Good deeds go rewarded

Nine counties awarded for outstanding programs

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Nine programs from more than 50 nominations were selected in February to receive 2006 Outstanding County Program Awards. The NCACC is presenting the winning counties with their award certificates at county Board of Commissioners meetings through May.

“The purpose of this awards program is to highlight some of the outstanding work that is going on in North Carolina counties,” said NCACC Executive Director David F. Thompson. “As the demands being placed on county governments become more complex, counties are forced to find new solutions to old problems. This awards program is a way to bring attention to excellent ideas that other counties might want to emulate.”

The awards program was started in 1991 by the NCACC Board of Directors. The intent of the awards program is to recognize and share information with other counties about programs that involve a uniquely innovative process, solution or idea to address a county or multi-jurisdictional issue and/or to prevent a future problem from developing.

Three winning entrants were selected in each of three categories – General Government, Public Information/Participation and Human Services.

Cumberland County:
Reaching Out to Fight Hunger

Cumberland County’s statistics on food stamp program participation caught the eye of social services personnel in early 2006. A large number of potentially eligible senior citizens, chronically ill citizens, and citizens with no means of transportation were not visiting the Department of Social Services office to apply for benefits. Staff saw a need to become proactive in reaching its unserved population.

Supervisor Pat Tedder (center) and Cumberland County DSS have helped enroll citizens in the food stamp program through the “Reaching Out to Fight Hunger” program. New clients include (from left to right): Jessica Arnold and Rosette and Cherie Harris. (Photo courtesy Cumberland County)

As a result, DSS partnered with local businesses and nonprofit agencies to create the “Reaching Out to Fight Hunger” program. DSS arranged for onsite staffing at participating businesses to ensure food stamp information and applications were available. Staff stations included local neighborhood resource centers, the Salvation Army and Food Lion groceries. DSS uses new outreach sites each month.

The combined efforts of this program have produced 300 referrals. In 2006, Cumberland County increased the number of families participating in the food stamp program from 15,223 in January to 16,374 in December. DSS is able to run the program with no additional personnel or funds.

Both DSS and its partner organizations benefited from “Reaching Out to Fight Hunger.” Food Lion and other groceries have enjoyed additional customers and food sales. Nonprofit organizations such as the Second Harvest Food Bank receive help when former clients can use food stamps. Hunger may always be a problem in Cumberland and elsewhere, but the county is certainly taking the right steps to fight hunger.

For more information, contact Betty Dumas-Beasley at (910) 677-2441 or L11@ccdssnc.com.

Rowan County:
‘A Ramble Through Rowan’

The mission of the Rowan Public Library is “to inspire the spirit of exploration and the power of imagination, promote the joy of reading, and support the lifelong pursuit of knowledge for all people.” In 2006, library staff realized it was time for the spirit of exploration to hit closer to home.

The second of the “Ramble Through Rowan” series of videos focuses on the mystery surrounding Peter Stuart Ney, a former prominent county schoolteacher. His descendants have fueled the argument that Ney is also Marshal Michel Ney, a famous French Revolution officer under Napoleon Bonaparte. Above is Daltonia, where Ney lived and taught. Ney died in 1846.

Staff began working on the video series. The videos, including “A Ramble Through Rowan’s History: Lot 19 Becomes Rowan Public Library” and “Neysayers,” have been shown on the local public access channel and are available for checkout at the library. The documentaries have been well received by the community and are especially pertinent for local teachers to use in their social studies classes.

The library partnered with the Rowan Museum, the Rowan-Salisbury School System and Catawba College to produce the videos. Library staff have served as the main “production crew.” They have identified subject areas and resources, performed research, developed scripts, and created publicity and artwork.

The documentary series is important to the community because it is both engaging for viewers and stimulates further interest in county history. It helps to educate long-time residents and newcomers who might want to learn more about Rowan County, and helps children understand the importance of local history and heritage.

Currently, “A Ramble Through Rowan” is being shown as part of regular programming on local access channels 16 and 22. Fourth-grade teachers in the school district have formulated lesson plans around the videos. A third video that focuses on immigration down the great wagon road to Rowan County is scheduled for completion in May 2007.

For more information, contact Library Operations Manager Jeff Hall at (704) 216-8233.

Durham County:
Latino Ombudsman Services

Durham County has one of the state’s five fastest growth rates among Spanish-speaking citizens. In 2006, the Department of Social Services set out to increase its capacity to serve the non-English speaking population through “Latino Ombudsman Services.” DSS contracted with the N.C. Latino Coalition to act as its primary advisor and provider of translators.

