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Mule Kick Brings Unique Twist to Magnolia, AR
The following post originally appeared as an article in the July 2020 issue of Arkansas Municipal League’s publication City and Town. Click here to learn more.
After watching her mom-and-pop gas station in Taylor, Arkansas burn in the fall of 2017, business-owner Christy Oeui and partner Burt Adams realized the cost to rebuild was prohibitive. The couple set their sights on opening a unique establishment in Magnolia – one that would link the City of Magnolia and Columbia County with Southern Arkansas University (SAU). The business opened in June 2019 under the name Mule Kick and quickly became a major player in the community and economy of the region.
According to its website, Mule Kick is, “proud to offer unique pizza of the highest quality! From dairy free cheese to gluten free crusts, we feature options so that everyone can enjoy our fare. In addition to the pizzas, we have coffee, ice cream and snacks all made inside the Natural State.” I sat down with Christy Ouei to learn more about Mule Kick and its impact on the surrounding community:
Question: “What is the driving goal of your business?”
Ouei: “Business models suggest that there be ONE featured area and ONE driving goal. While that may be best for many businesses, I could not adopt that for Mule Kick. Customers pay for an experience, and we aim for them to have that every time. Our beer doesn’t take a backseat to our coffee, and our pizza doesn’t sit in second behind the beer. We are all of those things equally. We are simply more than you expect us to be.
We are the first restaurant in our area to make a wholehearted effort to be green. Promoting products made in Arkansas not only cut down on fuel requirements to bring in products from other states, but it highlights features of our state that Magnolians might not have known about otherwise.”
Question: “In what ways does Mule Kick get involved with the City of Magnolia and SAU?”
Ouei: “I want to let the community see us (all of us, managers and employees) working alongside them in Relay for Life, city cleanup days, and homecoming events. We will not just be the pizza place on the north end of town.
We don’t just have music on Saturday nights. We host trivia nights, comedy nights, painting on the patio, painting with a pro, classes to make reusable grocery bags out of old t-shirts, Improv, and talent shows. We sponsor many sporting events with SAU and Magnolia. I am on the board of the Magnolia Blossom Festival, Kiwanis Club, as well as the Workforce Development Board.”
Question: “Describe how Mule Kick connects with SAU students and prepares them to enter the workforce of the region.”
Ouei: “In hiring primarily SAU students, we wanted to be the springboard for them into a job within their career. We felt like they needed structure in an environment where making mistakes was considered learning and not failing. When we decided on a [business] name, we hosted a logo contest among the junior and senior graphic arts majors. It gave us a great connection to the art department and gave three students published work for their portfolios.
I feel like college preparation (no matter how thorough) can only take you so far. Eventually you have to get out into the real world and experience it for yourself. Mule Kick shines in this aspect. I hired an accounting assistant that is now working for Murphy Oil as an accountant; my technical officer is now working full time for a bank as their technical officer. One of our team members, who is a bartender and my brand manager, has started his own clothing apparel line.”
Question: “How have you adjusted your operations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and what advice would you give to other business-owners during this time?”
Ouei: “The person I rely on most heavily now is my social media manager. She is the voice of Mule Kick to the world. We had a meeting right after we shut our doors and talked about how it was imperative that we remain visible to our customer-base. We serve pizza and beer, but we also sell atmosphere – an atmosphere that we now have to give away for free so that we will still have customers on the other side of COVID-19.
[To other business-owners:] do not take this time for granted! We have all been given a reprieve (unwelcome as it may be) from the constant motion of being in business. Haven’t had time to train that new staff? Now you do. Haven’t balanced your checkbook in the last year? You have plenty of time. Got a crew that isn’t connected as well? Have a potluck meal!”
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Mule Kick represents what small, local businesses can achieve when entrepreneurs, like Christy Ouei, integrate their distinct passions and ideas with the communities they serve. To learn more about the products and services offered by Mule Kick, visit their website: www.mulekickmag.com.
By William Gloster
Thanksgiving 2020 – Thankful for the CDI Podcast!
Like most workplaces, the beginning of 2020 presented a new set of challenges to the CCED Team as we were directed to begin working from home. Our work is heavily hands-on and collaborative, so pivoting to an all virtual world was intimidating at first. What projects can we take on entirely from home? One such project was The CDI Podcast.
In an effort to market the Community Development Institute and continue to promote education in the field of community development, we began recording interviews on Zoom with community development professionals all over the midsouth. We heard from all kinds of professionals, such as Talicia Richardson with 64.6 Downtown Ft. Smith, former CCED student workers, and even author Quint Studer. We found that individuals often begin their careers in community development through nontraditional means, we heard about new ideas to engage our communities, and inspiring stories of towns transformed.
