Henry Luke- Newsletter  #24-COMMUNITY VISIONING RESULTS

August 2001 

NORTH CAROLINA

 

 In 1999, as a % of the US per capita income, the Raleigh MSA per capita income was 112%. Charlotte MSA-106%, Greensboro MSA-101%, North Carolina State-92% and “North Carolina w/o Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro MSAs was 80%.

·        The Raleigh, Charlotte, and Greensboro MSAs were 46% of the NC population in 1999.

·        During the 1995-1999 period, the Raleigh MSA and Charlotte MSA per capita income as a % of the US per capita income increased while the Greensboro MSA and “NC w/o Raleigh, Charlotte, and Greensboro MSAs” declined.

·        From 1979-1999, the North Carolina State per capita income % increased 12% compared to Washington State’s loss of 2% as shown in last months newsletter. http://www.lukevision.com/Washington.htm

·        Why does location make so much difference in the “New Economy”?

We would appreciate any thoughts, comments or suggestions on this North Carolina or Washington State data. Please forward this e-mail to anyone you think would be interested in this subject.

 

CURACAO, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES-Over 850 people from all geographic locations and elements of island society attended the celebration of the second anniversary of implementation for Vishon Korsóu.  In a crisp two-hour presentation over 75 people discussed their Vishon Korsóu implementation activities, thanked volunteers and enhanced the spirit with poetry, music and dance.  The celebration was in the amphitheater of the Curacao National Museum.  In the open courtyard, twelve booths were set up by Vision Partners to provide information or free food and drink.  Curacao is an island 35 miles of the coast of Venezuela with a population of 140,000.

·        Vishon Korsóu, executive director,  Erich Van der Hoeven , his staff and board have achieved a tremendous balance between creating social capital and achieving results on individual strategies.

·        Between March 29, 2001 and August 15, Vishon Korsóu recruited 125 Vision Partners making their total over 400.

·        One of the projects announced was the opening of the Kura Hulada Hotel, a world-class hotel to be managed by Rock Resorts.  This is another Curacao project of Jacob Dekker.  While visiting Curacao in 1995, Jacob fell in love with a crumbling eastside mansion, which he restored and now calls home.  He then donated $50 million to the Jade Foundation, an organization dedicated to the educational and financial assistance of Curacao’s youth.  He also spent large sums to rebuild the Museum Kura Hulanda, dedicated to the history of the black holocaust, and the Jacob Gelt Dekker Institute for Advanced Cultural Studies. 

·        Governor Lisa Richards-Dindial is chair of the government strategy to produce a customer friendly, efficient, effective and accountable government that operated within its financial capacity.  She reported on the progress of the Alliance.

·        Commissioner M. Coffie reported on the Alliance to achieve energy savings and sustainable development that enhances the environment.  She announced a mini-conference for August 21.

·        Commissioner T. Pikerie reported on two government strategies that 1) reinstall trustworthiness and 2) facilitating people going to work and going off the welfare rolls.  He announced a mini-conference on September 5.

·        Miguel Goede, Arthur Anderson partner, described progress on the Leadership Development Alliance and many accomplishments for the year.
 www.vishonkorsou.org

 

JACKSONVILLE, FL-August 8, 1967, the voters of Duval County agreed to consolidate City and County government.  A strategic planning approach has defined the county since then with “1974…Amelia Island Conference”, “1983…Jacksonville 2005-A Regional Vision”, “1987-Florida’s First Coast…A 2005 Regional Vision”, and others between 1987 and the present.  Jacksonville is booming!

·        A new $121 million-996 room convention hotel opened on the downtown riverfront in March 2001.

·        The $2.2 billion “Better Jacksonville Plan”, approved by the voters last fall, is underway with  $500 million downtown for a new baseball stadium, arena, courthouse, and downtown library and $1.7 billion for many projects spread throughout the 840 square miles of Jacksonville/Duval County. http://www.betterjax.com/

·        An $860 million downtown development with residential shops, parkland, and piers is the most expensive private development ever planned in Jacksonville.  The project, a redevelopment of the Jacksonville Shipyards, will be aided by up to $75 million in city support.

·        The 8,312-acre Cecil Commerce Center has a $1.5 billion plan for transforming this former Navy Fighter base into a commercial center.

