The Facebook post announcing the win had over 6,192 views, 90 likes, and 58 shares. This is just one measure of the sense of excitement and also proved how powerful our social media following was in helping to make this win happen.

The ten Levitt AMP contest winners.

This was just the start. The hardest work was yet ahead. We needed to raise a dollar-for-dollar match to receive the maximum grant of $25,000. Transforming the gravel lot in to a music venue with a stage and lawn brought many challenges of its own. We were fortunate to have a group of dedicated volunteers to rally around this project and help to bring the vision for free music downtown in to reality. Over 300 people and 64 businesses and organizations participated in this project from the online voting phase through completing work on the lot to make it ready for the concerts. This has by far been the biggest success our community and organization has experienced in getting folks involved.

Perhaps the greatest sign of the need and importance of this project is that every time hope seemed lost or the challenges too great to overcome, a person, business, or group stepped up to provide a critically important piece. Use of the lot and a building on it was donated to us by a generous local resident. John West, an experienced carpenter and owner of the Cumberland Mountain Bed & Breakfast along with his wife Jill – took the lead building the stage. DDM volunteers Shannon Collins and Jeannie Redmond Allen were at nearly every work day providing invaluable support. The sod was donated to us from Agri-sod out of Lexington, shipped to Middlesboro on a flatbed by J.R. Hoe & Sons, and installed with the help of volunteers. And when the fundraising seemed impossible, dozens of local donors stepped up. The Kentucky Arts Council helped us meet our fundraising goals through awarding an Arts Access Assistance grant of $8,000 to the project.

Now all that is left to do is to hold some concerts. Why not come to Middlesboro one Saturday for the next ten weeks to see the exciting things happening in our town? Concerts start at 7pm on the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Pop-up Park. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, find a spot on our lawn, and enjoy the show.

AUG 01: Jenna & Her Cool Friends
AUG 08: Jimmy Rose and the Jimmy Rose Band
AUG 15: MACH22
AUG 22: Jeni Carr
AUG 29: Lauren Shera
SEP 05: Whiskey Shivers
SEP 12: Appalatin
SEP 19: Annandale
SEP 26: Erica Blinn
OCT 03: J. D. Crowe and The New South "Flashback" Band

In addition to the concerts on August 1 we'll have our first ever Wing Fling - a chicken wing cook off with cash prizes for the winners and a trophy for the fan favorite. An admission fee of $5 gets you in to the Wing Fling and a chance to taste the wings from each of the cooks. Additional wings cost you $1 for 2. The event is from noon-4pm with judging of wings at 4pm. Following that at 6pm will be our popular Ducky Dash where we drop hundreds of rubber ducks in to our canal. If yours is first to cross over the line you have a chance to win $250. Cost to purchase a duck for the race is $5 and ducks can be bought in advance at area businesses or at the event.

Discover Downtown Middlesboro has been awarded an Arts Access Assistance Grant through a program of the Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, which is supported by state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series is supported in part by Levitt Pavilions, the national nonprofit behind the largest free outdoor concert series in America. Dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of our communities, Levitt partners with cities to transform neglected public spaces into thriving destinations through the power of free, live music. In 2015, free Levitt concerts will take place in 16 cities across 14 states, all featuring a rich array of music genres and high caliber talent. In addition to Levitt AMP, Levitt forms the only national network of nonprofit outdoor music venues, each presenting 50+ free concerts every year. Learn more about our locations and impact: www.levittpavilions.org.

For questions please visit www.downtownmiddlesboro.org or call (606) 248-6155. We are also on Facebook and Twitter @DDMBoro.

How We Built our Levitt AMP Middlesboro Pop-up Park

We began by chair bombing the downtown with two dozen "Appalachian Chairs," as we call them, painted bright colors.

Here's the lot before we got started working on it. Note the farmers market sheds to the rear. And the platform stage to the right. Everything on the lot would be reused and incorporated in to our plans.

First order of business on the workday was painting the shed on the front of the lot blue.

After the first days work things started looking bright!

We were fortunate to have Kateryna Gonchorova, a Fulbright Scholar from Kiev, Ukraine, visit and put her unique stamp on our project - this making Levitt AMP Middlesboro an international undertaking. Ultimately people from 12 countries visited and participated in making the venue in one form or another.

Here we are as the stage begins to take shape. The section to the rear was from our first Better Block project in 2013. Donna Smith, DDM President, is to the left and Shannon Collins to the right. In the background is John West taking one of the uprights to its spot.

We re-purposed the Farmers' Market sheds and made a roof for the stage out of them.

Here are the sheds with their tops taken off.

Volunteers made quick work out of what remained of the sheds.

In less than a day we went from gravel to grass. From getting the call at 8am that a truck was positioned in Lexington and ready to haul, we had dirt laid and leveled and sod installed by 1:30am the following morning. It was an exhausting 18 hours.

With the shed built, now the dirt comes in.

Thumbs up from the City of Middlesboro Street Department.

Add caption

And the sod arrives on a truck, compliments of local company J.R. Hoe & Sons.

Here is all the sod we laid on the first night with the stage in the distance.

And a view of the sod in place from the stage.

The stage and lawn giving new life to the lot. Credit: Cris Ritchie.

View from the stage of our green lawn. Credit: Cris Ritchie.

Now, all that is left to do is for you, your family, and friends to show up for some great live music in downtown Middlesboro. Bring chairs or a blanket and make a day of it. Concerts start every Saturday at 7pm. We hope to see you!

10 Free Concerts, Wing Fling, Ducky Dash and Other Special Events Start August 1

2015-07-19T05:31:00.001-07:00

Venue for our Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series at 20th and Cumberland Ave. Credit: DDM.

Middlesboro, Kentucky, is one of 10 cities in America and the only city in Kentucky to win the Levitt AMP [Your City] contest. They will play host to ten free concerts in a previously neglected public space that has been transformed through creative placemaking. The pop-up park and stage where concerts will be held is located just off of Fountain Square at 20th and Cumberland Avenue in historic downtown Middlesboro.

Following that at 6pm will be our popular Ducky Dash where we drop hundreds of rubber ducks in to our canal. If yours is first to cross over the line you have a chance to win $250. Entry to purchase a duck for the race is $5 and ducks can be bought in advance at area businesses or at the event.

Stick around afterwards for the beginning of the Levitt Amp Middlesboro Music Series. We'll have free concerts every Saturday for ten weeks starting at 7pm. Location will be on our pop-up park at 2007 Cumberland Ave, just off of Fountain Square. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy family friendly live music in the heart of our downtown.

Our stage built by volunteers over a three month period from May to July this year. Credit: DDM.

LEVITT AMP MIDDLESBORO MUSIC SERIES

Concerts Downtown Every Saturday at 7pm

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Pop-up Park, 20th and Cumberland Ave

AUG 01

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Jenna & Her Cool Friends

Fronted by renowned singer/songwriter Jenna Jefferson and graced by the onstage magnetism of harpist Michael “Crawdaddy” Crawley, this collection of prominent Knoxville, Tenn. musicians creates a new original sound in contemporary blues music while celebrating the rich musical legacy of the genre. Their 2014 album, I’m What You Get, is infused with the edge of southern rock, the gritty soul of Detroit, the foot stomping of the Delta and the spiritual vibe of the Deep South.

The ensemble’s propelling, sophisticated—and sometimes rowdy—rhythm section includes lead guitarist Michael Jordan, acoustic guitarist Keith Ford, bassist Glyn Lloyd, keyboardist Ben Maney and drummer Kevin Redding. Since 2013, Jenna and Her Cool Friends have held the title of “Best Blues Band” in Cityview Magazine. The band was also voted “Best Blues Band” in Metro Pulse’s 2013 Best of Knoxville poll. Most recently, the band advanced to the semi-finals round of the 2015 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn.

AUG 08

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Jimmy Rose and the Jimmy Rose Band

Country singer/songwriter and Pineville, Ky. native Jimmy Rose launched his music career on season eight of the televised talent competition, America’s Got Talent (AGT), where he finished in third place. Throughout the competition, his music and dedication won the hearts of audiences across the country. Prior to his television debut, Rose had been a coal mine worker and a member of the Marine Corps, serving in both Japan and Iraq. His signature hit, “Coal Keeps the Lights On” has become an anthem for Kentucky coal miners, whose industry has been besieged by massive layoffs in recent years.