In the season one finale, the CCED Team gather on Zoom once again to reflect on the year 2020 and the CDI Podcast. We discuss our favorite episodes of the podcast and who we would like to interview in the future (Oprah, Dolly Parton, Ina Garten – we’re looking at you). We also take some time to reflect on the highlights of an otherwise incredibly challenging year. In 2020, the CCED team evolved – taking on new members and sending others off on new adventures. Just this year, we have new graduates, new parents, and newlyweds… and a New Year to anticipate! And for that – we are Thankful!
Thanksgiving is this week! What are you thankful for this year? What were some of the highlights of your 2020?
To listen to the Season One finale and other episodes of the CDI Podcast – click here!
A Glimpse Into Real Life Community Development
Recently the Center for Community and Economic Development at UCA hosted their Futures Game virtually with community leaders across the state. The exercise was provided to the Community Development Institute year one, year two and year three participants through the Zoom platform.
The Futures Game was first created by Innovate Leadership Australia through research developed by David Beurle, Alliant Energy, and Iowa State University. The Center for Community and Economic Development took the game and altered it to fit the social and economic landscape of Arkansas. The Futures Game is an exercise that tests the decision-making skills of community leaders and explores the many issues that face towns and communities in the real world today. The game is based on making major decisions on how to respond to critical issues and the outcomes that would result from those decisions.
The game used the fictional community of Sweet Tea County AR to provide the landscape of the decisions we’d have to make. Some of the issues we had to focus on were a declining population, young people leaving the area for larger cities, decreased economic development, and a general concern about the future of their community. The game begins with 2020 and ends in 2040 with certain moments where the members of the exercise will have to two choices to choose from at a major decision point for the community. There were five different ending scenarios, from the least ideal to the most ideal and depending on the choices the group makes at the end you find out how successfully your community developed.
Thankfully for our group, we made decisions that ended with our community evolving into a very rejuvenated and booming town. What in reality was the true success of the Futures Game was the ability for community leaders from across the state to work together and build on one another’s expertise in community and economic development. Having a mayor, a representative from Workforce and Labor, a director from a housing authority, and a director of Volunteerism from a University and others all working together provided a bounty of ideas, knowledge, and expertise that is needed for real life development. As a first-time participator, I found myself quickly invested in this make-believe town and was blown away by the group’s ability to communication and work together, leading to a successful end to the Futures Game. I would invite any community leader or person interested in economic development/community development to check out the 2021 Community Development Institute offered by the UCA Center for Community and Economic Development!
by Andrey Archer, CCED Intern
Make Your Downtown “Walkable”
If you’re anything like me, you love a good walk around your town. One of my favorite places to walk in Little Rock is the River Market. I enjoy walking past the local shops, restaurants, and getting an incredible view of the Arkansas River. What exactly makes an area of a town “walkable”? It takes a little more than funky local shops.
While there are a number of aspects that contribute to an area’s “walkability,” here are just three you can consider in your own city’s downtown…
- Accessibility
It’s no secret that everyone wants to be included, so you must take into account the mobility of all residents. Is it safe and easy for a wheelchair to travel across a crosswalk? Is it comfortable to push a stroller down the sidewalk? Be sure all parts of your town are ADA compliant.
- Amenities
Consider adding benches and interesting flowers to your sidewalks. This can encourage visitors to literally “stop and smell the roses”. Amenities motivate visitors to spend time and even further explore an area. They are more likely to walk around, stop into shops or restaurants, should an interesting path lead them there.
- Complete streets
“Complete streets” take into consideration all forms of transportation – walking, biking, and driving. Complete streets are not only easier for everyone to navigate, regardless of their mode of transportation, but they are safer too!
By taking these three elements into consideration, you can help improve your town’s walkability.
Believe it or not, making your city “walkable” and improving the walkability of certain parts of your town can benefit your town in nearly every aspect, including economically! Check back soon to learn more…
To find out more about walkable cities, check out Episode 9 of the CDI Podcast featuring Dave Roberts of Crafton Tull. CLICK HERE to listen.
UCA Citizens Academy promotes local engagement
The following post originally appeared as an article in the March 2020 issue of Arkansas Municipal League’s publication City and Town. Click here to learn more.
In the fall of 2019, the University of Central Arkansas Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, in partnership with the UCA Political Science Department, launched the first-ever UCA Citizens Academy. During this program, UCA students and Conway residents embark on a 13-week program aimed at emphasizing civic engagement at the local and regional level.