·        The Jacksonville Jaguars NFL franchise was awarded in 1993.  The Jaguars were in the play-offs for four straight years 1995-1999.  Their success and city growth resulted in the city being awarded the 2005 Super Bowl.

·        The First Coast Technology Park is underway…adjacent to the University of North Florida.  A $16 million engineering and science building will soon be under construction at the University.

·        In 1996, Golf Digest named Northeast Florida as the Number 1 golf destination in the state and sixth in the United States.

·        July 2001, Governor Jeb Bush announced a potential $80 million Network Access Point  (NAP) for Jacksonville.  The NAP will be an intersection for the Information Super Highway through Jacksonville.

 

UNION COUNTY, NC-Union County Vision 2020 is preparing for an Annual Report meeting in November 2001.  They have six Strategic Alliances underway and beginning the seventh.

The first six include:

·        Education Strategy to ensure at least one adult mentor for each young person

·        Infrastructure Strategy for county-wide master plan with capital improvement plan to ensure infrastructure is available for anticipated growth

·        Quality of Life Strategy to reduce violent crime

·        Economic development Strategy for the creation of new high-paying jobs

·        Economic Development Strategy for training/retraining workforce to continuously improve productivity

This long-term Strategic Planning Process that started two years ago, has a new private sector Co-chair, Allan Baucom, who joins the public sector Co-chair, Paul Stanridge.
http://www.unionvision2020.com/

 

GILLETTE, WY- There will be a Vision Summit on September 27, 2001, four years after the process began in September 1997.  In 1997, the Gillette area produced 26% of the United States area coal and there was a concern about coal’s future.  Diversification has resulted from two entrepreneurs developing a way to drill low yield gas wells and produce natural gas.  Four electric generating plants are operating, one is under construction and four are proposed. A Key Vision Strategy; these plants produce the electricity close to the coal and gas source and then export electricity by wire. With about 25% of the US coal production, exporting electricity by wire, and now with the potential for providing 10% of US natural gas, Gillette is the Energy Capital of the United States.

 

CABARRUS, NC-The draft Vision statement for Cabarrus County, North Carolina is out for public input until September 6th. Cabarrus is a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina on I-85 NE and is one of the fastest growing counties in NC. As a result, their draft Vision statement has a strong growth management emphasis. You can review the draft at http://www.envisioncabarrus.org/DraftVisionDocument.pdf

 

YAKIMA, WA-Our 51^st Community...Yakima, Washington is underway with the first Community Meeting on September 10^th.  They have an excellent web site with part of it translated into Spanish.  Each day until September 10^th, a new Benchmark comparing Yakima to 49 other communities will be added to the web site.  http://www.uppervalleyvision.net/

 

WILKES, NC-The Community Educator Recruitment Program offers free or discounted services from area businesses to new Wilkes educators and in some instances all educators.  Examples include six-month free Internet service, $500 rebate on car purchase, no money down home loan, and many others.  The program is a partnership of the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, Wilkes County Schools and Wilkes Community College. http://www.wilkesnc.org/vision/

 

SCHUYLILL, PA-At Atteco, Inc., 350 employees produce 8.5 million Mrs. T’s pirogues as week.  Tim and Tom Twardzik bought this producer of ethnic food from their Dad in 1992 and have increased sales five times.  They were included in Inc. Magazine in August 2001 as one of the “Five Best Hometown Businesses”.  Tim is co-chair of the Schuylkill Vision Economic Development Foundation Team.

http://www.inc.com/incmagazine/article/0,,ART23219,00.HTML

 

HAMPTON ROADS, VA-Southwest Airlines has announced plans to begin service to Norfolk in October 2001.

 

PENNSYLVANIA-To strengthen its biotechnology and health care sectors, Pennsylvania has passed legislation that ensures virtually all of the state’s $113 billion tobacco settlement will be committed to health care programs and medical research.

 

PAST COMMUNITY VISIONING REPORTS, the Community Strategic Planning Process, and Client web sites can be reviewed from the menu below.   Luke Planning, Inc. provides facilitation for Community Visioning and Community Strategic Planning. Please forward this newsletter to anyone who may have an interest in these topics.

 

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Henry Luke