After rising to fame on AGT, Rose participated in the 2013 America's Got Talent Live Tour with other finalists. Since then, he has performed in renowned local venues in his home Tri-State area, as well as major national venues such as the St. George Theater in New York and the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. In 2014 alone, he gave over 60 performances in Tri-State area.

AUG 15

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: MACH22

With its killer riffs, bluesy rhythms and soulful delivery, MACH22 is an electrifying band that melds together both modern and classic rock 'n' roll. The Philadelphia band’s ‘80s American hard rock look with a splash of glam attests to their sound, which carries hints of Guns N’ Roses, Lenny Kravitz, AC/DC and Aerosmith. Because each member is a seasoned performer, the band not only exudes energy and charisma but also exemplifies musicianship onstage.

MACH22 has opened for artists such as Steel Panther, Tom Keifer and Jeff LaBar. Slash hand selected the band to perform with him as the grand prizewinners of Guitar Center’s Onstage with Slash contest. In 2014, MACH22 rocked an audience of 75,000 at Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival and at Rocklahoma.

AUG 22

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Jeni Carr

Country singer/songwriter Jeni Carr seeks to warm the hearts of people everywhere with her candid lyrics and her sultry, soulful voice. Carr began writing and recording her own music in 1992 when she moved from her hometown of Fairdale, Ky. to Nashville, Tenn. Since then, her twenty years of performance experience in venues large and small have bolstered her reputation as a seasoned musician. In addition to opening for artists such as Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Rodney Atkins and Reba McIntire and the Great Women of Country, Carr regularly lends her voice to organizations such as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and WHAS Crusade for Children.

In 2012, Carr released her original and versatile music on her first solo album entitled Jeni Carr, which debuted at #75 on MusicRow’s “Hot New Country” charts. Inspired by her own experiences as a performer, her song "Famous By Now" was chosen as a finalist in the Undiscovered Songwriters division of Country Music Television’s Music City Madness competition in 2009. The second release from her album, Grace, reached the Top 20 on the National Inspirational Country Charts. The online music platform Sonicbids placed Carr on their April/May 2012 “Artists To Watch” list.

AUG 29

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Lauren Shera

Lauren Shera’s voice is unique in its spare but heartfelt style of classic folk and its soft rock sound, reminiscent of music that emanated from Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles in the ‘70s. While she was born in New York, her upbringing in California deeply inspired her music. Shera hails from a musical family that always encouraged her to pursue musical aspirations. She has been performing and songwriting from the time she was old enough to pick up a guitar. Her experience living in the Golden State—from the people she had met to the state’s coasts and mountains—can be heard on her latest album Gold and Rust.

Despite her youth, Lauren Shera has made a name for herself on the folk scene. Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh said of Lauren, “Her voice is going to define the next generation of folk.” Shera’s performances at open mics, folk clubs, and coffee shops in Northern California in her early teens caught the attention of San Francisco’s public TV station KQED. At the age of 18, she was invited to perform at a tribute to Bob Dylan at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall alongside luminaries Patti Smith, Roseanne Cash, Ryan Adams and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. In 2011, Shera toured nationally with Communion, a UK-based artist collective founded by Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett, on their inaugural U.S. tour. Today, Shera lives in Nashville, Tenn. and continues to tour extensively.

SEP 05

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Whiskey Shivers

Chopping away at traditional bluegrass constraints with its mischievous cleaver, mixing in shadows of Delta swamps and New Orleans basements, Whiskey Shivers calls itself a “trashgrass band.” The band adds hints of country and old time and a layer of sheer grit on top of hard-driving bluegrass rhythms. Born in Austin, Texas from a Craigslist ad, Whiskey Shivers is comprised of musicians from all around the country—Bobby Fitzgerald, Andrew VanVorhees, Joe Deuce, Jeff Hortillosa and James Bookert. The group seeks to revive the joy of a community barn dance with their lively audience engagement and an anything-goes philosophy.

Encouraging musical honesty as a means to connect crowds of individuals together, Whiskey Shivers fills their rich, layered music with heavy themes of universal struggle – work, pain, sin, regret and death. This is present in their latest self-titled album released in 2014. Their sound caught the attention of concert tour industry publication Pollstar, which produced a three-part documentary series on the band. Whiskey Shivers won Best Country/Bluegrass at the 2012 Austin Music Awards and was voted on to the Austin Chronicle Critics “Best New Local Act” list in 2012.

SEP 12

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Appalatin

The name Appalatin reflects the unexpected meeting of Kentucky-raised musicians and Latin émigrés from Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala in Louisville, Ky. Appalatin’s foot-stomping, hip-swinging sounds organically unite Appalachian folk with high-energy Latin music. The band uses acoustic instrumentation that features classical and steel string guitars, traditional Native wood flutes and pan flutes, harmonica, mandolin, charango, bass and a myriad of percussion. Their latest album, Waterside, shifts between languages, styles and vibes and features original music and interpretations of traditional songs from their native regions. One track from the album, “Alpa Mayo,” appeared on Public Radio International’s show The World.

Since their beginnings at a local coffee shop’s weekly show in 2006, Appalatin has performed at some of the most prestigious stages and venues of their area. In 2013, the band had the honor of performing for over 10,000 people at the Dalai Lama’s public talk at Louisville’s Yum! Center. The group has performed at the RiverRoots Music & Folk Arts Festival, Worldfest and Culturefest and on radio shows such as Michael Johnathon’s Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour and 91.9 FM WFPK’s “Live Lunch.” Appalatin has shared the stage with artists including Sam Bush, The Black Lillies and Ben Sollee.

SEP 19

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Annandale

Annandale is a hard rock/alternative band founded by Ashley and Chad Grennor in 2012. Their intertwining voices give audiences a listening experience filled with comfortable tension, marking their sound with harmonies that remain chilling without sacrificing vocal strength. Complementing their signature melodies, Annandale’s blazing guitar lines and steady, upbeat percussion band frame today’s mainstream rock elements. The group has completed its lineup with the addition of lead guitarist Zack Burnette, bassist Jody Jordan and drummer Dave Rush.

The band was initially the Grennors’ project of rebirth, musical refuge and self-discovery. Taking its name from an institution for rehabilitation, the band was initially the Grennors’ final attempt at music and their own means of nursing their wounds from the collapse of their previous attempts. Having released their debut EP Moving Forward with the production help of Clint Lowery of Sevendust fame, the couple sought to sell their album and nothing else. However, after witnessing the clamor to see their music performed live, the Grennors changed their focus entirely. Annandale now concentrates much of its efforts towards live shows and aims to implement a guerilla, DIY business approach to name building uncommon to bands of their genre. The band’s music video for the song “This Fight” from their debut EP was included in 2013 Competitive Video Music Awards’ Official Music Selection.

SEP 26

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Erica Blinn

Erica Blinn constructs American rock songs one earnest melody at a time. She weaves honest and heartfelt lyrics into her raw Midwestern melodies. Fusing together the soulfulness of blues and playfulnesses of pop music, Blinn creates a blue collar sound that resonates with all types of listeners.

Blinn's most recent album, Lovers in the Dust (2014), features second-time collaborators producer/engineer Mike Landolt (Maroon 5, Blues Traveler, OAR) and guitarist Andy Harrison, as well as some exciting "firsts." On this record, Erica is joined by her backing band The Handsome Machine and guests Devon Allman and Aaron Lee Tasjan. “I like to think of this album as having a little something for everybody,” says Blinn.Listeners are treated to a well-balanced mix of rock, blues and pop with a strong Midwestern twist.

Over the last year, Blinn and her band have toured the nation, logging over 30,000 miles in their van. Blinn has also shared stages with names like Blues Traveler, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Family Stone, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers and Devon Allman. 2015 finds Blinn and company writing new songs for an upcoming record and continuously playing shows from coast to coast.

OCT 03

Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series: Dale Ann Bradley

Raised in the coal fields of Appalachia, Dale Ann Bradley began her musical journey as a member of Backporch Grass, a bluegrass group whose other members included her high school band director, Mearl Risner, and his late wife, Alpha. After playing regular regional gigs and recording several 45 singles, the band got into the finals of Marlboro Country Music Round Up held in Lexington, Ky., where Bradley met an all-female bluegrass band, The New Coon Creek Girls, that would play a big part in her career.

