Small Town Conversations

2013 Small Town Annual Summit; Rural Creative Placemaking

When: Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 9;00 am – 3:30 pm
where: UNC Asheville, Reuter Center

Each May, HandMade Small Town leaders, volunteers, local officials and interested partners come together for the Small Towns Annual Summit. The gathering showcases and celebrates the innovative techniques and practices that make HandMade towns some of the most successful redevelopment projects in the country. Existing HandMade Small Town leaders offer real solutions to common problems and share techniques to help attendees identify and build on community assets. Outside speakers and facilitators share strategies for implementing new techniques of creative placemaking, offer ideas for new resources and collaborations, and help HandMade communities further develop their plans of revitalization.

Registration Fee for Small Town Existing Member: $25 (includes lunch and refreshments)
Registration Fee for Small Town Members Group (up to 4 people): $85 (includes lunch and refreshments)
Registration Fee for Prospective Small Town Individual: $45 (includes lunch and refreshments)
Registration Fee for Prospective Small Town Group (up to 4 people): $150 (includes lunch and refreshments)
Registration Fee for Funders and Partners: $30 (includes lunch and refreshments)

Registration

Small Town Existing Member $25.00 USD Prospective Small Town Individual $45.00 USD Prospective Small Town Group $150.00 USD Funders and Partners $30.00 USD Small Town Member Group $85.00 USD

Through the support of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, we will be able to offer a limited number of scholarships for the Summit. To apply for a scholarship please download and complete this form and return to Jess Kryzenske at jessk@handmadeinamerica.org.
Click here to download application form.

Questions? Please contact Jess Kryzenske at jessk@handmadeinamerica.org or 828.252.0121×302

Past Small Town Conversations

Over the River and Through the Woods- Let’s Build Trails

Event Information

When: Thursday, September 13, 2012, 9am-2pm
Where: Chimney Rock, NC – downtown & Chimney Rock Park

Economic impact studies find connected bicycle/pedestrian facilities (like trails and greenways) offer a significant return on investment through property value increases, tourism, business investment, alternative transportation benefits and health benefits, and a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors cited walking and biking trails as the #1 amenity desired by homebuyers. Volunteers in HandMade Small Towns have been building trails for years, and in this workshop they’ll show you how it’s done. Trails are popular for exercise, for recreation and give visitors as well as locals ways to appreciate the natural beauty of the mountains. Whether you’re trying to attract bicyclers, walkers, kayakers or kids, this workshop will tell you what you need to do to:

• Get the access and property you need
• Create a plan and raise the funds
• Find people to do dozing, create bridges and steps
• Recruit volunteers
• Plan for parking and maintenance
• Celebrate and publicize your Trail

Registration fee: $30/person or $95 per small town team (up to 5 people) and includes Park admission.

About the mentors

Mary Jaeger-Gale is General Manager of Chimney Rock Management and part of the Chimney Rock Community Development Association (CDA), which created the downtown Riverwalk Trail. Mary is active and well-respected in NC’s travel, tourism and hospitality industries for her highly effective marketing. She worked with her team to develop the Great Woodland Adventure Trail at the Park, which features artisan-created woodland creatures at 12 discovery stations along the ½ mile winding walking trail.

Darrell McBane, A native of Snow Camp, North Carolina, Darrell serves as the State Trails Program Manager for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. He has also served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for Carteret County and as Manager for the Town of Liberty.

Rob Tiger is founder and leader of the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association and the fourth generation of Tiger’s Department Store on Hayesville’s town square. Working with the US Forest Service and the Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association, the CCCRA helped establish the 15-mile Jackrabbit Trail system for hikers and bikers on Lake Chatuge in 2010.

Jan Trask is a native of Wilmington, NC and works for the NC Division of Parks & Recreation in the Land Protection Program. She has worked in agricultural and rural tourism development with Extension and has a background in real estate.

Amy Wald is President of Chimney Rock’s Community Development Association and active with the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. She moved to Chimney Rock in 2003 and recently painted postcard murals around town. Amy is an artist, a former teacher, who now hikes her own trails in search of bark and twigs for her artwork.

Barbara Meliski is mayor of Chimney Rock, a business owner and leader in community revitalization and nature-based tourism and one of the founders of the Chimney Rock Community Development Association. After partnering with HandMade in America, she saw the need to rethink how her town attracted tourists and has worked on the Riverwalk for years, and has seen its positive impact on downtown.

Bill Whitman has been actively involved in Chimney Rock Village’s redevelopment for 10 years. Before moving to the mountains, he spent 25 years planning and developing the town of Coral Springs, Florida, while working with the New Community Division of Westinghouse.

This event is supported by Duke Energy, Chimney Rock Park,NC Rural Center, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

Building Rehabilitation Basics

Event Information

One of the most pressing needs in many small communities is renovating older commercial buildings. Issues related to building codes, design and then, actual rehabilitation can be confusing and cumbersome, leaving historic property owners and town leaders at a loss for where to begin. This seminar will cover the basic tools and considerations for rehabilitating historic commercial properties.

Meet the Mentors:

Gray Stout AIA Gray Stout AIA is the owner of Stout Studio Architecture, an architectural and planning firm based in Salisbury, North Carolina. For the past 20 years, Gray has been involved in the restoration, renovation, rehabilitation and reuse of numerous and various types of historic buildings across North Carolina in Main Street cities such as Salisbury, Morganton, Lincolnton, Albemarle, Statesville, Shelby, Belmont, Southern Pines and Lexington. Gray has been instrumental in the revitalization of the downtowns he has worked in, designing award winning 2nd floor apartments and restoring storefronts in historic main street buildings, while creating new infill buildings compatible within the context of downtown.

