Outlines activities planned by the 69 local development districts in the 11 member states to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Appalachian Regional Commission. Summarizes the results of a questionnaire sent to all local development districts to determine the commission's most important accomplishments and remaining needs. (NEC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission celebrated its 20th anniversary by honoring commission pioneers and founders at a Washington, DC, gathering. A new program aimed at lowering the region's school dropout rate was announced at the banquet. State plans and investment programs and a finish-up program accomplishments were approved at a business…

Aimed at stimulating new jobs in Appalachia, especially through creation/expansion of small businesses, the 1986 workshop attracted 200 participants from throughout the region, including state and local officials and community and business leaders. Workshops addressed new developments in capital opportunities, market development strategies,…

Case studies on recreation, tourism, retirement homes, and information processing and distribution centers illustrate service industries subject to deliberate economic stimulation. The panel concludes that Appalachian communities may be missing major opportunities for development due to misunderstandings and "myths" about the economic…

This guidebook presents 64 profiles of successful economic development initiatives in the small towns and rural areas of 37 states. Intended for use by rural and small town leaders and rural economic development specialists, the guide provides ideas, encouragement, and an "insider perspective" on alternative rural development strategies.…

Case studies demonstrate four capital packaging approaches: a comprehensive statewide enterprise program for Pennsylvania; a county-based industrial development fund in Chautauqua County, New York; an employee buyout in Saratoga Springs, New York; and establishment of a small venture capital company in the Kentucky Highlands with Office of…

Appalachian Regional Commission accomplishments from 1983-1985 included education projects focusing on basic skills, vocational education, and school dropout reduction serving some 100,000 people for $11.5 million and health projects placing 350 physicians in underserved areas. Future proposals and resources may focus on special areas within…

America's rural communities are facing increasing challenges to the provision of equitable services and economic stability. Two major rural concerns are the lack of educational opportunities and resources and potentially inadequate telecommunications infrastructures for economic development. In order to attain economic and educational parity with…

Some states use subsidies, grants, and other public monies to rejuvenate lagging rural economies, but without sound economic analysis to guide these efforts money may go to projects that do not achieve economic development goals. Minnesota's Iron Range programs illustrate what happens when economic analysis is sacrificed in political tugs-of-war.…

An in-depth study of five successful rural Nebraska communities with populations ranging from 450 to 6,000 was undertaken to determine why some rural communities are coping with fundamental restructuring while others seem to have surrendered to the current agricultural economic crisis. Background information was gathered on each community, and…

Discussions centered on circumstances faced by laid-off workers in Portsmouth, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Upper Cumberland, Tennessee, and Gary, West Virginia. These diverse Appalachian communities are prototypes of the extent of local distress imposed by the impersonal workings of the market and the absence of precedents for dealing with…

Discusses the use of video technology and community, or narrowcast, television in developing countries, particularly Africa. The importance of the media in improving communication between people and their government is emphasized, and the political, social and technical problems involved are described. (Author/LRW)

Presents papers from Illinois State Library and Shawnee Library System's "Libraries on the MOVE" conference focusing on how libraries can impact economic/cultural climate of an area. Topics addressed included information services of rural libraries; marketing; rural library development; library law; information access; interagency…

This newsletter begins with an interview with Dr. Nora Quebral, Chairman of the Department of Communication at the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, who discussed the past, present, and future of development communication with staff members John Middleton and Heddy Reid. In "The Future of Computers in Education in the Developing…

Describes how one of Kentucky's fastest growing counties handles growth-related problems without zoning ordinances using an innovative Development Guidance System. Discusses the origin and adoption of the system, system procedures, criteria used in granting development permits, and public reaction. (LFL)