After marrying, moving to Jacksonville, Fla., and giving birth to her son, Bradley returned to Kentucky, where she landed a regular gig performing at Kentucky's famous Renfro Valley Entertainment Center. While at Renfro Valley, she recorded two solo albums and for the Sunday Morning Gatherin', the second oldest radio show in America next to The Grand Ole Opry. She also joined The New Coon Creek Girls, performing with them until 1997 and recording four albums on Pinecastle Records with the band. After leaving the group, she has recorded multiple acclaimed albums, including two projects co-produced by Tim Austin and Dan Tyminski, Cumberland River Dreams and Send the Angels Down, on Doobie Shea Records, and Catch Tomorrow and Don't Turn Your Back on Alison Brown's Compass Records.

Bradley took home her first International Bluegrass Music Association (IMBA) Female Vocalist of the Year Award in 2007. She also was awarded this honor at the Grand Ole Opry House and in 2008-2009 from The Ryman Auditorium. In 2011-2012, the IBMA bestowed the Female Vocalist of the Year to her for the fifth time.

Before and After Photo of where the Levitt Concerts will be held. Credit: DDM (above), Cris Ritchie (below).

Other events happening in downtown Middlesboro include the Freedom Fest on August 8 with live music and food. The Cumberland Mountain Fall Festival will be on Friday and Saturday October 2 and 3. This will feature artisans, crafters, music, food, and plenty of family friendly entertainment.

Discover Downtown Middlesboro has been awarded an Arts Access Assistance Grant through a program of the Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, which is supported by state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series is supported in part by Levitt Pavilions, the national nonprofit behind the largest free outdoor concert series in America. Dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of our communities, Levitt partners with cities to transform neglected public spaces into thriving destinations through the power of free, live music. In 2015, free Levitt concerts will take place in 16 cities across 14 states, all featuring a rich array of music genres and high caliber talent. In addition to Levitt AMP, Levitt forms the only national network of nonprofit outdoor music venues, each presenting 50+ free concerts every year. Learn more about our locations and impact: www.levittpavilions.org.

For questions please visit www.downtownmiddlesboro.org or call (606) 248-6155. We are also on Facebook and Twitter @DDMBoro.

Image Source:

Venue for our Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series at 20th and Cumberland Ave. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH5yVb1I_3-36xtlzKsl80ezRO4NY9cuYh96QKrPj2esCyOkHLOwyqbM_e_29keg2tPKnzzo-0gJhmvRmyNRQTF3K4Cnkl1EtBHRKxnOs16z5Clkj1kbLn0-s9_v7zwDmnSDxkGCd7kw/s1600/IMG_6167.jpg
Our stage built by volunteers over a three month period from May to July this year. Credit: DDM. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmoeju-hl1NNGHWwwS-uJNqTKVKiEx1eTMm9oaz0oc2RUENc-sxptCGZq-scSZc7eow8U7W6LRqsVwCO2Od4InfOabg2T0Ad-qaZD9bolkFWOb_eDOGUtyXDoeCLg3VG4BC3ebJVW27k/s1600/IMG_6141.jpg
Before Photo of where the Levitt Concerts will be held. Credit: DDM. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTOE8T5ZfzSnEmL4pH6gbcTAFct0MHxK1ZYZuyL2_itM4bqFImf4VHrdsPs3xW6bUGqD-tefd2M8Sz0hn7-_QLbsry7XCBZE__JQbFhmVSyBBvLxjw5GK3tLqKbCQkhYuFxYKeOMV18k/s1600/2015-04-16+07.56.03.jpg
After Photo of where the Levitt Concerts will be held. Credit: Cris Ritchie. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtFFWqt5d8NzEMIDzxQmD9w2YUtgPsgPwr7A76J_FAqmjOXHLAdW_hY6VF9Z-p1rvK6iTDFWZwggXSUSdMW2WLPvpQA3xtM_AJBKJ34YBqkAbAwTl-kUEh4QRcOshWVk2iKr78b33WZs/s1600/IMG_6155.jpg

Danelle O’Connell Named Selling to the World Initiative Director in Middlesboro, Kentucky

2015-06-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Danelle O'Connell is pictured in the front row on the left, along with recent participants in the GrowthWheel training.

Middlesboro, Ky. – Discover Downtown Middlesboro (DDM) is pleased to announce that Danelle O’Connell has recently joined the partnership between Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), Discover Downtown Middlesboro, and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College as Selling to the World Initiative Director, currently funded through The New York Community Trust.

"After performing a national search, Danelle was the ideal person to lead this important initiative,” said Isaac Kremer, Discover Downtown Middlesboro Executive Director. “She brings to the position impressive skills and experience, as well as enthusiasm to continue our work promoting entrepreneurship in Middlesboro. We hope everyone will give Danelle a warm Eastern Kentucky welcome as she gets started.”

As the Director, O’Connell’s responsibilities include coordination of the proposed new entrepreneurial mentorship and training component of Selling to the World, which will pave a pathway for Eastern Kentucky artisans to become successful entrepreneurs by employing a comprehensive approach that includes education and daily, hands-on mentoring in the following areas: entrepreneurship, business plans, Internet sales and marketing, advertising, inventory management, production strategies, small business finance, bookkeeping, taxes and deductions, and intellectual property protection, among other topics.

O’Connell comes to Eastern Kentucky and DDM with over 17 years of experience coordinating community programs at a non-profit level. Her experience started at the grassroots level while working for Tri-County Mental Health Services as the Prevention Coordinator in Kansas City, Missouri. She managed coalition teams to reduce underage drinking across three counties. Most recently, O’Connell served as the Executive Director of Main Street Parkville Association in Missouri, where she provided leadership to maintain a successful and sustainable association closely following the National Main Street Four Point Approach® (Economic Restructuring, Design, Organization and Promotion.)

“Now that I’m on-site, I look forward to working with the initiative partners, the Assistant to the initiative Jeannie Redmond Allen and Eastern Kentucky’s artisans and craftspeople to start selling to the world and placing their work in The Palace located on Cumberland Avenue in Middlesboro,” said Danelle O’Connell, Director of Selling to the World.

Also joining the team is Jeannie Redmond Allen, a local community member, as the Assistant to the Selling to the World Initiative. A few of Redmond’s duties will include coordinating volunteers’ schedules at The Palace, assisting the Director in identifying prospective participants for the Selling to the World Initiative and responding to inquiries.

Through a Sam’s Club Shared Vision Grant, industry leaders in Eastern Kentucky have joined forces to put together the second annual Selling to the World Expo, scheduled for June 25-26 at the Middlesboro campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College.

With the World Wide Web, the opportunities for expanding your small business are endless. Attend the Selling to the World Expo to learn how to take advantage of the national and global market at your fingertips. New for this year’s Expo, you can also learn how to build a rock-solid plan to organize and grow your business or business idea using the GrowthWheel® model — a unique, customizable way of focusing on the specific needs of your business, with targeted sessions for your Business Concept, Organization, Client Relations, and Operations. Register for the Expo at www.selling2theworldexpo.com

About Selling to the World Initiative

Eastern Kentucky has a significant number of artisans and craftspeople whose products are of the type and quality that could support a business. However, most of these people do not fully realize the economic benefits of their labor—either in terms of unit price or sales volume—because they are unable to market their wares to a wide audience nationally and internationally. This is often due to a lack of knowledge of business planning, Internet sales and marketing, production strategies, bookkeeping, and other necessary elements for small business success.

The program will help regional artists and craftspeople come closer to realizing their tremendous potential to diversify and boost the region’s economy by increasing exports and possibly even to grow their businesses enough to create dependent jobs.

The physical location where this work will occur is at The Palace, located at 2008 Cumberland Ave. in Middlesboro. This was started as a pop-up shop by DDM in April 2014. From this location training will take place, co-working space will be developed, and direct sales will occur. The primary focus for sales will be through a portal website developed for the program with micro-sites within it for each of the participants. Expert instructors from SKCTC will work hand-in-hand, on-site with participants in this incubator-like, co-workspace environment to guide them in all aspects of small-business development, with the goal being their harnessing the power of the Internet to distribute their products to statewide, national, and even global customer bases.