Many cities around Arkansas, such as Jacksonville, Bella Vista and Mountain Home, conduct their own citizen academies. However, these academies focus primarily on law enforcement. The UCA Citizens Academy is unique in the way its curriculum is designed to cover a variety of topics ranging from the local judiciary system to the Conway Sanitation Department. The focus of the course is to “bring residents together to become more informed about local and regional government, the entities and institutions of which its composed and their activities, and with the idea that with a greater understanding of local government and activities, they will be more disposed to participating and engaging with it.” The topics covered in the academy include those in the public and nonprofit sectors, such as finance, economic development, transportation, safety, ecology and sanitation, and human services.
Clay Arnold, chair of the Political Science Department at UCA, designed and led the class as a part of a campus-wide initiative to promote civic engagement and citizen participation within UCA’s student body. The university partnered with Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities that aims to promote civic participation and community development within institutions of higher education. In addition to being offered to UCA students, the program is open to Conway residents so they would be able to learn more
about their local government and services. Participants in the program interacted with local officials from regional government and nonprofit agencies in a series of classes once a week for two hours. The presenters ranged from elected leaders, such as Faulkner County Judge Jim Baker, to Daniel Tyler, the founder of Deliver Hope, a local nonprofit.
After the completion of the program, participants are tasked with creating a civic engagement plan to help local agencies provide services more efficiently and create a better community. Another goal of the program is the development of a civic action plan library that could be made available to any civic group looking to perform a project to benefit their community. Arnold believes that the community civic engagement plans may inspire other communities, whether in partnership with institutions of higher education or not, to develop their own citizen academies.
In helping plan and create this program, Conway City Council Member Shelley Mehl, who is the former associate vice president of UCA Outreach, believes the academy is “an opportunity for UCA to reach out, educate and engage the community,” adding “this program is a way to bring all parties together in a constructive way that we hope would improve communication and support the development of engaged citizens.” It is courses like the academy that Mehl believes are “the start of moving our community forward.”
Participants in the class felt the program allowed them to engage with local leaders in discussions that permitted them to ask more in-depth questions to more fully assess the needs within the community.
Booker White, a junior at UCA from Mayflower, said, “The class was very informative about the ways both state and local government and nonprofits work together and independently to serve the public. The civic engagement plan inspired me to look more closely at the needs of the community and come up with possible solutions or alternatives that will allow me to help work in a hands-on way to develop a better community.”
You can learn more about the UCA Citizens Academy at www.uca.edu/outreach/citizens.
By Javier Hernandez
Arkansplorer Trivia Show
Did you know that there is a monument erected in MacArthur Park commemorating Arkansas’s first legal human dissection? How creepy! Did you also know that Mountain View is considered “The Folk Capital of America?” Arkansas is such an interesting state! Over the summer, our team took a deep dive into the Natural State’s history, geography, culture, and more to create the Arkansplorer Trivia Show.
The CCED team researched and developed Arkansas-centric questions to ask guests on our fun and informative trivia show. Guests of the show varied, but often included some of our community partners, economic developers, and colleagues at the University of Central Arkansas. For each correct answer, guests received points (10 points per correct answer in the first round and 20 points in the second round). For the final question, our competitors wagered their points, like Final Jeopardy.
In an effort to support nonprofit organizations across the state, participants competed on behalf of their favorite nonprofit and our staff donated $34 to the winner’s chosen organization. This was to celebrate the 34th year of the Community Development Institute (CDI). So far, our trivia winners raised over $400 for Arkansas nonprofits!
Whether you’d like to impress your friends at a party or simply brush up on your Arkansas knowledge, one of the best sources for information about our beautiful state is the Encyclopedia of Arkansas (link). The Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, online resource and project overseen by the Central Arkansas library system. It is a definitive, comprehensive source for all things Arkansas.
While we’ve taken a break from hosting trivia for now, you can watch past episodes on our Youtube channel (link). You can also expect new episodes this fall, live on the CDI Central Facebook page, Fridays at noon.
Smart tech helps cities plan for the future
The following post originally appeared as an article in the February 2020 issue of Arkansas Municipal League’s publication City and Town. Click here to learn more.
The use of smart city technology is an emerging trend that will help Arkansas cities and towns remain competitive through the 21st century. Intelligent city infrastructure has the potential to elevate the economic resiliency and sustainability of communities in the state. How can your community utilize the new benefits of big data to hone a more informed and responsive system that connects citizens and optimizes resources?