The Latino Coalition currently acts as a liaison between DSS and Latino families to help resolve communication issues, educate Latinos on DSS services, and translate documents.

Through the advice of the Latino Coalition, DSS has seen sweeping changes in the way it operates. Improvements such as call center messages recorded in Spanish, electronic records of clients who need interpreters, and training for bilingual staff have all been recently added. During the next stage of the program, DSS officials say they hope to work with other agencies to share interpreter resources. They also hope to support other county departments in efforts to recruit bilingual employees.

Latino Ombudsman Services has not only resulted in smoother operations for DSS, but has benefited the Latino community immensely by providing access to assistance with medical coverage, food stamps and child protective services. It also helps the county avoid additional costs in emergency medical care, and helps promote the likelihood that Latino children will enjoy success in school.

For more information, contact Department of Social Services Director Sammy Haithcock at (919) 560-8060 or shaithcock@durhamcountync.gov.

Wake County:
Blue Ribbon Committee on the Future of Wake County

Wake County has long been an attractive place to live, but after receiving a worldwide reputation as one of the best places to live and work in the United States, it has experienced an enormous growth spurt. During the 25-year period between 2005 and 2030, Wake’s population is expected to nearly double, from almost 750,000 to 1.4 million. In order to fully understand the impact of this growth and to plan for its future, the Board of Commissioners in 2005 created the Blue Ribbon Committee on the Future of Wake County.

The committee was charged with examining planned and projected needs for core infrastructure around Wake County for the next 20 to 30 years. The committee brought together 65 business and civic leaders to determine long-term facility needs such as schools, courthouse and detention centers, transportation, and water and sewer. The group was originally focused on funding recommendations, but expanded its scope to include cost containment and revenue strategies.

The formation of the committee marked the first time any one group had been tasked with examining future growth needs for a long-term timeframe. In addition to the 65 committee members, mayors from all 12 of the county’s municipalities, chairs of the county’s state delegation, county commissioners and staff, media and interested citizens attended committee meetings. Meetings on average drew 100-125 people.

In order to tackle the complicated process, the committee divided into seven work groups assigned to the following topics: Criminal Justice Facilities, Finance, Parks and Open Space, Public Schools, Transportation, Wake Tech and Water/Sewer Planning. These work groups met with topic experts and staff to learn as much as possible about current plans and future needs.

The work of the committee, according to its executive summary, is seen as “a significant step in mapping out Wake County’s future … it will make a notable difference in how Wake County looks and feels for our next generations who live, learn, work and play here.”

For more information, contact Wake County Manager David Cooke at (919) 856-6160 or dcooke@co.wake.nc.us, or visit www.wakegov.com/blueribbon/.

Guilford County:
Summer Salsa Sizzle

Latinos make up the fastest-growing segment of the population in Guilford County. More than 5 percent of all county citizens are Latino in origin, and county Cooperative Extension Center officials saw a need to reach out to these citizens to build a base of trust and allow other citizens to learn more about Latino culture.

The result was an event called “Summer Salsa Sizzle,” a one-night event in August 2006. Roughly 250 individuals attended, including 112 Latinos. Activities were offered free of charge, with expenses paid by Cooperative Extension.

Activities included a salsa cooking contest, and a free salsa tasting kicked off the evening. Mini-sessions that boasted topics such as ethnic vegetable gardening and Spanish 101 followed, and volunteers from the 4-H Club and Americorps Youth provided games and activities for children. At the event finale, participants learned to Salsa Dance while listening to a host of local Latino bands.

Organizers attribute the event’s success to the partnership between Cooperative Extension and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Center for New North Carolinians. The center provided translators for the event, aided in marketing efforts, and secured Latino vendors and entertainment. The center’s staff continues to refer clients to Cooperative Extension and has helped translate several of the service’s publications to Spanish.

For more information, contact County Extension Director Brenda Morris at (336) 375-5876 or brenda_morris@ncsu.edu.

Jackson County:
Green Energy Park

All landfills emit gas, roughly 50 percent of which is methane, created when organic wastes, such as food scraps, decompose. A damaging pollutant, methane reduces local air quality.

In 1996, Jackson County closed its Dillsboro landfill, with 750,000 tons of trash still in place. Concerned that landfill gas (LFG) would migrate into local cities, county officials decided to find a new way to “capture” and use the LFG. The county repurchased the property and created the Green Energy Park.

The park uses methane from the old landfill to heat blacksmithing forges, greenhouses, a biodiesel refinery, pottery studios and other facilities. By capturing and converting the LFG, the county is able to provide free fuel for park tenants and, more importantly, protect and improve local air quality.