About The New York Community Trust

Through the generosity of New Yorkers and others who have set up charitable funds, The New York Community Trust is able to make grants for a huge range of charitable activity that is important to the well-being and vitality of that city–and beyond. Since 1924, The New York Community Trust has helped make donors’ charitable dreams come true by funding the nonprofits that make communities a vital and secure place. The Trust ended 2013 with assets of $2.4 billion in more than 2,000 charitable funds, and made grants totaling $141 million. The New York Community Trust is providing direct support to Selling to the World—and Eastern Kentucky–through a grant from the Oakley L. and Ethel Witherspoon Alexander Fund included in a round of grants awarded in December 2014 to 51 groups totaling $7.4 million. Visit www.nycommunitytrust.org.

Learn How to Build Your Business With the Web, Get Exclusive ‘GrowthWheel’ Training at Second ‘Selling to the World Expo’ June 25-26 at SKCTC Middlesboro Campus

2015-06-03T05:11:00.005-07:00

Existing and aspiring small-business owners can learn how to harness the power of the Web to sell their products and market their business to statewide, national, and global customers—and get innovative business-planning assistance—at the second Selling to the World Expo coming to Middlesboro, Ky.

With grant support from the Sam’s Club Shared Vision program and The New York Community Trust, SKCTC is teaming up with workforce, economic development, and community partners to host the two-day conference, set for June 25 and 26 at the Middlesboro campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC).

Partners include the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, Kentucky Small Business Development Center, Discover Downtown Middlesboro, and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).

The Selling to the World Expo will benefit not only small businesses that may be struggling to build an online presence, but also crafters and artisans who spend their weekends selling items locally, according to SKCTC Vice President Dr. Vic Adams.

The event will teach these sellers how to compete online and use various Internet tools and strategies to build their businesses, expand their markets, and boost profits, he added.

“The Internet can represent an entirely new market for our small business owners and artisans,” Adams said. “There may be some hesitation to tap into that market due to possible technological barriers or other reasons, but this expo is designed to lead folks step-by-step so that they can learn to literally market what they’re selling to the world.”

New for this year’s Expo, participants can also learn how to build a rock-solid plan to organize and grow a business or business concept using the GrowthWheel model, a unique, customizable way of focusing on specific areas of need in a start-up or growth business.

GrowthWheel is a visual toolbox for business decision-making and action-planning that was designed around the observation that all businesses, in all industries and life stages, have four lasting challenges in common. They must create an attractive Business Concept, build a strong Organization behind it, develop lasting Client Relations, and do all while maintaining profitable Operations. GrowthWheel helps entrepreneurs build their businesses through a simple, action-oriented process that stays true to the way most entrepreneurs think and work.

Participants will be able to start with sessions that will be most beneficial to them, but will get a chance to experience each of the four key GrowthWheel sessions—led by Certified GrowthWheel Advisors from Eastern Kentucky—during the two-day Expo.

“This year we want to give our participants a tool that will not only help them get started in business, but aid existing small business owners plan their growth and chart their expansion,” Adams said. “GrowthWheel provides us that tool, and this year’s schedule will allow participants to sit in on each of the four related sessions without having to miss anything.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to attend concurrent sessions covering a wide variety of topics during the Expo’s second day, from Web design for small businesses and basic bookkeeping, to learning how to grow your business with social media marketing.

Other session topics during the two-day conference include:

· Small Business 101 and Creating a Winning Business Plan

· USDA Food Guidelines

· How to Patent Your Product or Idea

· Fulfillment by Amazon

· Capital Business Loans

· From Hobby to Profit

· Business Law

· Market Research and Strategy

· Photography for Marketing

· Selling at Trade Shows

· Exporting

Those who attend the expo will receive one year of free business consulting from the Kentucky Small Business Development Center to help them build upon the lessons learned at the event.

Fifteen attendees will also be selected to participate in a special program to receive free one-on-one custom business consulting at The Palace in downtown Middlesboro.

Local vendors offering products or services useful to business will also be on hand during the event.

“This expo is the perfect opportunity for small business owners or someone who either wants to turn a hobby into a full-time business, or turn a hobby into a really good supplement to their income,” Adams said.

Anyone interested in attending the Selling to the World Expo can pre-register through June 5 for $30, or register on-site for $50 per person. Registration fees cover all expo activities such as speaker sessions, concurrent workshop sessions, GrowthWheel sessions, meals, and vendor trade show.

A limited number of scholarships covering the registration fee will be available for individuals who are willing to complete an application essay that illustrates how they will benefit from attending the conference and have a restricted travel budget. The deadline to apply is June 12.

To pre-register or download a scholarship application online, visit www.selling2theworldexpo.com and click the “Attend” tab.

Any area business interested in presenting during the expo’s vendor trade show can download a vendor registration packet online on the event’s Website through the “Be a Vendor” tab. There are no setup fees to showcase your business during the expo.

About the Sam’s Club Giving Program

Sam’s Club Giving supports community-based programs that empower young people, families and small businesses to make smart choices that lead to healthy and bright futures. In 2011, Sam’s Club and the Sam’s Club Giving Program made cash and in-kind contributions of more than $101 million, which included donating more than 38 million meals. Visit SamsClub.com/giving for more information.

About The New York Community Trust

Through the generosity of New Yorkers and others who have set up charitable funds, The New York Community Trust is able to make grants for a huge range of charitable activity that is important to the well-being and vitality of that city–and beyond. Since 1924, The New York Community Trust has helped make donors’ charitable dreams come true by funding the nonprofits that make communities a vital and secure place. The Trust ended 2013 with assets of $2.4 billion in more than 2,000 charitable funds, and made grants totaling $141 million. The New York Community Trust is providing direct support to Selling To The World—and Eastern Kentucky–through a grant from the Oakley L. and Ethel Witherspoon Alexander Fund included in a round of grants awarded in December 2014 to 51 groups totaling $7.4 million. Visit www.nycommunitytrust.org.

About NACCE

The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents and entrepreneurs, focused on inciting entrepreneurship in their community and on their campus. NACCE has two main goals: 1. Empower the college to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset; and 2. Grow the community college’s role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem.

Founded in 2002, NACCE is at the heart of the "entrepreneurship movement.” Through membership, an annual conference and exhibition, regional summits, a quarterly journal, monthly webinars, a dynamic list-serv, and training resources, NACCE serves as the hub for the dissemination and integration of knowledge and successful practices regarding entrepreneurial leadership, entrepreneurship education and student business incubation. These initiatives and resulting actions advance economic prosperity in the communities served by its member colleges. NACCE is a founding member of the White House-led Startup America Partnership. For more information, visit http://www.nacce.com.

Follow us at @NACCE, like us on facebook.com/NACCE, and join our LinkedIn group.

Find the Selling to the World Expo Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sellingtotheworldexpo, or find us online at www.selling2theworldexpo.com

Notes from the Crater: Here's Great Stuff Happening in Downtown Middlesboro RIGHT NOW!

2015-04-09T15:18:00.001-07:00

We just wanted to take a moment and share with you all the exciting things happening downtown.

Middlesboro was the only local Main Street program to have a booth at the Expo Hall.
Here is Mike Lydon, author of Tactical Urbanism, speaking with Kentucky Main Street Director
Kitty Dougoud. Credit: Discover Downtown Middlesboro.

1. We recently returned from the National Main Streets Conference in Atlanta. Middlesboro was featured in the opening session in a speech by Main Street President/CEO Patrice Frey. If that wasn't cool enough we were also mentioned in the Closing Plenary by Mike Lydon several times. He used our "It's Good to be Here" stencil and several photos from our Better Block.

2. Best news out of Atlanta is that we had gross sales of over $5,000. This was split between product from our pop-up shop The Palace and the 250 copies of the Tactical Urbanism book that we brought down to sell. On so many levels Atlanta was a HUGE SUCCESS!

Upon returning to Middlesboro we dove in head first.

3. Plans are underway for a Discover Downtown Mixer on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The mixer will give you a behind the scenes view in to the upper floors and hidden away spaces downtown. In true DDM style we'll offer food, drink, and a welcoming atmosphere. If you want to be involved in planning these events or just want to get an invite, please let us know. The first mixer is planned for May 20 at 5:30 so please save the date! Location To Be Announced.

4. Work on the Levitt AMP [Middlesboro] Pop-up Park is about to heat up. Next Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 we'll be expanding the stage and doing other construction work. We're still looking for volunteers if you'd like to join us. You can RSVP here on Facebook or by contacting us.

5. In May we're partnering with Kidz Korner to do a cleanup on the exterior of their building and the corner lot they are situated on at Cumberland Ave and 24th Street. Heading up this effort is Blake Bowling and a dozen volunteers from DDM. There is plenty of work to do so you're welcome to join us too.

