------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: 13 Dec 1996 00:04:25 -0500
From: "Tim Walter" <timothy@aspeninst.org>
Subject: Rural Update, November '96
To: "Rural Update" <ruralupdate@lists.aspeninst.org>
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The Rural Update Materials from November '96
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Update addresses rural and small town community economic
development, with summaries and pointers to items on the Internet,
in major media, and in organizational newsletters and journals.
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Aspen Institute Rural Economic Policy Program; Tim Walter, Editor
Http://www.aspeninst.org/rural E-mail: timothy@aspeninst.org
==================================================================
--- Mailed December 12, 1996 ---
(Previous issue mailed November 5th)
CONTENTS
Quote Be A Good Neighbor (Jobs & Inquiries)
Rural Telecom Alert Funding
Of Rural Dev Interest Gatherings / Calendar
Books & Reports Twelve Days of Rural Development
More Rural Titles Rural Telemedicine Tool Kit
Cool Tool for Groups Contact Info & Subscribing
==================================================================
----------------------- QUOTE ----------------------
IT'S NOT JUST JOBS
"If you stop and listen, really listen, communities will tell you it's not
just about jobs...that's just what they've been trained to say." (Shanna
Ratner, Yellow Wood Associates, St Albans VT.)
--------------- RURAL TELECOM ALERT ---------------
RURAL TELEMEDICINE -- AN OPPORTUNITY GOING TO WASTE?
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR RURAL HEALTH PROVIDER
A CALL FOR HELP
Regulators have stalled on the opportunities for rural clinics as part of the
rewrite of Universal Service laws. And not only are they stalled, but they
seem to be stuck at what a number of rural advocates consider to be a weak
position. The Federal Communications Commission has put out a call for rural
residents to speak up on the value of telemedicine in rural areas.
DISCOUNTS FOR SCHOOLS GREAT, BUT WON'T PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE
You probably caught references in the news to the recently announced Internet
discounts for schools and libraries as part of the Universal Service law
rewrite. The coalitions that put together this program deserve credit (!) and
rural schools and libraries in particular will benefit. Unfortunately, the
FCC's plans will do little to improve the basic level of telecom
infrastructure in rural areas. However, the door has been left open for such
improvements with the rural clinic regulations. (For info on schools, see
http://www.itc.org/edlinc).
TOOL KIT ON TELEMEDICINE
At the end of this Update we put together a small "tool kit" that lists how to
quickly get the resources you need to send in a simple, non-technical letter
in response to the FCC's call for input.
MONEY IS AN ISSUE, BUT TEMPORARY
Without question, the major problem inhibiting telemedicine is that Medicare
and insurance companies only pay for person-to-person doctor visits. In
October, however, California made a major step in this correcting this, and
other states will follow (NY Times, 11/26/96, www.nytimes.com). But hold on .
. .
WEAK LEVEL OF SERVICES RECOMMENDED
The current FCC discussion is overly concerned with ensuring that rural areas
have available the same level of infrastructure to support telemedicine
practices that are common today (essentially e-mailing X-rays from place to
place). But, when insurance payment reform hits, urban and suburban centers
will be able to rapidly put in place high-resolution video conferencing. And
for rural areas? They may be waiting for the next review of the Universal
Service regulations (in 2001) to get high quality video conferencing.
INPUT DUE DECEMBER 19th AND AGAIN ON JANUARY 10th
See the tool kit at the end of the newsletter for more on the telemedicine
issue and how you can use this opportunity to improve rural telecom
infrastructure. The FCC needs to hear from you by December 19th (originally
announced as the 16th) for the first round of comments and/or on January 10th.
-------------- OF RURAL INTEREST & INNOVATION -------------
HIGH-SCHOOLERS ASSUME TASK OF OPERATING SMALL TOWN PAPERS
(THEY ALSO BUILD THEIR OWN COMPUTERS)
One of the best community capacity projects I've come across in awhile is
underway in rural coal-mining and cotton-belt towns in Alabama. Local high
schools there have begun publishing town newspapers. In Notasulga, the "town
council meetings don't start until the paper's reporter -- a student --
arrives." The papers cover issues that may be glossed-over by larger papers
that originate from the county seat.
Students are more engaged in their education, and one school credits their
paper with a 45% enrollment increase in just four years due to improved public
respect. Some towns mail the papers to residents who've moved away as a way
to keep in touch and entice folks to return.