The park has also provided a boost to the local economy. The county receives rent from park tenants and income from craft seminars and conferences. The park also increases both ecotourism and heritage crafts tourism in Jackson County.

The Green Energy Park is one of only three landfill gas projects in the United States that focus on crafts production and one of two to include a biodiesel facility. It is the world’s only park that fires blacksmith forges using landfill gas.

In 2006, the park garnered national attention when it was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Landfill Methane Outreach Program’s Project of the Year.

The project is an excellent example of taking a problem and not only finding a solution, but using that solution to build a better tomorrow. For more information, contact Project Director Timm Muth at (828) 631-0271 or tmuth@jacksonnc.org.

Randolph County:
‘The Week Ahead’

Disasters can occur at any moment, and any planning or preparation that can be done in advance can only help once disaster strikes. With that in mind, Randolph County Department of Emergency Services staff began brainstorming in July 2006 for a means of communicating time-sensitive emergency information early and often.

The Week Ahead – a weekly newsletter that features such sections as weather trends and forecasts, human interest stories, safety and educational information, and a calendar of county events – was born of those discussions. With notifications on travel conditions, road closings, emergency shelter and homeland security updates, and a special section on the Emergency Operations Center, the publication gave the county an avenue to communicate valuable information to any stakeholder with an interest in emergency/disaster operations.

The newsletter is e-mailed each week to more than 300 local officials across the county. Its subscribers include first responders, volunteer organizations and school system personnel. The newsletter serves its purpose by making officials aware of situations before they happen, so that during real times of crisis the involved parties are fully informed and ready to fulfill their duties.

The Week Ahead relies on the collaboration and contributions of local readers to keep calendars and notifications up-to-date. It serves as a weekly reminder to all local officials that positive and relevant communication can create an effective response to any emergency situation.

For more information, contact Donovan Davis, deputy director of Emergency Services, at (336) 318-6943 or dldavis@co.randolph.nc.us.

Transylvania County:
Retiree Resource Network

In late 2004, Transylvania officials felt they needed a boost to the county economic development strategic plan. County officials wanted to aid existing businesses and provide incentives for potential businesses and realized that there was already a wonderful resource of local knowledge right under their noses: retirees.

The purpose of the Retiree Resource Network is to actively support economic development in the county, create and retain new jobs, and promote the community. The program utilizes retired executives and professionals as part-time volunteers who assist local businesses with problem-solving and advisory projects. What started off as a network of five volunteers has now eclipsed 60. The client base includes 35 companies.

The program seems to work because of its win-win attitude. Clients like it because it offers high-quality, fast and free services. Community leaders like it because it effectively taps into the wealth of knowledge among retirees. Network volunteers like it because it keeps them connected to the business world and allows them to make a difference in their community.

A listing of network members is stored in an accessible, electronic database that allows clients to view volunteers, contact members and schedule a time for consultation. The process emphasizes the need for the program coordinator to work with the client to properly “define” the problem so that the most appropriate volunteer is involved.

The county has partnered with several organizations, including the county’s Chamber of Commerce and N.C. Department of Commerce, to ensure the program’s success.

For more information, contact Planning and Economic Development Director Mark Burrows at (828) 884-3205 or mark.burrows@transylvaniacounty.org.

Haywood County:
Fitness Challenge

Haywood County has taken an “active” interest in the health of its employees and its citizens. In 2002, the Haywood County Public Health Department, in conjunction with the Healthy Haywood Coalition, kicked off its Fitness Challenge.

In 2006, the challenge allowed participants to make up to 24 visits to local fitness centers during an eight-week period for a $10 fee. Participation in several countywide activities, such as hikes, bike rides and basketball shootouts, was included in the fee. Participants were given the option of “tracking” their physical activity by keeping a record. If participants reached a certain level, they would receive prizes, such as walking shoes. In 2006, the program drew 600 participants.

It achieves cost effectiveness because costs are absorbed by participating fitness centers, agencies and participants. Cost savings were also incurred through Fitness Challenge partnerships. Local employers, including county agencies, promoted the program free of charge through e-mails, newspapers, various publications and radio partnerships.

The Healthy Haywood Coalition proved an invaluable partner in the success of this program. The Coalition was able to use program proceeds to give back to the community by building climbing walls in elementary schools, paving a basketball court in a low-income area, and providing physical education equipment to elementary school teachers.

Ultimately, county officials realize that program benefits cannot be fully quantified. During a time in which public health funding is scarce, Haywood County has created an innovative, self-sustaining and fun program that will benefit the future of all its citizens.

For more information, contact Public Health Education Director Marcia Tate at (828) 452-6675 or mtate@haywoodnc.net.