Jason Epley, AICP Jason Epley is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Downtown Development Association; a non-profit membership based state-wide organization that promotes downtowns as the cultural and economic centers of our communities. As an urban planning consultant, he brings 17 years of experience with downtown development and design to the panel. He has provided design assistance to over 150 property owners. He has led the development of meaningful plans and sound implementation strategies in over 100 communities across the Carolina’s.

Jim Bartl AIA Jim Bartl is the Director of Code Enforcement for Mecklenburg County where he is responsible for all construction plan review, permitting and inspections services, throughout the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the six towns of Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville. Prior to joining Mecklenburg County in July 1996, Mr. Bartl practiced architecture in St. Louis with HOK Architects, one of the largest architecture firms in the country and the Westminster Company, where he was instrumental in reconstructing the fabric of several urban neighborhoods, planning and building a number of historic renovation projects as well as many high quality, affordable residential projects. Since Mr. Bartl’s arrival at Mecklenburg County, the Code Enforcement Department has introduced many cutting edge initiatives and process changes, including the North Carolina Rehab code, the OnSchedule Commercial Plan Review Program, the Meck-SI Special Inspection website and paperless process, and the 2009 ICC Live-work changes.

Lew Holloway, ASLA Lew Holloway is the Main Street Manager in Hendersonville, NC, a position he began in October of 2011. Prior to joining the City, Lew served many small town communities across the western North Carolina region as the NC Small Town Main Street Designer. Over his career, Lew has led numerous special projects and design charrettes where he has inspired property owners to transform older downtown buildings into beautifully restored and viable businesses. Lew is a frequent speaker on downtown revitalization and urban design topics for small towns.

Renovating Big Buildings in Small Towns

Most rural towns of Western North Carolina have small populations, limited professional help, vacant downtown buildings and declining employment. But in some of these small towns, local folks and volunteer organizations have found ways to build on their assets and overcome obstacles.
See the Brochure Here

Event Information

Meet the Mentors:

Dr. Dan Barron Dr. Dan Barron is a retired professor from the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina, where he worked for 30 years as the Director of the School. Now repurposed in his second career, he serves the people of the beautiful Toe River Valley and AMY Regional Library. He is the Chairman for the Mitchell County Courthouse Foundation and was an integral part in building the leadership team to complete the renovation.

Carol Dodson is a professional commercial property manager and developer. Since 2002, she has renovated 3 historic buildings in Downtown West Jefferson and continues to be active as the Vice-President of the West Jefferson Community Partnership and Chairman of the Tourist Development Authority.

Bob Hensley has been involved with the Small Towns program since its inception in 1996 and serves as secretary of the Bakersville Improvement Group. With 42+ years of experience in building construction and renovation, he was the project manager for renovations and restorations in the Historic Courthouse in Bakersville and oversaw building recovery in the community after the 1998 flood.

Brownie Plaster was founding Chairwoman for Cleveland County Historic Preservation Commission and currently works as chairwoman of Destination Cleveland County, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Cleveland County’s cultural heritage through events and venues such as the Earl Scruggs Center and the Don Gibson Theatre, which she helped raise the funds to renovate.

Lynn Shields developed the Stecoah Valley Cultural Art Center in Robbinsville, NC where she raised more than $3 million to revitalize the building and develop its programming. As retired Director of the Center, she continues to work there as financial director and sustainability advisor.

Developing a Cultural Heritage Attraction in Your Small Town

Volunteers in Hayesville, NC, a HandMade in America Small Town, have created and developed the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit, an outdoor attraction that portrays a Cherokee Winter House and Summer House from 1650-1750. CCCRA has been awarded over $75,000 in grants to complete the project, totaling over 24,000 volunteer hours. Their efforts with HandMade in America have resulted in job and business growth, increased tourism, and educated over 700 area students through tours.
See the Brochure Here

Event Information

Meet the Mentors:

Rob Tiger is the president of Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA) and has a passion for preserving the heritage in Western North Carolina. With the CCCRA, Rob guided the development of the Cherokee Heritage Exhibit. He graduated from WCU with a BS in Social Science and Anthropology and has served as a board member for the Southern Highroads Development Association which developed a 4 state 200+ mile scenic route in the far western counties of North Carolina. He is the 4th generation owner of Tiger’s and Anderson’s stores in Hayesville, NC and Hiawassee, GA.

Sandy Nicolette, a retired elementary principal, developed the curriculum for student field experiences at the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit in Hayesville on behalf of the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association. Sandy also serves as the Community Council chairperson at the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center in Blairsville, GA, which offers educational experiences for adults and students in the region.

Dr. Jane Eastman is Director of Cherokee Studies and teaches Anthropology and Archeology at WCU. She does field research in Hayesville each summer with her students, and studies Native American societies of the Southeastern US, particularly community organization, gender relations, pottery, and culture.

Davy Arch is a Cherokee storyteller, historian, carver and mask maker. He presents programs on Cherokee culture throughout North Carolina and on National Public Radio, is the acting Director of the Oconaluftee Village, a member of the Board of Directors of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual and has been recognized nationally for his carved masks.

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