What is smart city technology?
Smart technologies embody a variety of products and services that are designed to perform efficiently, quickly and conveniently. Modern consumers expect businesses to keep up with technological trends. This market pressure is evident in the plethora of items that have been transformed and labeled as “smart” since the turn of the century—cell phones, tablets, watches, air-conditioning units and refrigerators to name a few. With such a drive toward automation in society, it should come as no surprise that urban planners are experimenting with the idea of smart cities. By utilizing electronic and digital devices with existing municipal infrastructure, cities may gather large amounts of data that show how people and machines interact across a multitude of locations.
Is smart city technology right for Arkansas?
The implementation of smart technology in municipalities is a difficult and expensive undertaking. Cities must purchase and obtain software necessary for collecting large sets of data as well as position and maintain sensors in targeted locations. Then, city officials must consult analysts who will help determine data trends that lead to significant improvements in the overall welfare of the community. Metropolitan clusters of finance, infrastructure and labor are well-equipped for the task; urban areas in Arkansas will likely become pioneers in the shift toward smart city technology. Nevertheless, as smart technology becomes more commonplace and inexpensive, smaller rural communities in the state will be able to follow suit.
Smart city technology’s applications and benefits
With numerous applications, there are vast benefits from harnessing smart city technology. The data collected from its use will help optimize efficiency and communication across civic resources and services. For example, the town of South Bend, Indiana, implemented
smart sewer systems that gauge water flow to prevent floods. Furthermore, the collection of this data can alter the way that citizens navigate their everyday lives.
Traffic sensors installed on roadways monitor driving patterns and adjust signals to make travel more efficient. In 2019, Conway began using adaptive traffic signals on two of its busiest streets: Dave Ward Drive and Oak Street. Motorists now enjoy shortened daily commutes through town.
Fort Smith and West Memphis are in the process of implementing smart city pilot programs. Fort Smith aims to improve its municipal solid waste, recycling and yard waste practices. City officials hope that this program will help them make more effective and knowledgeable decisions about waste management and sustainability. These are just a few examples of the many
practical uses for smart city technology that will have a tremendous impact on resource management and quality of life for Arkansans.
The 2020s offer far-reaching potential to utilize technology in support of community and economic development in Arkansas. Therefore, it is vital that city and town leaders planning for the future recognize and give serious consideration to the smart city model.
By Will Gloster
CCED Community Development VISTAs Serving in Lonoke and Hot Spring County
CCED has partnered with UCA Service-Learning to create six AmeriCorps VISTA positions to serve in communities across Arkansas. Two of those AmeriCorps VISTA members are Community Development VISTAs working with Arkansas communities that have worked with CCED in the past to develop citizen led strategic action plans.
The AmeriCorps VISTA program was started in 1965 and provides a living stipend and professional development opportunities for volunteers who dedicate a year of service to the goal of addressing the root causes of poverty in communities across the United States. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve as a catalyst for change, living and working alongside community members to meet our nation’s most pressing challenges and advance local solutions.
Lonoke 2022 is a five-year citizen led strategic plan that was published in 2017 that came out of the Kickstart Lonoke project. This was a citizen led initiative that defined six priority areas for the city and created action teams to tackle each of these priorities.
Hot Spring County Conversations was a project from CCED and UAEX that created a ten-year citizen led strategic plan published in 2019. This plan identified five priorities for the county and established action committees in the five largest communities in Hot Spring County to carry out the plan.
Lonoke and Hot Spring County’s VISTA members will be working to advance these strategic action plans by organizing community action teams, marketing their efforts, and seeking grant opportunities to fulfil the goals of the strategic plan.
We’re looking forward to seeing these communities continue to work towards their goals with these AmeriCorps VISTA members to create a high quality of life for all who live there. To learn more, you can find the strategic action plans for Lonoke and Hot Spring County Conversations 10-year strategic action plan here and the Lonoke 2022 strategic action plan here.
Apprenticeships: A tried and true concept reemerges
The following post originally appeared as an article in the January 2020 issue of Arkansas Municipal League’s publication City and Town. Click here to learn more.
Apprenticeships are making a comeback. These somewhat informal programs used to be the primary method of learning a technical or vocational skill but fell out of favor to more formal paths of education. As college tuition prices continue to climb, apprenticeships have been gaining in popularity as an alternative to college or technical school by allowing individuals to learn valuable skills, gain real-world experience and earn money at the same time.
