Greetings and welcome to Friday! Could it have been raining again this morning? Say it ain’t so!
Here’s our EDALC update for the week:
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Sarah’s Update:
This week I started off with emailing Mr. Christian about possible restaurant locations for him and additional property research. I also reached out to a local woman about having her son, Jayden Noble, sing at the Art, Oysters & Brews event coming up. Afterwards, I updated the opportunities for entrepreneurs slider on the EDALC website and worked on the ART Toledo website. Later, I posted on our Facebook page about the need for Art, Oysters & Brews vendors and the phantom gallery fourth round artists. At the end of the day, Paul and I met with Rachel Maddock-Hughes about ART Toledo and then I continued updating the website.
On Wednesday, I worked on the ART Toledo website most of the day. Later, I began the minutes from June’s Board meeting and then hung up some fliers for the Art, Oysters & Brews call for vendors around Siletz. Thursday morning, I started off with finishing the minutes from the Board meeting. I also continued to work on the ART Toledo website. Later, I posted on Facebook about Faster Internet Oregon and began discussing the Coastal Blue Economy Network Map with Paul. Afterwards, I read more information on building asset maps and began creating the spreadsheet.
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Paul’s Update:
Blue Economy – Mark Farley and I met with Business Oregon to move the Blue Economy statewide sector survey project along. It was a frustrating meeting, and a lot of education needs to be done to get the project leader to understand what we need the research project to deliver (and what the legislature wants and needs). Hopefully, we moved the needle and provided some context so that we can be closer next week – the RFP looks to drop in the first two weeks of July.
We also convened a number of our coastal coalition members today to “get the band back together” in order to prepare for our upcoming collaborative work. Below is a link of the project area overview document I put together this week, to give a 50,000 foot overview of the “Blue Work” we’ll be helping to facilitate over the next two years:
Click to access O2IH_CDS_high_level_overview.pdf
ART Toledo – The ART Toledo committee has been working on final logistics for the Art, Oysters & Brews summer event series (July 3, Aug 6, Sept 3 & 4), as well as getting the next two mural projects rolling. I ordered a PA system for EDALC (it was in our 2022-23 equipment budget) so we can also step up and pay-it-forward to Toledo (for their unexpected and appreciated FY 2021-22 financial support) and provide that for the AOB events (Paul’s side hustle? – sound guy, I guess!).
Faster Internet Oregon – The Faster Internet Oregon program (through Link Oregon) launched a few weeks ago – it’s a web-based program to collect residential Internet speed-test data across the state and blend that data with information on providers, census data and topography – it will be one of the tools used to determine spending priorities when the large pool of broadband ARPA funds start rolling out later this year. If you get a chance, log onto the site when at your home computer or device and do a quick speed test – here’s the link: https://www.fasterinternetoregon.org/
EDA Good Jobs Challenge Grants – We helped on two different grant applications for this program – one with Northwest Oregon Works and another with the National Restaurant Association. The EDA announced today that it will announce the grant awardees by September 30th (the great application deadline was early February).
Upcoming Next Week – On Wednesday, the EDALC office will play host to Melissa Murphy of Business Oregon and Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan – myself, Dave Price and Alison Robertson will be on hand to get the SoS up to speed on Lincoln County economic development. I’ll also be meeting with some of Bryan’s team to go over some account category and reporting changes I’d like to implement in the next FY and also discuss the best was to manage the incoming federal funds and subgrants.
As a reminder – your Board of Directors resource page is here:
In a semi-work-related bit of news, I’ll be serving as the Vocational Chair for the Newport Rotary Club for FY 2022-23. This will be an opportunity to help bring some Rotary effort and wisdom into our ROI efforts of youth entrepreneurship, vocational awareness and amping up entrepreneurial thinking skills.
Tomorrow is Beachcomber Days in Waldport – we’ll have our EV in the parade (thanks to a convincing Chris Chandler!) and Susan will be grabbing “wild art” photos for the paper – so we’ll see some of you there I’m sure (dang weather permitting!).
This Sunday is Juneteenth, with the Federal Holiday being Monday (the first Federal holiday adopted since Martin Luther King Day in 1983), celebrating the emancipation of American slaves, with the date derived from the late-stage emancipation of slaves in Texas on June 19th, 1865.
Thanks for ALL that you are doing out there! Please reach out to me if you need anything at all.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Cheers,
-Paul 🙂