FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To be archived (CEWD) after Sept. 12, 2008
Some communities grab your imagination and won’t let go. Something about them holds you in their midst and urges you to wander, to browse, to explore, to dine and . . . to shop. You feel their power.
Some call that mysterious hold the “Power of Ten.” And they say that power can be studied, learned and duplicated.
West Virginia University Extension faculty can show you where and how that power is working in Fayetteville. WVU will hold the first Power of Ten Summit in Fayetteville this fall—from Sept. 8 through Sept. 10.
“We chose Fayetteville because it is a vibrant small town and provides a wonderful illustration of our conference theme,” said Alison Hanham, a WVU Extension Service community development program specialist.
The number 10 in the Power of Ten, Hanham said, “refers to the ultimate goal of creating variety and choice . . . ” and “helps communities—even the smallest—realize that they can build on their assets.”
“If a downtown has 10 places,” Hanham explained, “it begins to have a critical mass of destinations, which engage residents and tourists and give them a reason to spend more time downtown.”
Volunteers, elected officials, business owners and other civic leaders are invited to arrive at the summit as “community teams dedicated to learning hands-on skills that can create positive growth in their town centers,” she said.
Faculty in WVU Extension’s Community, Economic and Workforce Development unit are organizing experiential sessions that will make Fayetteville’s assets classroom lessons.
What types of assets draw and hold visitors?
The Power of Ten works with attractions that showcase a community’s significance, meaning and value, Hanham said. The list includes:
—a vibrant main street with very few, if any, vacant storefronts.
—well-preserved architecture; many historic structures downtown that provide appealing focal points (such as courthouse, movie theater, historic homes and bed-and-breakfasts).
—well-maintained green spaces and public spaces, including parks and other areas where families and children can relax and play.
—an appealing assortment of restaurants.
—outdoor recreation business niches (for rafting, climbing, hiking, biking and other outdoor enthusiasts).
—friendly, well-informed staff and business owners.
“During the summit, participants will learn about this concept. They will see the value of the assets, how they are connected and how they can be built upon in the future. The community teams will also spend some time developing a Power of 10 plan for their own downtown to take home with them,” Hanham said.
She is encouraging each community to send a team of three members. Together, they will bring a broader perspective to the summit and leave with a more viable plan, she said.
The community development specialist uses a different team approach when communities ask to participate in WVU Extension’s First Impressions program. Hanham arranges for anonymous visitors to travel to those communities.
Unannounced, First Impression visitors drive through the participating community, walk along the streets and call on businesses. They record their impressions. Later, their written report and photographs help local leaders rethink the community’s strengths and weaknesses as seen through the eyes of first-time visitors.
But the Power of Ten Summit, Hanham said, will be the first time community teams will come together in a living classroom—Fayetteville—and return home with plans based on their shared new experiences and their local assets.
Because of her work with West Virginia’s communities, Hanham is optimistic about the positive change local leaders can generate. To learn more about the Power of Ten Summit, contact Hanham at ACHanham@mail.wvu.edu or at (304) 293-6131, ext. 4207.
Registration for the summit opens June 15.
Along with other WVU Extension faculty, Hanham documented the needs and strengths of town centers in the research report “The Vitality of West Virginia’s Downtowns.” Download the report in the Community, Economic and Workforce Development section of the WVU Extension Web site (www.ext.wvu.edu).
—WVU-ES—
CONTACT: Ann Bailey Berry, WVU Extension
Communications
Phone: (304) 293-5691; e-mail: Ann.Berry@mail.wvu.edu
fsm—5/23/08
Last modified
May 29, 2008
Comments to: Extension Service Web