6. We enjoyed participating in the Heart & Soul Conference Call this afternoon with the Orton Family Foundation and around 100 community leaders nationally. This gave us some good ideas about how to get citizens involved in our local economic development efforts. We're talking with Orton about bringing Heart & Soul to Middlesboro. So that's very exciting.

7. The Pinnacle made the bucket list of "50 things to see, do, and eat in the commonwealth." And just so folks know, there's no getting to the Pinnacle without passing through Middlesboro. So drop by Shades, La Esperanza or the Avenue Cafe for a bite to eat. Then visit our pop-up shop The Palace or the new Crater City Adventure Company. You can make a day out of it.

8. And, last, but not least, we're about to bring 24 new pallet chairs to Cumberland Ave.

Pallet chairs and the guys who made them after delivering them today.
Credit: Discover Downtown Middlesboro.

Oh, and, we might have a production company that wants to use downtown Middlesboro as a location for an upcoming feature film. More on that very soon.

Middlesboro is Headed to the 2015 National Main Streets Conference in Atlanta

2015-03-27T07:51:00.002-07:00

Middlesboro will be well represented at the National Main Streets Conference in Atlanta from March 30 - April 2, 2015. We've been invited to participate in three sessions and to set up a pop-up in the Expo Hall. You can see the full conference program here.

Our Executive Director Isaac Kremer will be joined in Atlanta by Deidre Donahue, America Saves! Project Manager and Jeannie Redmond Allen, founder of The Palace. Wish these folks good luck as they set off for what is sure to be an exciting and educational experience for all involved!

Monday, March 30

8:30am-9:45am. America Saves! In Action. Our Executive Director Isaac Kremer will be a panelist along with five other leaders who have been involved in the national pilot project for the America Saves initiative. We'll share our experience and show other communities how they can participate in this exciting program.
12:30pm-3pm. Tactical Urbanism Workshop. Reprising his role at past conferences, Isaac will lead an hands on workshop demonstrating 10 tactical interventions to restore downtown areas for $500 or less. He will be joined by Dr. Kateryna Goncharova with the Ukranian State Institute for Preservation of Historic and Architectural Sites, and Ryan Gravel from Perkins+Will. The interventions will then be put on display in the Expo Hall the next two days.

Mike Lydon participating in our first
Better Block event, October 2013.
Credit: Discover Downtown Middlesboro.

1:00pm-1:45pm. People Power: Engaging Your Community Members. During this crash course Deidre Donahue, our Project Assistant for America Saves will be joined by two others to share how she worked with business owners to connect them with this important program.

Tuesday, March 31

8:00am-6:00pm. Tactical Urbanism Pop-up at the Expo Hall. We'll take the interventions made during the workshop the previous day and put this on display. Items from our pop-up shop, The Palace, will be brought down and even available for sale. Conference goers are invited to drop by as little or as much as they want to explore these Tactical Urbanism concepts.

Wednesday, April 1

Wednesday, April 1, 8:00am-2:00pm. Tactical Urbanism Pop-up at the Expo Hall. On day 2 we'll be joined by Mike Lydon who will be signing copies of his new book Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term change.
Wednesday, April 1, 4:00pm-6:00pm. Closing Plenary. Mike Lydon will give the Closing Plenary address. In 2013 Mike visited Middlesboro for our first Better Block event. He's been a long time friend, follower, and supporter of our work. After his talk Mike will be on hand to sign copies of his book.

We'll have copies of Tactical Urbanism available for sale. Track us down in Atlanta during one of our sessions or at the Expo Hall to get your copy.

Right Now Someone is Walking Towards Middlesboro - Help Us Follow This Epic Trek!

2015-03-11T06:36:00.003-07:00

Daniel Boone and over 200,000 settlers passed through the Cumberland Gap between 1775 and around 1812.

We're going to keep it simple and let Mr. Fox share his remarkable story in his own words. If you see him while on the trip wave hello and give some encouragement. Better yet, take a picture and share it on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #BooneTrace2015. That way we can keep up on the progress.

Mr. Fox should pass through Middlesboro around noon on March 16. Some re-enactors from the Park will be walking with him over the Gap and then gathering in the Visitors Center. Then he will proceed with walking through Middlesboro and northward in the footsteps of Daniel Boone. How cool is that?

The Trail Is Calling…

Or How I Wound Up On The Boone Trace

in the Footsteps of Daniel Boone

Givan Fox

The author, MacArthur Givan Fox has a resume that includes a degree in psychology and experience as a Black Hawk helicopter medic in Afghanistan. He is the son of Doctor John Fox, President of the Friends of Boone Trace. “This is a guy who can take you apart mentally and put you back together physically—a good combination to have on a 200 mile expedition. Givan will be joining me for the Kentucky portion, writes Curtis Penix, lead hiker of the Boone Trace expedition.

I have loved being outdoors since I was a child. I spent almost all my free time playing in the woods of Kentucky. As an adult, the jobs that I have enjoyed the most have taken me outdoors in some fashion or another. From running a camp for At Risk children in the Michigan woods, to working on the side of the mountain for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, CO, to the many places that the Army National Guard has taken me, I believe even more strongly now than ever before, any day outdoors is a better day than any other.

During college I had the opportunity to hike most of the Virginia sections of the Appalachian Trail, and I grew to more deeply appreciate backpacking. The ability to move far, through remote areas, carrying all that I needed to live, was a challenge that I greatly enjoyed. Through the years, I have backpacked trails not just in Virginia, but also in Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois, South Dakota and Ireland. Just over a decade ago, I moved to Colorado to be in the mountains that I had read about and seen pictures of for so many years. Since then, my love for the outdoors has only grown. I have found healing from life’s hurts and a better understanding of myself in the middle of nowhere.

Shortly after my first deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, John Fox, my father, shared his growing passion for Boone Trace or “That Little Road,” as he has taken to calling it. As we were traveling along the back roads of Kentucky, I began to think about backpacking the route from Martin’s Station, Virginia to Fort Boonesborough. How amazing that would be to walk in the footsteps of Daniel Boone and his men and at least two women! To understand the challenges and hardships with the terrain, weather, animals and native people, even if in only a small degree, I felt would better enable my father and me to find other sections that might have been blurred by subsequent development.

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind as a second deployment came into my world. I would get to fulfill one of my Army dreams, that of being a flight medic and do the job for real in Afghanistan. It can be difficult when the reality of our dreams does not match the hopes and expectations that we have. Needless to say, it was one of the most frustrating and challenging years of my life. I love doing the job, but I found that I could no longer align myself with the organization that allowed me to do that mission.

Somewhere in the midst of the pain and frustration, my dad said he had talked to a guy named Curtis who had an ancestor who had traveled “That Little Road” and been at Fort Boonesborough and he wanted to hike Boone Trace in its entirety. The desire to be outdoors and on the trail came back in an instant. I began to seriously consider the idea that I would take this walk.

It turned out to not be a difficult decision at all. Having helped my father find what we thought was one small section on my first exposure to the Trace and another section on a later visit just before my second deployment, I couldn’t conceive of not being involved in this expedition. I can truly understand the way this trail gets into your mind; under your skin, and you want to find and see it all. Dad always said there is something almost electric when you are on “That Little Road.” Having experienced it for myself, I want to see it through, from south to north.

On an even more personal level, I want to complete this expedition for my father since he cannot do it himself. The minor concerns of health issues and advancing age are the only things standing in his way. I know that he will be with us in spirit with each step and physically supporting us with resupply, guidance and smoothing the way through private properties. His unflinching work to preserve Boone Trace deserves nothing less than my exertion to walk “That Little Road.”

This expedition began as a simple route finding trip. The major challenge, I thought, would be to try to walk as closely as was possible and reasonable to Daniel Boone’s original Trace. While I still believe this will be a major challenge, I see now that this will not be enough. The bigger challenge will be to raise awareness of the need to preserve Boone Trace and share the compelling story of Curtis and his ancestor in the founding of Kentucky and the nation’s western expansion. I feel deeply moved by the level of interest and excitement that has grown as people have become aware of the Trace and what Curtis and I are attempting. What I thought would be a simple walk in the woods has turned into something far more monumental.

