Even though our team at the Center hasn’t posted to the blog in a while doesn’t mean we aren’t busy – on the contrary, we are very, VERY busy.
Heading into late June and all of July our internal brain switches have entered “CDI mode.” All we’ve thought about (and dreamed about) has been CDI. Yet, through all the organizing, planning, and increasing stress we’ve found ways to keep energized and have fun while staying on task. One of the best ways we’ve been able to do this is through the setup of our CDI Advanced Year Community Development Kickstart in Heber Springs, AR.
The Advanced Year class of CDI focuses on the application of community and economic development principles in a real-world setting, with the Advanced Year Class of CDI 2015 working with Heber Springs August 3-6. Heber Springs was chosen as the Advanced Year Community out of a competitive pool of cities from all across Arkansas. Though the Advanced Year class’s involvement in Heber Springs will end on August 6, the Center and U of A Cooperative Extension’s Dr. Mark Peterson will continue to work with the city until spring 2016. Our work will culminate with the creation of a five year strategic action plan for the community.
But before the real work gets started, our team and Dr. Peterson have been in contact with community leaders in Heber Springs to lay the foundation for our work. Our first tasks to check off our preparation list were a community leadership meeting and driving tour of the city.
At the community leadership meeting, we met with many “movers and shakers” in Heber Springs including: Mayor Jimmy Clark, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Murray, City Council member Jim Lay, Executive Director of Downtown Heber Springs Mary Margaret Couch, and many others. We gave them an overview of our work in Heber Springs and also discussed with them what they believed to be their greatest community strengths and weaknesses.
To get a better sense of the city, we scheduled a driving tour with Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Murray and our chauffeur Ina Brown, special projects manager for the Heber Springs Chamber of Commerce. Our excellent guides gave us the full Heber Springs experience (we now deem ourselves experts in all things Heber Springs)! The following list includes facts we picked up about the community:
- There are 13 campsites around Greers Ferry Lake in Heber Springs
- Aromatique is a potpourri manufacturer in Heber Springs
- Heber Springs has a visitors center, aquatic center, and community center
- Three hiking trails at Sugar Loaf Mountain
- Brand new cabins have been built by the river, called Red River Adventures
- There is a fish hatchery (trout) that is a popular tourist destination
- There are many mom & pop restaurants (there is a variety of restaurants) and other businesses
- Heber Springs High School has “state of the art” facilities and is building a new auditorium; the community heavily supports the school
- Collins Creek and Bridal Veil Falls are the main hiking and scenic areas
- Downtown appears to be doing well; it’s full of diverse shops
Based on our interactions with the city of Heber Springs thus far, we expect this years Community Kickstart to be an immense success. We will be working with a fantastic group of folks who are passionate about creating a bright future for their community.
Keep checking the blog for up-to-date information on our work in Heber Springs – and let us know if you’re planning a vacation to the area, we can hook you up!
