A Response to Hatred

What a great gathering yesterday afternoon in Southwest Roanoke as Jews, Muslims and Christians met to renounce the recent vandalism and push forward in a positive tone. There were a lot of people there and it was particularly fun to see fellow STAR Connectors Sharon Rapaport, Angela Bennett and Joe Cobb.

Probably the most memorable comment was from the Episcopalian Priest who said the message had to go out to those who initiated this violence…”when you do this to them, you do this to all of us.” We stand together against hatred and ignorance.

Both were present in the actions of those who hid in the night and produced such cowardly results. In the light, the people of the light shed light. It was a bright sunny day both in actuality and in the reality of those gathered.

Thanks for being there!

Virginia Municipal League Article on the Roanoke Creative Connectors

Help us write the upcoming article featured in VML by submitting a comment on this blog of your experience with the Roanoke Creative Community Leadership Project. The article will be featured in the October issue as Roanoke will be hosting the state conference.

Kiplingers Magazine Interviews Richard Florida – Vote Roanoke in its Poll

The work of the Roanoke Creative Connectors is inspired by the book Who’s Your City by Richard Florida. The above video is an interview withFlorida and Kiplinger magazine.

For the second year in a row, Kiplinger has offered this poll. Last year, the City of Roanoke spent time at #1 as it has this year, and it currently stands #2. That fact alone shows the commitment and passion of people like Roanoke’s Creative Connectors who are actively working hard to enahnce the profile of the region.

The Creative Connectors are working on four projects to make the Roanoke region a creative place that attracts talent and people to the community. If you voted in this poll or have stumbled upon this unique initiative, it is not too late to get involved. Visit the group’s Facebook pages to learn more about the initiatives and email stuart.mease@roanokeva.gov to get started.

What is the Creative Communities Leadership Project

Glad you asked. Richard Florida, one of the foremost authorities on economic development strategies and techniques in the world, setup a consulting group to implement his findings into communities around the world. Roanoke is one of three cities the Creative Class Group is working with this year. For a complete list and to learn more about the program, visit the site.

Why the Creative Connectors are Important to Economic Development?

If you are uncertain why this Creative Community Leadership Project is important to Roanoke, view Richard Florida’s video explaining the importance of the Creative Class.

Other Cities Interested in Following Roanoke’s Lead with the CCLP

A prominent college-town city in the Commonwealth of Virginia is also interested in following Roanoke’s lead with the Creative Community Leadership Project. To find out the city follow us on Twitter @roanokecreative

90-Day Update: 81 Reasons to Connect

81 Reasons to Connect has held a public meeting with a group that had a similar mission in the 1990s. The leadership of the New Century Council was invited for a “what we learned” session. The info obtained from that meeting was incorporated into their business plan. The plan is being developed around tangible objectives of combining then merging adjacent MSAs, and hosting events to advocate for more tangible program to bring the regions closer together. The group has also been recognized and invited by Radford University to be part of its economic summit in 2010.

90-Day Update: Carbon-Neutral Region 2030 (CNR2030)

The CNR 2030 group completed a draft business plan that focuses on providing resources that will unite individuals and groups toward a goal of regional carbon neutrality by 2030. It set a first-year goal of establishing a website that will serve as an online hub for education, communication and collaboration. The team also is forming an advisory board representing a diverse group of regional players—Virginia Tech, Cool Cities Coalition, Roanoke Regional Partnership among them—to help guide its efforts. Already, CNR 2030 has notched one major accomplishment by securing a commitment from Virginia Tech to bring its award-winning Solar House to Roanoke for an exhibit after its participation in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C. in October.

90 Day Update: Roanoke YEA!

Roanoke Yea! met with mentoring organization to ask how they can assist the overarching mission of increasing participation in the live of the region’s youth. These organizations are being used for a pilot program that will connect more volunteers to their organization to serve more youth. At the same time this pilot program, will expose both the mentor and the youth to the natural amenities the region has to offer while also tackling the area’s brain drain issue and dropout rates. They are introducing a whole new generation to the awesome amenities of Roanoke in order to help the next generation realize what an amazing place Roanoke is. They are connecting successful adults with each other and with the young, eager minds who need them most. Their slogan has become: join us as the “Somebody” in “Somebody ought to do something”.

90-Day Update: Spirit of Tolerance and Art in the Region (S.T.A.R)

The Spirit of Tolerance and Art in the Region (STAR) has had a logo designed, implemented a website, and gathered 70 members through its Facebook page.  Weekly meetings have been well-attended. The group has split into sub-committees and is gathering more members for each committee. While detailed plans are underway for the new events, the group is also making contact with all the organizations of the existing events to coordinate and help promote common goals. The first event in May, Local Colors, was also well-attended by STAR members, who helped out all day with a build for Habitat for Humanity. The group’s year-long calendar has been planned, with at least one highlighted event per month. In June, they will introduce the blog element on our website that will feature a topic consistent with whatever event is happening that month.  They are also in the process of building a substantial database, designing tee-shirts, and developing a user-friendly, comprehensive calendar feature for our website. http://starroanoke.wordpress.com/