One of the papers did so well with advertising revenues during the election
cycle that they were able to purchase five brand new computers--from their
school's computer-building business. Another paper, the Gayleville Times, has
a complete Internet edition. Contact Jim Wrye, jwrye@pacers.org,
http://www.pacers.org; Program for Rural Services and Research, University of
Alabama, Box 870372, Tuscaloosa, Al. 35487-0372, (205) 348-6432;
RURAL MICROENTREPRENEUR CATALOG ON THE INTERNET--SHOP TODAY
The Public WebMarket is an experiment in helping rural entrepreneurs sell
their wares via the Internet. The site is new and improved at the start of
its second year. Check out their Web catalog to purchase gourmet foods,
woodwork, custom-made rag rugs, bed & breakfasts, and more. This is a
demonstration project funded in part by USDA.
(http://www.civicnet.org/webmarket)
RURAL AREAS POSSESS SPECIAL TOOLS TO FIGHT GROWING DRUG USE
Shortage of funds, lack of experience, and vast geographic territories
seriously complicate the fighting of rural drug businesses. Experts say that
small towns do, however, have a community ethic and tradition of civic
responsibility which allow them to creatively combine resources. A recent
National Rural Summit on Substance Abuse and Violence was held by the
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. Contact the Coalition at
703-706-0560 or look for the report on the Web. (http://www.jointogether.org
also reported in Christian Science Mon.)
USDA ATTACKED BY WASHINGTON POST FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FARMER PROBLEMS
In a major front page article, the "Washington Post" took to task USDA
administrators for failing to act on claims that officials have discouraged,
delayed, or denied loans to African American farmers on the basis of race.
The paper states that hundreds of claims have been filed and that many of the
charges are acknowledged by agency officials. The original story appeared Dec
11th, with a follow-up editorial on Dec 12th. (http://www.washingtonpost.com)
NEW RURAL DEVELOPMENT MASTER'S DEGREE
Cornell University is accepting applications for an intensive, one-year
program in rural development. Deadline for fellowship consideration is
January 10th. The program is unusual in the US as it exists outside of a
regional planning or government administration program. Contact Community and
Rural Development Institute, 48 Warren Hall, Cornell U, Ithaca NY 14853-6701,
607-255-9510; www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/cardi/; cardi@cornell.edu;
------------------- BOOKS & REPORTS ------------------
ANECDOTES AND THEORIES OF SMALL TOWN SOCIETY
"Perspectives on the Small Community," Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley. Highly
recommended social science analysis of small town dynamics. 1990 NASW Press
(National Association of Social Workers, Washington DC, 202-408-8600)
WONDERFUL COMMUNITY VISIONING BOOK -- READ IT
A Native American tribe in Maine has described its vision in a book that
combines photography, poems, and artwork. The visioning process, community
gatherings and meditations are documented as well as the history of the tribe
and "wisdom of the elders." "Pasamaquoddy Community Vision" Vision Book.
Contact: Pleasant Point Pasamaquoddy Reservation Housing Authority, Pleasant
Point, Perry ME 04667, 207-853-6021. There is a charge for the book.
ANOTHER GOOD VISIONING REPORT: COMMUNITY WEALTH INDEX
The Sierra Business Council (SBC) has produced the "Sierra Nevada Wealth
Index" which offers a different perspective of the Native American book
mentioned above. The Index quantifies natural, financial and social "capital"
in this beautiful region in eastern California. This report is recommended as
another model for building consensus around wise development. Send check for
$11.75 to SBC, PO Box 2428, Truckee CA 96160; 916-582-4800.
"IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS CLIMATE"
This book seeks to make government officials more accountable for "what works"
in business development. It covers taxation, recruitment, regulation, and
modernization. $30, 1996, Corporation for Enterprise Development,
202-408-9788 tel, 202-408-9793 fax, http://www.cfed.org.
RURAL ANGER
"Rural Radicals: Righteous Rage in the American Grain," Catherine McNichol
Stock. "The author examines recurring themes in rural radical movements,
including anti-federalism, white supremacy, populism and vigilantism. She
believes we need to understand both the historic roots and the diverse
manifestations that culminated in, among other events, the Oklahoma City
bombing." Cornell U. Press, 1996; 607-277-2211.
----------------- ADDITIONAL RURAL TITLES -----------------
STORIES OF PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
Subscribe to the Heron Dance Newsletter, PO Box 448 Westport NY 12993
518-962-8630, http://nehomes.com/HeronDance.