I spoke with Patty Methvin, workforce administrator for the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, to learn more about apprenticeship programs in that region of the state. “Programs like these are not new,” she said. “We’re bringing back an old model that wasn’t broken.” Methvin shared some insights into the types of people who enter apprenticeship programs and what these programs look like in practice.
There are many different paths to becoming an apprentice and there is no “average person” that enters an apprenticeship program. Some individuals may be coming directly out of high school and looking to establish a career for the first time. Others may be currently employed but have a desire to upskill or change their careers. Some may be dislocated workers looking to start their careers in a new field. Whichever way someone seeks out a program like this, they are likely to find an apprenticeship that fits their needs.
Apprenticeship programs can vary in structure based on the needs of the industry and the company. Apprentices may work part time or full time while receiving training for their role both on the job and outside of their working hours. While the structure of the program may vary, the end result of the program is the same, and potential apprentices should seek a program that best fits their needs.
As apprenticeship programs take hold in Arkansas, here are a few tips to ensure that an apprenticeship program is effective at attracting talent and impacting your community.
Educate your business partners
For potential apprentices, programs that enable them to receive training for a new career while still earning money during the process are a win-win. For businesses, this may be a slightly harder sell, but there are some real advantages to using this model for recruiting new employees. Programs like these allow businesses to employ individuals who are willing to educate themselves for a long-term career in their field and are able to take advantage of the approved outside partners providing valuable training outside of their normal work. This relationship-building through the apprenticeship program allows employers the unique opportunity to train an employee from scratch to ensure that the needs of the employer are wholly met. It’s also important for both the apprentice and the employer to understand that during an apprenticeship program, the apprentice is still considered an employee and they are held to the same standards as traditional employees.
Utilize your business environment to design your program
Apprenticeship programs are driven by the needs of employers in your area. When designing these programs, be mindful of the business environment and include them in the process to ensure their needs are being met. It’s also important to apply the apprenticeship model to new fields. Apprenticeships have historically been focused on traditional technical fields such as plumbing or welding, but new programs are starting to focus on emerging fields like information technology. Exploring these new fields expands the employment potential of future apprentices.
Seek opportunities to be inclusive
Apprenticeship programs offer a unique opportunity to include those in the workforce who may have been left out previously. Apprenticeships can be a powerful tool to remove barriers to employment, including dislocation or the special needs of an individual. One example is a program currently being implemented at a Fayetteville bakery that teaches individuals on the autism spectrum
the basics of food service. The Rockin’ Baker Academy program at the Rockin’ Baker teaches transferable skills in the culinary industry and addresses a need for an underserved community.
Apprenticeship programs are an effective use of time for both the apprentice and the employer. Having a trained workforce is a vital part of the human infrastructure that makes a community attractive to prospective businesses. Laying the groundwork through apprenticeship programs shows that your community is ready for the future by training the next generation of the Arkansas workforce.
Written by Dylan Edgell.
CDI Advanced Year to Work with Beebe
The first week of August is an exciting time for all of us at CCED and community and economic developers from all over the region! Every year we host the Community Development Institute, a three-year training program where you spend a week each year learning the principles of community and economic development. Some of the best and brightest Arkansas community leaders come together at the University of Central Arkansas for a week of networking and highly informative training sessions. We see old friends and make new connections. Sadly, due to COVID-19 and in an effort to keep our staff and participants safe and help stop the spread of the virus, we decided to cancel CDI Years 1, 2, and 3.
But there is one part of the show that will still go on! Our CDI Advanced Year participants, a small group of 10 CDI graduates, agreed to carry on this year. The Advanced Year will follow all social distancing and safety guidelines provided by the UCA administration, the state, and the CDC.
The Advanced Year is a week-long, intensive workshop that takes place in an Arkansas community and that allows CDI graduates the opportunity to use the skills and knowledge they’ve gained from CDI in a real-world setting. In the past, the Advanced Year class worked in Paris, Heber Springs, Lonoke, Alma, Sheridan, and Camden.
Advanced Year class of 2020 will work with Beebe. The Advanced Year will conduct an online audit of Beebe, participate in a socially distanced driving tour of the town, and host virtual focus groups with residents. At the end of the week, CDI Advanced Year participants will present their findings to key community leaders and the presentation will be live-streamed via the City of Beebe’s Facebook page. The presentation will focus on the community’s assets and opportunities from the perspective of the residents and local leaders. Participants will identify emerging priorities for the community.
The CDI Advanced Year will meet August 3 – 6, 2020. Be sure to tune in on Thursday, August 6 at 1 p.m. to watch the Advanced Year’s presentation on the City of Beebe’s Facebook page (LINK).