I feel very privileged to be a part of this expedition, to be making history the way we are, and hopefully to help preserve this amazing piece of history, and, I am especially privileged to be Curtis’ hiking partner on the trail. On one hand, I feel almost as if I fell into this whole experience without realizing what it really meant. But when I think about it, I whole-heartedly believe that my military training and experience, my medical background, and my impassioned history with the outdoors have, somehow, all led me to this point. There is no other place I could be than on “That Little Road” next to Curtis.

To paraphrase the words of John Muir, “The trail is calling and I must go!”

Help Us Build Community Through Free Live Music in Middlesboro, Kentucky!

2015-03-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Middlesboro, Kentucky, is thrilled to be one of ten communities nationally to win the Levitt AMP [Your City] Contest. From the hundreds of votes cast there were no fewer than 60 businesses and organizations with people who cast at least one vote.

As excited as we are about this win, we still have a long way to go to make these concerts a reality. Here is how you can help:

Make a donation today. In order to get the full $25,000 grant from the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation we need to raise $7,500 more to meet our matching requirements. For every dollar you give we are able to bring in $4 more. Please give generously today at: http://power2give.org/go/p/8913.
Volunteer and/or make suggestions for acts. You can quickly and easily do this today! http://goo.gl/forms/WVVQmFDdcs.
Become a sponsor. Are you an owner of one of the 60 organizations and businesses that voted? Or do you represent a group that would benefit from getting exposure through this signature event? If so, please consider becoming a sponsor. Giving levels and benefits follow:

Title Sponsor. For those who give $1,000 or more, they will receive top billing in all promotional materials. All other benefits also apply.
Supporting Sponsor. For those who give $500 or more, their name will be placed on our website and in promotional materials for the event. All benefits at lower levels apply.
Patron. For donors who give $250 or more, public recognition will be given during the Levitt event and press releases to follow. Two passes will be provided to VIP meet-and-greet events with musicians prior to each concert.
Friend. For donors who give any other amount, they will receive invitations to a donor recognition party on the evening of Thursday, October 15, 2015.

Lastly, if you want to learn a little bit more about our organization and our many active projects, please consider attending the Discover Downtown Middlesboro Annual Meeting on March 12, at 6pm. Location will be at our pop-up shop, The Palace, located at 2008 Cumberland Ave in downtown Middlesboro.

Hiker to Trace Steps of Daniel Boone starting March 10, 2015

2015-02-02T05:44:00.003-08:00

Gateway to the West: Daniel Boone Leading the Settlers Through the Cumberland Gap - 1775

by David Wright, ca. 2000. Credit: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

On March 10, 2015, in a research and pilot project, Curtis Penix will begin an historic 200-mile trek, hiking the path marked by Daniel Boone almost 250 years ago. A 46-year old Michigan native with Kentucky roots, Penix will begin his 16-day trek at Long Island on the Holston River in what is now Kingsport, Tennessee, the site from which Daniel Boone and his party left in March 1775.

Following ancient Indian and buffalo trails, Boone and his party of ax-wielding men blazed a pathway through the wilderness from Tennessee through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. This pathway not only gave tens of thousands of European settlers a way into land in what would become the present day Commonwealth of Kentucky but, also, opened the gateway to the settlement of the west.

Penix will follow in the footsteps of his 5X great grandfather Joshua Penix, who helped establish Boonesborough as a permanent settlement in 1779. Although much of Boone’s original road has been lost to natural forces and land development, Penix will follow the route determined by the research of pioneer history author Neal O. Hammon in the late 60's and, most recently, by John Fox, MD, president of the Friends of Boone Trace, Inc. (an organization dedicated to historical, educational and research activities for the preservation of the Trace and its legacy).

Approximately 20 % of the route will be through privately owned land which Curtis has been granted permission to cross. “John Fox has done a great job seeking out portions of the Trace that cross private property. He has gained permission from many land owners, and I will do so as well, when possible. I am committed to not knowingly trespass and will skirt any private land where permission has not been received,” explained Penix.

Daniel Boone portrait. Credit: North Wind Picture Archives.

Hiking alone for the first 90 miles, Penix, an experienced backpacker, plans to challenge himself by carrying “the absolute minimum” food and supplies and, like his ancestor, experience the wonders of nature. “Many changes have taken place in the 200 years since the Trace was blazed. For instance, when I ford the Cumberland River in Pineville I will be fighting my way through the choking vines of Kudzu, which was introduced to America 100 years after the Trace was established. But my plans to hike the Boone Trace are rooted in my desire to experience what grandpa Joshua and the other pioneers experienced. They were real people with desires, motivations and hardships that went far beyond mere recreational hiking. This will be a challenge for me, but I want to walk in the shadow of the mountains where Joshua walked, to wade the cold streams that Joshua waded, and sleep under the sky that Joshua slept under.”

At Martin’s Station, VA, Penix will be joined by Givan Fox, son of John Fox, MD. Together, they will complete the remaining 105 miles over Cumberland Gap to Fort Boonesborough, where they plan to arrive on March 26.

Unlike his ancestor, Penix will be equipped with GPS and cellular satellite communications from which he will report his progress. On his website http://www.lostinthewander.com/ followers can track his progress on a map and receive photos and daily blogs on Facebook, e-mail or Twitter. Also he will send prepared posts on each historic site along the way. For example, on the day he arrives at Twettys Fort followers can access a post describing the historical significance of that site.

Photos of settlers passing through the Cumberland Gap. Credit: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

This project is being planned not only to promote the hike and the trail itself but also to stimulate tourism for the historical sites and communities along the route. Some have hiked portions of the Trace; others have walked farther and longer. Of the few thousand Appalachian Trail hikers each year, more than 300 complete the 2,180-miles route. In light of this feat, the Trace's 200-mile route might seem insignificant. However, as Penix explained,

“The Appalachian Trail or other recreation trails do not have the history or the weight of accomplishment of Boone Trace. The Trace was traveled by warriors who fought for the land that sustained them, pioneers who searched for independence and soldiers who helped forge the greatest country in the world.

“It is estimated that 47 million Americans have ancestors who traveled through Cumberland Gap seeking new lives in the west. If the Boone Trace can be reestablished and opened to the public, literally millions of Americans will have the chance to walk in the steps of their ancestors. Trail towns along the way, like Middlesboro, can serve as hosts for people who want to experience life along ‘that little road’ that helped give birth to the American dream. Other national trails like the Appalachian and Pacific Crest were created to provide a sense of recreational adventure. Boone Trace was created by true adventurers. Along the sides of the Boone Trace there were no discarded energy bar wrappers and ‘points of interest’ signs, but the bones of those who gave their lives to travel it.”

CONTACT: Friends of Boone Trace, Inc., http://www.boonetrace1775.com/

John Fox, M.D., President, 859-533-6433

Selling to the World in Eastern Kentucky - Call for Applications

2015-01-16T06:13:00.002-08:00

Selling to the World Director and Assistant

Job Description

A full-time Director is being sought for the Selling to the World Initiative in Middlesboro, Kentucky. A part-time Assistant is also being hired to provide administrative support. Assisting DDM in this program are our partners with the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC). This partnership will be pursuing additional funding opportunities to expand and extend the effort beyond the two years currently funded through The New York Community Trust.

Since 2006 DDM has been at the forefront of revitalizing a 40 block historic downtown area in Middlesboro at the foot of the Cumberland Gap. This award-winning program was named “One to Watch” by the National Main Street Center (2014), one of 10 winners of the Levitt AMP [Your City] contest (2014), and winner of the Successful Communities Contest held by the Orton Family Foundation and CommunityMatters (2013).

The proposed new entrepreneurial mentorship and training component of Selling to the World will pave a pathway to greater success for Eastern Kentucky artisans to become successful entrepreneurs by employing a comprehensive approach that includes education and daily, hands-on mentoring in the following areas: entrepreneurship, business plans, Internet sales and marketing, advertising, inventory management, production strategies, small business finance, bookkeeping, taxes and deductions, and intellectual property protection, among other topics.

The program can help these regional artists and craftspeople come closer to realizing their tremendous potential to diversify and boost the region’s economy by increasing exports and possibly even to grow their businesses enough to create dependent jobs.

