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RCAC's Network News April 2012
Volume XXX, Number 2
In this issue:
Nominations sought for rural volunteer award
RCAC seeks nominations for the 2012 Yoneo Ono Rural Volunteer Award. RCAC will accept nominations until April 13.
Many rural volunteers spend long, unpaid hours helping individuals and organizations in their communities. Yet, often their hard work results in requests for more assistance. Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) grants the Yoneo Ono award to reward and publicly recognize these outstanding rural volunteers. To nominate a volunteer >>
Environmental News
RCAC staff member joins EPA's Arsenic Small Systems Work Group
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water invited Stevan Palmer, RCAC rural development specialist II, to participate on the arsenic small systems work group. Read more>>
EPA awards more than $6.7 million to the Guam Waterworks Authority for wastewater and drinking water projects
EPA press release: February 21
HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded more than $6.7 million as part of a yearly grant to the Guam Waterworks Authority to improve drinking water and wastewater systems on Guam. Read how the funds will improve the "future health of Guam's economy..." >>
Mining California groundwater: The Cadiz project
By Peter Gleick, SFGate.com, January 24
A private company, Cadiz Inc. (Cadiz), revived plans to mine groundwater underlying land in the delicate Eastern Mojave Desert. This project revives fundamental questions about how we manage our precious water resources, and in particular, whether in the 21st century it is appropriate, or even necessary, to use renewable water resources in a nonrenewable and unsustainable way, for short-term profit. Find out more about water mining's and its possible adverse consequences for other humans and for the local environment>>
Water systems need fixes; customers don’t want to fund them
By Ryan Lillis and Matt Weiser, Sacbee.com, January 30
From mountain hamlets to Sacramento City Hall, governments are asking taxpayers to dig deeper into their pockets to improve sewer and water systems. And people are pushing back. Read more>>
Nitrate pollutes tap water in rural California
From www.futurity.org, March 14
One in 10 people living in California’s most productive agricultural areas is at risk of exposure to harmful nitrate levels in drinking water. Read the entire article and download the UC Davis Report, Addressing Nitrate in California's Drinking Water here >>
Housing News
HUD kicks off series of consultations with Native American leaders
Meetings designed to inform future study of housing needs in Indian Country
HUD press release, March 5
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) kicked off a series of consultations with tribal leaders in preparation for HUD's forthcoming study on the chronic housing needs in Indian Country ... Read more>>
Ups and downs smooth out
Prices predicted to hold steady
By Donna Kimura, Affordable Housing Finance, March
At last, low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) prices have settled after experiencing some wild swings during the last few years. Twenty out of 23 surveyed syndicators predict that pricing to developers will hold steady through the first half of the year, but several note that the most competitive markets could still see some slight increases. Read more >>
White House highlights housing counselors as Champions of Change
The White House recently honored numerous housing counselors as part of the Champions of Change program, which spotlights advocates who greatly assist communities in need nationwide. Read more>>
Cities name redevelopment successors, but many details nebulous
By Alicia Robinson, The Press-Enterprise, January
Most Inland local governments have determined who will take over the obligations of their redevelopment agencies, but officials said many aspects of what happens next remain unclear.
How and when must they sell property and other assets? Which obligations will be paid? How many redevelopment employees will lose their jobs? Read more>>
Food Stamps as a supplement to income
By Claudia Shay, executive director, Self-Help Housing Corporation of Hawaii
Leilani Weldon, a single mother of two small children, has worked as an educational assistant for the Department of Education for the past six years. She has a limited income of $28,208 per year, and relies on her food stamp benefits to make ends meet. Ms. Weldon has very limited debts, and a FICO score of 764, which is a testament to her ability to manage her household budget very well. Ms. Weldon has been a client of the Self-Help Housing Corporation of Hawaii (SHHCH) since 2000 and dreamed of becoming a homeowner. Read more about using food stamps as supplemental income >>
Loan Fund News
RCAC’s new small business program creates jobs with first loan
RCAC launched a new small business lending program, and its first loan created five new jobs in rural California. Read more >>
RCAC Loan Fund lends more than $5.8 million in rural communities
In its first quarter, RCAC lent more than $5.8 million to rural communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico and Utah to finance much-needed community projects. Read more on the projects financed with help from RCAC's Loan Fund >>
General News
RCAC Board of Directors elects new roster
The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) board of directors recently elected new officers at its quarterly meeting. Read more >>
Sheehan reflects on Plumas Corporation career
Dan McDonald, Plumas County News staff writer
John Sheehan leaned back in his swivel chair and glanced at reminders of his 20 years as Plumas Corporation executive director. The photos, awards and mementos stand out in a room littered with boxes.
“You should have seen it two weeks ago,” Sheehan said with a proud smile. “I’ve gotten rid of about two-thirds of the stuff.” Read more on Sheehan’s 20 year career as Plumas Corporation’s executive director >>
Public charities can lobby: Guidelines for 501(c)(3) public charities
This article is provided courtesy of Alliance for Justice. For more information, contact AFJ at (866) 675-6229.
501(c)(3) public charities (including public foundations) CAN lobby within the generous limits allowed by federal law. How much lobbying the organization can do depends on which of two sets of rules the organization chooses to fall under – the “501(h) expenditure test” or the “insubstantial part test." Remember these key points >>
Stimulus success story: ‘Middle Mile’ broadband in Alaska
The Cable360.net Network, January 18
While many recipients of stimulus cash distributed last year have either given it back or continue to build out their broadband projects, last week, Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell (R) hosted the first live terrestrial videoconference between Juneau and Bethel's Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) using General Communication Inc.'s (GCI's) TERRA-Southwest, a $88 million terrestrial broadband "middle mile" project constructed by GCI's wholly owned subsidiary United Utilities Inc. Read what happens next >>
Shootin’ the breeze with our planners…
By Dina Fong, California Department of Education
This article is provided courtesy of PonyXpress, Volume 4, Number 132
Interview with Susan Buntjer, CMP, CGMP
Susan Buntjer, CMP, CGMP is a conference meeting specialist with the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) where she has worked for five and a half years. She is a veteran meeting planner and has 25 years experience in the field. At RCAC, she currently plans over 80 trainings, multi-day conferences, and board of directors meetings. Read more>>
Fractured Modesto nonprofit in turmoil after opposing votes
By J.N. Sbranti and Ken Carlson, The Modesto Bee
Greed, mismanagement and questionable financial practices are so severe at the Stanislaus Community Assistance Project that its board of directors voted [February 1] Wednesday night to disband the agency. Read more>>
Eye on Policy
Rural development: Three views
From Daily Yonder, February
Last week three rural development practitioners testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee. The topic was “economic growth for rural America” and the Rural Development portion of the Farm Bill. We thought these three rural residents described three important sides of this story — how people decide to work on their communities; what rural development programs can do; and what is to become of federal rural development efforts.Read excerpts from their testimony >>
Conrad introduces rural water bill
Water Safety Bill Critical for Rural North Dakota Communities, Senator says
Washington – Senator Kent Conrad today introduced bipartisan legislation designed to ensure that families in America’s most rural communities enjoy the same safe and clean drinking water as families in more urban communities. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) is the lead co-sponsor of the legislation. Read more>>