RSS Feed
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
CDF’s new office finished;
kickoff for new economic development agency Oct. 23 By Jim Cox The old sheriff’s office on the first floor of the courthouse has been renovated. The walls have been slightly altered in places, there’s new paint and carpet and new office furniture. It’s all being done to help better position the county for economic development. The renovated space is the new home of the Clarke County Community Development Foun-dation (CDF), a public /private partnership program for economic development. Debra Bolen, the CDF’s executive director, has been operating out of a tiny cubicle in the courthouse for several months while inmates from the Alabama Department of Correc-tions have been renovating the offices. The Clarke County Commission has footed the bill for the renovation work. There’s still some details, such as decorating and other finishing touches but county leaders and volunteer citizens hope the office will be a catalyst for luring new business and industry, help existing ones and overall improve the quality of life for all citizens in the county. There are two offices, a conference room, a small kitchenette and a restroom. The complex is self-contained and offers privacy for prospective industrial clients, explained Bolen, even having a rear entrance. Privacy is very important to some industrial pros-pects, she noted. "The other day I had a small group come by wanting information. I suggested we go to the county commissioners’ courtroom down the hall but they said they’d just as soon stay in my office. It was crowded but we stayed right there and talked about what they were looking for," she explained. The CDF will have a formal kickoff celebration at the H. W. Pearce Memorial Park Com-munity House in Jackson Thursday, Oct. 23 beginning at 6:30 p.m. "Everyone interested in economic and community development in the county is invited to attend," said Bolen. The CDF is the outgrowth of the Economic Development Partnership, a joint effort by the county and municipalities to get the ball rolling on economic development. Linda Swann, the assistant director of the Alabama Develop-ment Office in charge of rural development, will be the guest speaker. Swann advised the committee that developed the CDF before moving on to ADO so it is fitting that she should return to help see it get started, said Bolen. A major industrial announcement for the county may be made during the evening, Bolen said. Hors d’oeuvres and other refreshments will be served and Bolen said the event will be somewhat of a "Taste of Clarke County" with many restaurants and caterers contributing samples of their wares. Some of the food vendors who are helping with the evening include The Old Democrat Bakery and Deli, Grove Hill; T-Kaye’s Catering, Jackson; Terry Norris, Grove Hill; Mary and Jimmy Gunn, Thomasville; Trisha Green, Thomasville; Dorothy Thomas, Thomasville; The Fish House, Jackson; The Bakery Cafe, Jackson; and Carolyn Dillon, Grove Hill. Florists who are providing decorations include Bloomers and Simply Southern, both of Jackson; and Petal Pusher, Grove Hill. Coca Cola is providing soft drinks. Corporate sponsors include Health Actions, Wal-Mart, First United Security Bank, Merchants Bank, Regions Bank, Southwest Alabama Bank, Sweet Water State Bank and Acceptance Loan Co. There may be other sponsors in addition to those listed above. Crist Sperling of Thomasville will provide music. Many areas have developed community foundations as tools to use for economic development. The first and most successful was in Tupelo, Miss. in the years right after World War II. The idea is to partner private and public sectors to better promote and develop all areas of a community. The focus includes but is not limited to business and industry recruitment and retention. "Improving the quality of life for all Clarke Countians is our broader aim," explained Bolen. "Economic development is just one of the compotents to help do that." Bolen explained that memberships in the foundation will be open to any citizen, firm, corporation or political body interested in the development of the county and region. For more information on the CDF or for information on the Oct. 23 kickoff, contact Debra Bolen at 251-275-4254.
|
for larger version       |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
)