The physical location where this work will occur is at The Palace located at 2008 Cumberland Ave. in Middlesboro, Kentucky. This was started as a pop-up shop by DDM in April 2014. From this location training will take place, co-working space will be developed, and direct sales will occur. The primary focus for sales will be through a portal website developed for the program with micro-sites within it for each of the participants. Expert instructors from SKCTC will work hand-in-hand, on-site with participants in this incubator-like, co-workspace environment to guide them in all aspects of small-business development, with the goal being their harnessing the power of the Internet to distribute their products to statewide, national, and even global customer bases.

Duties of the Director:

Coordinate the activities of the participating artists, artisans, craftspeople and the partners.
The director will spend some of his/her time identifying, evaluating, and recruiting craftspeople for the initiative.
The remainder of the director’s time will be spent overseeing all aspects of the initiative’s execution and supervising the interactions of partner staff with the craftspeople.
Serve as public face of program.
Connect with arts community regionally, statewide, nationally.
Develop eligibility documentation for participants in program.
Assist with grant writing to attract additional resources.
Prepare updates for funder with what is happening with initiative.
Work with team to develop business plans for participating artists, artisans, and crafters.
Measure outcomes and results (sales, exposure, etc.). Provide monthly reports of the same.
Assist with launching participants as independent, free-standing businesses.
Document progress people are making through the program.
Evaluate success, measure outcomes.
Make a minimum 2 year commitment.

Duties of the Assistant

Provide regular support to the Director on an as needed basis.
Coordinate volunteer schedule at The Palace.
Manage scheduling and ensure that The Palace is open and available on an as needed basis.
Keep an up-to-date mailing list from visitors to The Palace.
Respond to inquiries from participants in the Selling to the World Initiative/The Palace.
Assist the Director in identifying prospective participants for Selling to the World and The Palace.
Participate in staff meetings and provide input on the initiative.
Make a minimum 2 year commitment.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree required. Masters or professional degree preferred.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.
Minimum of five years of experience in arts management, including substantial work and success in encouraging entrepreneurship, grant writing, and creative placemaking.
Strong organizational skills, especially in planning and coordination of multiple projects.
Strong computer skills in word processing and database programs.
Must have reliable transportation for off-site functions and tasks.
Self-motivation and an appreciation of the role of philanthropy in building community.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team.

To apply

Please send a letter of interest, resume or curriculum vitae, three professional references, and a salary history addressed to:

Isaac D. Kremer

Executive Director

Discover Downtown Middlesboro

P.O. Box 1156

Middlesboro, KY 40965

Those preferring to send the same by e-mail are welcome to do so. Materials may be sent electronically to downtownmiddlesboro(at)gmail.com.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is selected.

Middlesboro Wins $25K Grant to Present Levitt AMP [Middlesboro] Music Series

2014-12-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

Contact: Vanessa Silberman

Senior Director of Communications

& Strategic Initiatives

213.201.6106

vanessa@levittpavilions.org

For Immediate Release

Middlesboro Wins Grant to Present Levitt AMP [Middlesboro] Music Series
$25K in matching funds will bring free outdoor concerts
to Pop-Up Park on Cumberland Avenue

December 15, 2014 —Today, Levitt Pavilions named Middlesboro as one of 10 small to mid-sized cities across America to win a Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Award of $25K in matching funds to present a free concert series at a pop-up park on Cumberland Avenue, currently a vacant gravel lot. In an effort to inspire and engage communities across the country around the power of creative placemaking, Levitt opened the selection process to the public to choose the Top 20 Finalists.

In July, Levitt Pavilions—the national nonprofit behind the largest free concert series in America—invited nonprofits, and municipalities partnering with a nonprofit, to submit project proposals that would reflect the three goals of the Levitt AMP awards: Amplify community pride and the city’s unique character; enrich lives through the power of free, live Music; and illustrate the importance of vibrant public Places. Discover Downtown Middlesboro partnered with Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College to submit their Levitt AMP proposal.

Before and after photos of the proposed concert venue on Cumberland Ave. Credit: DDM.

The public voted on the proposals over a four-week period in November, selecting their favorite projects online at http://amp.levittpavilions.org.

"We are thrilled to announce the Levitt AMP Grant Awards winners. Each made a compelling case for how the Levitt AMP Music Series will activate a public space and strengthen the social and economic fibers of their communities," says Sharon Yazowski, Executive Director of Levitt Pavilions. "The Levitt AMP [Middlesboro] Music Series will transform a vacant gravel lot into a vibrant destination, bringing the community together and building upon downtown revitalization efforts."

We invite you to make Levitt AMP [Middlesboro] Music Series a success. Whether you are an audience member who wants updates on the series, or a potential volunteer, sponsor, or performing group, all you need to do is fill out this form (http://goo.gl/forms/zYOpBGihpp)!

The 10 winners hail from historic small towns like Cleveland, MS; Middlesboro, KY; Sheboygan, WI; and Denison, TX; to mid-sized cities spanning the country in Anchorage, AK; Trenton, NJ; Bellingham, WA; Charlottesville, VA; Lafayette, LA; and Frederick, MD. Each winner will present 10 free concerts featuring a diverse lineup of high caliber entertainment in 2015 as part of the Levitt AMP Music Series, for a total of 100 Levitt AMP concerts.

Below is the full list of Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards winners (in alphabetical order):

Anchorage, AK

ADP (Anchorage Downtown Partnership) Community Services will present the Levitt AMP [Anchorage] Music Series to infuse energy into Town Square Park, bringing momentum to the city’s revitalization efforts and enriching residents’ lives.

Bellingham, WA

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership will present the Levitt AMP [Bellingham] Music Series in two locations—at the underused Maritime Heritage Park and on Bay Street, expanding upon their efforts to use the arts to revitalize and improve their downtown.

Charlottesville, VA

WTJU radio station will enliven IX Art Park, the recently launched public art park in the heart of Charlottesville's Strategic Investment District near UVA, bringing together the city’s diverse populations and enriching community life through the Levitt AMP [Charlottesville] Music Series.

Cleveland, MS

Delta State University Foundation will present the Levitt AMP [Cleveland] Music Series to invigorate the underutilized Green Space on the Crosstie Walking Trail at College Street, honoring the Delta’s rich musical legacy in conjunction with the historic launch of the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi.

Denison, TX

Denison Main Street Inc. will strengthen its city’s social and economic vitality by expanding the much loved Music on Main concert series in Heritage Park, a centrally located series that celebrates inclusivity, engagement and accessibility through music, to become the Levitt AMP [Denison] Music Series.

Frederick, MD

The Downtown Frederick Partnership will present the Levitt AMP [Frederick] Music Series to activate the underused Carroll Creek Park Amphitheater and celebrate local culture, providing residents with a place to gather and enjoy a diverse mix of talented emerging artists.

Lafayette, LA

The Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority will bring new life to The Park at the Horse Farm with the Levitt AMP [Lafayette] Music Series, reinvigorating this beloved undeveloped piece of Cajun Country recently saved from commercial development by a community-wide effort.

Middlesboro, KY

Discover Downtown Middlesboro will transform a centrally located vacant gravel lot on Cumberland Avenue into a gathering space, using the Levitt AMP [Middlesboro] Music Series to bring residents together and augment the city’s community-driven revitalization of downtown.

Sheboygan, WI

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center will bring life to a new public space on the site of a former Boston Store, using the Levitt AMP [Sheboygan] Music Series to bring diverse audiences together and create a vibrant, public space in the city’s downtown core in need of rejuvenation.

Trenton, NJ

Trenton Downtown Association will use the power of the Levitt AMP [Trenton] Music Series to enliven the unused and historic Capitol Green public space, igniting community pride in the State’s Capital and encouraging residents to engage with the city’s rich cultural and historical offerings.

In addition to the monetary award of $25K each in matching funds to produce the 10 free concerts, Levitt AMP winners will receive the Levitt AMP [Your City] Toolkit containing valuable resources to help them successfully produce their concert series. Funding for the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is made possible by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a private family foundation. Learn more: http://amp.levittpavilions.org

***

About Levitt Pavilions

Levitt Pavilions is a national nonprofit organization that exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. Levitt partners with cities to transform neglected public spaces into welcoming destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together and invigorates community life.