"THE ART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONER"
Allan Kaplan, Pluto Press, 1996.
"COMMUNITY STRATEGIC VISIONING PROGRAMS"
Norman Walzer, ed., Praeger Publishers, 1996.
"SYMBIOTIC COMMUNITY: E.W. MUELLER'S APPROACH TO THE RURAL SOCIAL CRISIS"
Gilson Waldkoenig, University Press of America, 1996.
"POVERTY IN CENTRAL APPALACHIA: UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND EXPLOITATION"
Ada F. Haynes, Garland Publishers, 1996.(Garland Studies in the History of
American Labor)
---------------- COOL TOOL FOR GROUP CONSENSUS ---------------
ASSESSING GROUP CONSENSUS
Vicki Luther of the Heartland Center relates this idea for measuring the
strength of consensus within a group. Rather than having a straight vote on a
proposal, each member of the group holds up a hand with five fingers spread to
indicate enthusiasm -- or a fist to indicate strong opposition. Folks can
also hold up different numbers of fingers to indicate varying degrees of
agreement or opposition, with three being slightly positive and two being
slightly negative. (Meeting facilitators are on their own to decipher what
different combinations of fingers mean).
-------------------- BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR --------------------
JOBS & INQUIRIES
INQ: ABANDONED SCHOOLS REUSE
HandMade in America, a regional rural development group in western North
Carolina is seeking info on the reuse and adaptation of abandoned schools.
HN4487@handsnet.org, 704-252-0121; PO Box 2089, Asheville, NC 28802.
RURAL PROGRAM OFFICER, Phoenix AZ
Rural LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) seeks a Program Officer for
its office in Phoenix. Real estate development, finance, loan packaging,
bilingual; lots of travel. Sharon Baranofsky, Rural LISC, 111 W Monroe, #1610,
Phoenix AZ 85003, HN6548@handsnet.org; 602-417-1423 tel, 256-7264 fax.
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & INTERNET, Athens, OH
Appalachian Center for Economic Networks seeks experienced facilitator for a
project on using the Internet for community economic development and youth
entrepreneurship. Contact Christy, ACEnet, 94 Columbus Rd, Athens OH 45701;
hutch@seorf.ohiou.edu.
RURAL APPALACHIA CASE STUDIES WRITER WANTED
The Appalachian Regional Commission has issued an RFP to prepare 5-7 case
studies of communities in the Region, chronicling the development path.
Proposals due Dec 19th. Contact Judith Maher, 202-884-7717.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FINANCE, Jackson MS
Enterprise Corporation of the Delta seeks Director of Finance to manage
business technical assistance, lending and portfolio. Dec 13th Deadline.
601-944-1100 tel, 601-944-0808 fax.
----------------------- FUNDING ----------------------
UPDATE ON FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA
An official at the USDA reports to the Rural Update that the Fund for Rural
America is gearing up for a January 1997 roll-out. Part of the money will
beef-up existing USDA programs in rural development such as housing, business
development, and water. The other part will be distributed as new grants in
research & education. USDA says applicants should be prepared to "think
creatively" for the program will be "fairly novel."
CULTURE AND HERITAGE RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT
The Fund for Folk Culture would like to hear of projects that weave folk art &
local heritage into community capacity and economic development. While they
have no dedicated programs for this, their current director is interested in
these linkages. Ask to be placed on their mailing list for announcements and
deadlines, or call them to discuss various opportunities. PO Box 1566, Santa
Fe, NM 87504; 505-984-2534.
----------------- CALENDAR ADDITIONS ----------------
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUPS:
Northeast: Dec 6-7, Dover Plains NY, Kathy Ruhf, 413-323-4531;
California: Dec 7-8, Santa Cruz CA, Kai Siednburg, 408-457-2815;
Southern: Jan 16-18, Gainesville, FL, Marty Mesh, 352-377-6345;
Midwest: Feb 7-9, Iowa, Renee Robinson, 217-498-9707;
Western: TBA, John Fawcett-Long, 206-935-8738.
"BREAKING NEW GROUND: NEW DIRECTIONS FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & DEVELOPMENT"
Jan 24-29, Oakland CA
Dawn Armstrong, Pratt Institute for Community and Environment (in Brooklyn),
718-636-3709.
