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RCAC's Network News August 2011
Volume XXIX, Number 4
In this issue:
Environmental News
RCAC’S Marko receives national award for collaborative leadership
Chris Marko, RCAC rural development specialist, was presented with the prestigious Ron Shaffer Award from the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) at the Partners for Rural America (PRA) meeting in Washington, D.C. on June 8. The award recognizes Marko’s work in bringing people with diverse interests together to improve rural programs and policy at the state and national levels. Read more >>
RCAC’S Morales first woman to chair national water council
Olga Morales, RCAC rural development specialist, has been reappointed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) for another three-year term. Morales will serve as the council chair this term. She is the first woman to chair the NDWAC since its inception in 1976. Read more >>
Operator awarded for years of dedicated service
Michael “Max” Baay was awarded the Operator’s Meritorious Service Award at the Long Beach CA/NV American Water Works Association (AWWA) conference in March. Baay is the water system operator for two community public water systems on the Santa Ysabel Reservation, located in the San Diego Mountains. Read more >>
Bake sales and more buy Arizona community a new sewer system
From Rural Matters, 2011, Issue 3
An outpouring of state and federal funding coupled with assistance from Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), the Western RCAP, has one small Arizona community on the road to realizing its goal of improving a failing sewer system. Read how Colonia residents are successful in their battle to find solutions to chronic sewage problems >>
Does an old EPA fracking study provide proof of contamination?
By Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica
For years the drilling industry has steadfastly insisted that there has never been a proven case in which fracking has led to contamination of drinking water. Read ProPublica’s report on the 1987 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fracking studies in addition to EPA’s response >>
EPA announces green jobs training for South Tucson
Local graduates to clean up contaminated city sites
In South Tucson, Arizona, the EPA awarded a $300,000 grant to the city for environmental workforce development and job training to recruit, train and place unemployed, predominantly low-income residents in jobs to clean up polluted areas. Read more on the training program goals and benefits >>
$112 million deal may send San Francisco trash to Wheatland
By Will Kane, Chronicle staff writer, SFGate.com
San Franciscan trash could soon be headed to faraway Yuba County [California] after the board of supervisors Tuesday [July 26] approved a controversial $112 million contract to send city refuse to the rural area. Read about the prospect of five million tons of trash being transported by train to the outskirts of Wheatland >>
Housing News
RCAC seeks director for its housing programs
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced housing professional to join RCAC's senior management team and provide overall leadership, vision and supervision of RCAC’s housing programs. The position includes providing technical assistance and support services to mutual self-help housing organizations, community housing development organizations, low-income and Native American communities. The housing director also will represent RCAC's housing services throughout its networks. Experience as a housing development consultant is desired. RCAC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Access job description and application on RCAC's website >>
Manufactured home park residents team up to buy land
When Anchor Mobile Home Park residents in Gold Beach, Oregon heard that their community was up for sale, they were understandably concerned about the future of their homes. A new owner could have raised rents or even close the park. Read how the residents formed a cooperative and secured their future homeownership >>
RCAC receives $25,000 grant from American Express
American Express awarded Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) a $25,000 grant to assist nonprofit affordable housing organizations in Utah look for new ways to deliver affordable home ownership opportunities during these desperate economic times. Read more >>
Speak your piece: Never give up
By Sandra Rosenblith, DailyYonder.com
Just imagine for a moment: You live in a small town with just one bank. You’re an empty nester. You want to sell the home where you raised your kids and move into something easier to get around in, easier and less costly to maintain. Read more on the housing crisis and how it affects rural America >>
Nearly $35 million awarded to nonprofit organizations for affordable housing projects
NeighborWorks America awarded $34.9 million in grants to more than 100 nonprofit organizations affiliated with the group to fund rehabilitation projects for affordable housing units nationwide. Read more >>
Loan Fund News
RCAC loans ease array of rural West community needs
Ten communities received Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) loans totaling nearly $3 million in RCAC’s third quarter of Fiscal Year 2011, which ended June 30. Read how the funds were used to support water, wastewater and housing improvements and development in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington >>
Eye on Policy
Udall to introduce bill that would level playing field for advanced biofuels
U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) on August 8 announced his plans to introduce bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate that would help level the playing field for advanced biofuels like algae by reforming the Renewable Fuels Standard to make it more technology neutral. Udall will introduce the bill with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) …. Read more >>
HUD secretary announces disaster assistance for Wyoming storm victims
Foreclosure protection offered to displaced families
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan on July 28 announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the state of Wyoming and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding, and landslides during May, June, and July. Read more >>
Feinstein cosponsors bill to boost weak housing market
Maintains higher limits for federally insured loans to help housing market, economic recovery
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) this week joined Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) in introducing a bipartisan bill—the Homeownership Affordability Act of 2011–that will allow the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) and the Veterans Administration (VA) to insure home loans at their current maximum levels for an additional two years …. Read more >>
General News
Post office closings could affect rural residents
With the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) struggling to stay afloat due to financial issues, the agency recently announced it will likely close thousands of offices nationwide, many of which reside in rural areas. Roughly one in 10, or 3,600 branches could be shut down. Read more about how post office closures affect rural residents >>
Defining rural: Too many definitions cause problems
From Agri-Business News – KFGO.com
The various definitions of rural make it hard for local officials to determine which programs apply to their community. At the Council on Foundations conference on rural philanthropy Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack noted that USDA has 11 different definitions of rural America. Read Vilsack’s comments and more on rural definitions >>
Monday Roundup: A confused Times editorial
From Daily Yonder.com
We have another utterly confused accounting of federal payments spent in rural America, this time from the Los Angeles Times in an editorial. Read Daily Yonder’s Monday Roundup in response to the Los Angeles Times editorial on rural airline subsidy cutbacks >>
Should staff contact with the board be restricted?
By Jan Masaoka, Board Café, BlueAvocado.org
Should board members have contact with staff independent of the executive director? For many executive directors, this issue raises blood pressure faster than almost any other. Opinion is sharply divided about whether and how other staff should interact with board members. Read more for guidelines that will help your organization avoid staff resentment and board suspicion >>
Photo above taken by Savanna Bales.