Iowa Great Places communities, volunteers receive recognition
For Immediate Release October 29, 2010
(DES MOINES, Iowa) – The Department of Cultural Affairs recognized several Iowa Great Places communities and volunteers during an awards ceremony held this month in Des Moines.
Now in its sixth year, Iowa Great Places encourages communities to work together to achieve a better quality of life for its citizens. The program combines state resources with local assets to build capacity in communities, regions, neighborhoods or districts that cultivate their unique and authentic qualities.
In developing their proposals, Iowans are asked to address seven unique and authentic dimensions that make places special: engaging experiences; rich, diverse populations and cultures; a vital, creative economy; clean and accessible natural and built environments; well-designed infrastructure; a shared attitude of optimism that welcomes new ideas; and a diverse and inclusive cultural mosaic.
The list of communities and volunteers receiving recognition at the Second Annual Iowa Great Places Banquet and Awards Ceremony follows:
(Category) Seven Dimensions of a Great Place Awards
(Dimension) A Unique Sense of Place – An Iowa Great Place possesses a sense of place that values historical roots while embracing a shared vision that welcomes, includes and involves natives and newcomers, and promotes itself as a great place
(Community) Mason City
(Project) Architectural Center
(Dimension) An Engaging Experience – An Iowa Great Place provides and supports authentic and varied opportunities for individual and community expression, interaction and common experiences.
(Community) Dubuque
(Project) National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
(Dimension) A Sustainable Community & Pleasing Environment – An Iowa Great Place proactively implements sustainable community development principles and works toward greater energy efficiency, which produces a clean, healthy and accessible natural and built environment.
(Community) Decorah
(Project) Trout Run Trail
(Dimension) A Rich, Diverse Social Fabric – An Iowa Great Place promotes and encourages social interaction – formal and informal – throughout the Places, with equal opportunity for all people to participate.
(Community) Council Bluffs
(Project) River’s Edge
(Dimension) A Vital, Creative Economy – An Iowa Great Place contains a balanced, growing, transformative mix of rewarding jobs and sustaining capital.
(Community) Jackson County
(Project) Maquoketa River Trail
(Dimension) A Strong Foundation – An Iowa Great Place is available, accessible and responsive to everyone – the entire social fabric. A Great Place invests in itself both physically and philosophically.
(Community) Guttenberg
(Project) River Marina
(Dimension) A Creative Culture – An Iowa Great Place displays a shared attitude of optimism that welcomes new ideas, based on a diverse and inclusive cultural mosaic.
(Community) Fairfield
(Project) 1st Friday Art Walk
(Category) Volunteer of the Year for 2006 Iowa Great Places communities
(Community) Adams County
(Award Recipients) Teresa Parmenter and Cathy Riley
(Community) Dubuque
(Award Recipient) Susan Henricks
(Community) Fairfield
(Award Recipients) Ed Malloy and Ron Blair
(Community) Guttenberg
(Award Recipient) M.J. Smith
(Community) Jackson County
(Award Recipient) Daryll Eggers
(Community) Mason City
(Award Recipient) Jim Zach
(Category) Volunteer of the Year for other Iowa Great Places communities submitting nominations
(Community) Appanoose County
(Award Recipient) Rollie Reznicek
During the ceremony, DCA recognized the 2006 Iowa Great Places for their three-year participation in the program and welcomed the 2010 Iowa Great Places.
The 2006 Iowa Great Places leaving the program this year are Adams County, Dubuque, Fairfield, Guttenberg, Jackson County and Mason City.
The 2010 Iowa Great Places joining the program this year include Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton and Hamilton-Webster counties.
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The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is responsible for developing the state’s interest in the areas of the arts, history and other cultural matters with the advice and assistance from its two divisions: the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. DCA preserves, researches, interprets and promotes an awareness and understanding of local, state and regional history and stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts and public interest and participation in them. It implements tourism-related art and history projects as directed by the General Assembly and designs a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan with the assistance of the Iowa Arts Council to develop the arts in Iowa. More information about DCA is available at www.culturalaffairs.org.
