Foundation seeks funding for many community development activities

Friday, January 13, 2006

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

There are a lot of local organizations and people who are working to improve the area economy, however, there are limited resources available here to pay for those activities. To help remedy this situation the Nevada-Vernon County Area Chamber of Commerce has recently formed the Nevada-Vernon County P.R.I.D.E. Foundation to help these groups gain access not only to money that is available locally but to also provide a way to get grants from other sources.

According to the Foundation's articles of incorporation the organization was formed for the "sole purpose of administering a charitable public trust aimed at selecting and supporting projects that promote and enhance economic growth for the benefit of the communities in the Vernon County area."

"We're trying to provide a means for organizations to accomplish their projects," Kathi Wysong, said.

As chamber director, Wysong is a member of the P.R.I.D.E. Foundation board, the board consists of the chamber of commerce executive board.

"They will meet once a year to decide how the Foundation's funding will be divided," Wysong said, adding that all of the money the foundation receives is earmarked for specific projects. None of it goes into chamber of commerce bank accounts.

Currently the primary groups that are trying to get some money through this foundation are the Nevada-Vernon County Chamber of Commerce, the city of Nevada and Main Street Nevada.

However, Wysong said that any non-profit organization that works on community development projects could benefit from this umbrella organization to receive money for projects. Until now this group has been best known for awarding two $500 scholarships to high school seniors.

Now the P.R.I.D.E. Foundation is ready to take on some larger projects. Their first major project on the foundation's wish list is to create a community development center in the lower level of the Carnegie building at the southeast corner of Austin and Ash streets that Greg Hoffman is renovating for his offices. Wysong said they are currently looking to this center as a possible site for housing a visitor center, the chamber of commerce, the Vernon County Arts Council and Main Street Nevada. The Arts Council hopes to have an art gallery in their part of the building. Housing the organizations in the same location would let them share equipment and save money, Wysong said.

Wednesday afternoon, Kathi Wysong approached the Vernon County Commission, asking for a total appropriation of $24,000 for the P.R.I.D.E. Foundation, to be used for several projects to benefit the area. Wysong told the commission that they were asking for $3,000 to help develop the community development center in the lower level of the Carnegie Building. The foundation also asked the county commission for $2,500 to help with the marketing and promotion of the Prairie Pride bio-diesel plant to be located nine miles west of Nevada on U.S. Highway 54.

Wysong told the commission that the foundation would like to have $4,000 to be used to improve retail initiatives in the Main Street district, which would include helping to fund a fall arts and craft fair and a spring fine art exhibit in the downtown area; help to promote the Farmer's Market; define historic preservation districts; promote a community cultural fair and reprint the Main Street Nevada business locator brochure.

Other projects the Foundation is requesting funds for include: $5,000 to help cover the cost of providing three business education programs for existing businesses and to implement the Vernon County Leadership program in co-operation with the Extension Center; $3,000 to promote the Four Rivers Rec-Fest in October, 2006 and to design and dedicate a time capsule to be buried on the courthouse lawn as a final sesquicentennial project; $4,000 to create county 911 maps and marketing material, print the 2006 Business and Industry Index and print the annual Nevada/Vernon County Chamber of Commerce Directory, as well as $2,500 to support the development of U.S. Highway 71 as Interstate 49.

"Now we need to try and find some money," David Darnold, Vernon Count Presiding Commissioner, said.

"Revenues are flat and expenses are high," he said.

In illustrating that point, Darnold said that the heating bill for the courthouse runs about $69,000 per year, which is almost as much as it cost to build the building, noting that Jan. 11 marked the 100th anniversary of the county commission's appropriating the $75,000 that it cost to build the courthouse.

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