Levitt Pavilions is a national network of outdoor music venues presenting the largest free concert series in America. Levitt’s celebrated signature program of 50+ free concerts annually at each Levitt venue is tailored to large cities with metro populations of over 400,000 (due to financial sustainability and audience development considerations). Signature locations include Los Angeles and Pasadena, California; Westport, Connecticut; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Memphis, Tennessee; and Arlington, Texas—collectively serving more than half a million people annually through 300+ free, family-friendly concerts. Each Levitt venue is its own 501(c)(3) Friends of Levitt nonprofit organization, presenting 50+ free concerts every year featuring acclaimed, emerging talent to seasoned, award-winning performers in all music genres. Due to accelerating interest from cities and engaged citizens, the Levitt program is growing. Developing Levitt locations across the country include Denver (opening 2016) and Houston (opening 2017), amongst other cities. Learn more at http://www.levittpavilions.org and http://www.amp.levittpavilions.org.

About Discover Downtown Middlesboro

Discover Downtown Middlesboro (DDM) was founded in 2006. Concerned business owners, building owners, and residents came together to start this organization as a response to the perception of decline downtown. Very early on the organization chose the Four-Point Approach® established by the National Main Street Center. This approach emphasizes grassroots community action in areas including: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring.

Revitalization efforts gained greater intensity and focus in 2012. The organization acquired a major 27,000 square foot building downtown to renovate. The project is in the pre-development stage now and the desired outcome is to include residential housing on the upper floors and civic/community use on the ground floor. Groundwork is being laid to restore the historic canal that passes through town, as well as to create a walking and biking trail that connects the downtown with the nearby Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Learn more at http://www.downtownmiddlesboro.org.

Public Meeting on Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Home

2014-12-05T09:24:00.001-08:00

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Home. Credit: DDM.

Discover Downtown Middlesboro is continuing efforts to transform the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Home in to a community asset. Built in 1911, this structure has served as housing, a hospital, doctors office, and had a number of apartments at one time. The building has been vacant for several years now awaiting a complete rehabilitation.

Public notice:

Discover Downtown Middlesboro is preparing an application for the US EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant program. Their application is for the remediation of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Home at 2020-2026 Cumberland Ave. A copy of this grant proposal, including the draft Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), is available for public review and comment at City Hall, the Public Library, and on their website http://www.downtownmiddlesboro.org. A public meeting will be held at 2008 Cumberland Ave, commencing at 7:00 P.M. the 9th day of December, 2014. Documents are available for review at the DDM office in City Hall and the Public Library. Comments may be made at the public meeting or by contacting Discover Downtown Middlesboro in writing atdowntownmiddlesboro@gmail.com or via post at P.O. Box 1156, Middlesboro, KY 40965.

Supporting documents:

Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives
CLEANUP GRANT PROPOSAL, FOR THE ELKS HOME, CITY OF MIDDLESBORO, KENTUCKY, Version 1.0 (as of December 5, 2014)

Revised Middlesboro Cost Tables

Middlesboro Competing to Host Live Music Downtown in 2015

2014-11-06T10:08:00.003-08:00

Levitt Pavilions has existing venues in Westport, CT; Bethlehem, PA; Memphis, TN; Arlington, TX; Pasadena, CA; and Los Angeles, CA. Credit: Levitt Pavilions.

Middlesboro is the only community in Kentucky and one of 26 cities nationally competing for the honor to host 10 live outdoor music events in 2015. Levitt Pavilions is a national organization behind the largest free concert series in America. Through their Levitt AMP [Your City] contest they are now expanding their network from six permanent venues to 10 additional cities with populations of less than 400,000 people.

Levitt AMP [Your City] contest graphic. Credit: Levitt Pavilions.

Now through November 30 people have an opportunity to vote to make Middlesboro, Kentucky a Levitt AMP [Your City] venue. The top 20 vote getters in the contest will then advance in the competition and ten winners will be selected by Levitt Pavilions.

A special focus of the Levitt Pavilions organization as well as other arts organizations nationally is on a concept called "creative placemaking." This process at its essence involves working with artists and arts organizations to enrich places and make them a more enjoyable place to live. In formulating the AMP [Your City] contest, Levitt especially sought out neglected public spaces with a potential to be transformed.

Discover Downtown Middlesboro President Jay Shoffner said of Middlesboro's entry: "We could not imagine a better fit for our organization. For over a year now since our first Better Block event in October 2013, Downtown Middlesboro has won statewide and national attention for our creative placemaking work. What better place than in the town where Ragtime music was invented, to host 10 live music events with major acts. It just doesn't get any better than that."

Ben Harney, Father of Ragtime.
Credit: DDM.

Benjamin Harney, a Louisville native and called by many the "Father of Ragtime" lived in Middlesborough (as the town was named then, later the spelling was changed) for a brief time from 1890 to 1893. This was just after the town was founded and the population boomed from a few thousand people to over 7,000. He learned the syncopated rhythms that later became Ragtime by combining African America folk tunes with the staccato piano playing technique that became a worldwide sensation. Harney was the first to publish Ragtime music for commercial sale. His success catapulted him to shows in New York City and touring all over the world.

Today leaders in Middlesboro realize the important role that arts and culture have to play in creating a livable city with a great quality of life. Low-cost interventions that fall under the category of "tactical urbanism" have been used to enhance underutilized spaces downtown. Vacant lots have been transformed in to pop-up parks. Pop-up shops have gone in vacant storefronts. And parklets, sharrows, and guerilla way-finding signs are transforming how people interact with the streets and sidewalks in town. Taken together all of these efforts will also be a major help in the bid of Middlesboro to be named a "Kentucky Trail Town."

Another major initiative presently underway is to build a world class trail system. Daniel Boone and a quarter million settlers passed through this area between 1775 and around 1812. Work is underway to recreate portions of the former "Boone Trace" as it was called as part of a trail that connects the downtown with the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park less than two miles away.

Levitt AMP Middlesboro venue photos, before and after. Credit: DDM.

Then there is the lot where the performances would occur. One of the first initiatives that Discover Downtown Middlesboro undertook was establishing a farmers' market after the organization was founded in 2006. For a variety of reasons a market was started though never took off. Today this vacant lot at a prime spot in the heart of our downtown is vacant and forelorn. Utilizing plans generated by the Department of Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky, we hope to transform this lot in to a venue for live music and events.

Perhaps DDM Executive Director Isaac Kremer best described the potential of the concert series for our area, "Winning the designation of a Levitt AMP city by the Levitt Pavilions organization would give a major boost to our city and region at a time we need this most. Job loss we've experienced through the coal industry means that we need to work harder and smarter than ever before to attract people and dollars downtown. That, and there is nothing better than free live music to bring people together and strengthen the already strong social fabric of our Appalachian region."

The public is invited to vote between now and November 30. Instructions for how to vote are on the Discover Downtown Middlesboro website and Facebook page. You can also find directions on the Levitt AMP [Your City] contest page. If anyone has any questions they are welcome to contact DDM at (606) 248-6155 or visit www.downtownmiddlesboro.org.

Image Credits:

Levitt Map - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOpLJyFJ3uEGkflzg1m5v9Z6w8KiOaCehAa66wTcsFAaT4zc9XqgS92pIo_IAXOj_3dR1ivi3qwQGUUv5qNXGQIG2DT7lPuZ6CCs42ELzR_mASq0XWKhdFe5sbIERSyFJlxpuqdR7Dos/s1600/levitt+map+copy.png
Ben Harney - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcM19KUEf_Ak6ns5un0eVD1yoTdtnSBekUTgAjXYkOePYVKzvggl-RDJtxfjK-47V3oFU-Sn_bFp0_rB3ucJ-IKh5eEhT4miSWHcybeBcaWrhLA1x7Dn7DDTiKv2VZkSP5JgXcVcNpOJo/s1600/BEN+HARNEY.jpg
Farmers Market Before Picture - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbupobIsWpIgFCAolTVEr4zqRzUUIQgyI5Ga_Ew0fvovJ-PfiLtPq1szUBw0F66S2K4SMhwtT4DTSP0T7Oux9YmoUbh2oL4ThFVeAhh0-7a3EkouAjqlCsNDN94U5tnt25R3rapt1zS0/s1600/Discover+Downtown+Middlesboro_Public+Space.png
Levitt AMP Middlesboro Pop-up Park After Picture - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrYv8f_3uyXQ_e5zIbUiXbAyUWNYhHLXDG4MIT8ek_ZR72rK6n20IsZspawKFBS3p0T5HvBUWOdU-TmZVbJD_6b2rq940UPfJjWk6Px4g96l-W2n7jqM6mfqloH9sheWBLzWye-xxqmo/s1600/Discover+Downtown+Middlesboro_AMP+Image.png