NATIONAL FAMILY FARM COALITION ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Jan 31 - Feb 2, 1997; Eppes, Alabama
Contact NFFC; 202-543-5675
LINKING THE HOME TO THE HIGHWAY
Creating Information communities and households
Feb 20-22, Washington DC
Alliance for Public Technology, 202-408-1403, apt@apt.org
VALUE ADDED FARM PRODUCTION
Farming for the Future Leadership Workshop
March 12-13, Painted Post, NY
Contact Judy Green, Cornell U, 607-255-9832
(See conference description above.)
--------------- RURAL DEVELOPMENT HO HO HO --------------
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AS RURAL DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM
What if we used the famous Christmas carol to teach rural development issues?
For instance, placing the partridge in a pear tree, and selling them together
in a package deal is an excellent example of niche marketing of commodity
products. "French Hens" offer another: the savvy marketing of a common
chicken with an attitude.
"Four Calling Birds" introduces the importance of rural Internet access: the
birds could save money by using e-mail. "Five Golden Rings"? Easy -- the
importance of value-added strategies in extraction-based economies.
"Geese-a-Laying" -- the struggles of contract poultry farmers and industry
consolidation. "Swans-a-Swimming" -- environmental protection in fast-growth,
high-amenity communities. "Maids-a-Milking / Lords-a-Leaping" introduces both
the need for microenterprise development -- **and** problems of social and
gender stratification.
"Nine Ladies Dancing" -- traditional contra-dancing requires community
capacity, which is superior to "jiggling alone" in your own space (like the
Macarena). "Pipers Piping" and "Drummers Drumming" -- when they toot and bang
all at once it's the cacophony of Congressional Farm Bill debates.
Oh yeah, what about the "Two Turtle Doves?" Like any rural teens with too
much time on their hands, perhaps they're parked out on some dirt road with
Willie playing softly on the car radio...
----------------- TELEMEDICINE TOOL KIT ----------------
GETTING INVOLVED ON THE RURAL CLINIC ISSUE
The Universal Service fund is a fixed pot of money, and the FCC's goal is to
spread funds broadly so that all citizens get a minimal level of service
without rapidly depleting the fund on a few pricey projects. The FCC's rules
provide incentives -- and obligations -- for phone companies to provide a
minimal level of service. These incentives only apply for a phone company's
service to non-profit and public health providers.
The FCC is floating the idea of subsidizing service to rural clinics at the
level known as "T-1" which is adequate for simple, jerky video conferencing.
In other words, with T-1, you could see and chat with your doctor, but T-1 is
probably insufficient for high-resolution, live video such as that needed for
a remote doctor to consult real-time on an operation in progress.
The FCC wants to know if T-1 is sufficient, how readily available it is, and
how much it will cost to make it (or better) available where it is not yet.
Rural residents who can reply might first contact your local clinic or phone
company.
THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE RECOMMENDATION
The draft regulation was issued Nov 7th and the request for comments was
issued Nov 18th. Read the rural clinic sections:
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/WWW/universal_service/)
FCC'S TELEMEDICINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
(http://www.benton.org/cgi-bin/wt.cgi/Goingon/telemedrec.html) or
(http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/telemed3.txt)
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Comments are referenced in the Universal Service recommendation and can be
found on-line. (http://info-ren.pitt.edu/universal-service/search.html.) Some
of the commenters who are asking for high-speed connections were a group of
rural phone companies (Michael Skrivan, 918-496-1444), American Hospital
Association in DC (202-638-1100), U of AZ Health Sciences Center, and the
Office of Rural Health Policy, HHS, in DC.
TELEMEDICINE CLEARINGHOUSE FOR BACKGROUND INFO
(http://tie.telemed.org/TIEhome.html)
OTHER GROUPS WITH AN INTEREST IN THIS AREA:
Do contact your local phone company and nonprofit clinic.
USDA's Rural Utility Service (202-720-9542, Adam Golodner), American
Telemedicine Association (202-408-0677), National Telephone Cooperative
Association (202-298-2300) or National Rural Health Association
(202-232-6200).
---------------- CONTACT INFO & SUBSCRIBING ----------------
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the Rural Issues forum.
Timothy R. Walter
The Aspen Institute Rural Economic Policy Program
1333 New Hampshire Ave. NW #1070
Washington, DC 20036-1511 USA
tel: 202-736-5834 fax: 202-467-0790
E-mail: timothy@aspeninst.org
Web: http://www.aspeninst.org/rural
--- end ---
Associate Professor
Dept. of Ag. Economics & Rural Soc.
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID 83843
http://www.uidaho.edu/~scooke/onepercent
208-885-7170 (phone)
208-885-5759 (fax)