[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2009-06-01

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  State Parks Day to feature heritage activities
2.  Main Street Program adds 10 communities
3.  Disaster preparedness workshops start in Medford in July
4.  National Trust's diversity scholarship program seeks applications


STATE PARKS DAY TO FEATURE HERITAGE ACTIVITIES

State Parks Day on June 6 will highlight the state's sesquicentennial,
have a theme of  *Happy Birthday Oregon!*, and include living
history presentations, special tours, exhibits, free fishing, free
admission and lots of cake.

Champoeg*s renovated visitor center with its new exhibits will be a
focal point and provide tours of the park*s 1860s kitchen garden and
the old Champoeg town site. Evening programs with historical themes will
take place in the campground and at the Historic Butteville Store. The
Friends of Historic Champoeg and Daughters of the American Revolution
are co-sponsors.

Other state parks with heritage activities include Farewell Bend, Cape
Blanco, Crown Point, Carl Washburne, Fort Stevens, Jessie Honeyman,
Silver Falls, Sumpter Valley Dredge, Tryon Creek and other state parks.
Details are available at  http://www.oregonstateparks.org/events.php


MAIN STREET PROGRAM ADDS 10 COMMUNITIES

The Oregon Main Street Program announced today the designation of 10
additional Oregon communities for their successful efforts to revitalize
their downtown commercial districts.

The cities of Corvallis, McMinnville, and Salem were selected as
2009*s designated Oregon Main Street programs. The cities of
Bandon, Dayton, Hillsboro, Klamath Falls, Medford, Philomath and
Portland*s St. John*s Town Center have also been selected for
inclusion in the Transforming Downtown Program. The selection represents
both state and national recognition of efforts to revitalize traditional
downtown commercial districts using the Main Street Approach*.

Gary Van Huffel, the Oregon Economic and Community Development
Department*s Main Street coordinator, said he has seen increased
interest in re-inventing vibrant downtowns as a result of the economic
downturn, increased self-reliance on the part of local communities,
renewed awareness of local heritage, and the vision of dedicated
volunteers. The Main Street Approach is a practical program that helps
communities build on their unique assets.

Currently, there are 60 cities and communities in Oregon participating
in one of the three programs coordinated by Oregon Main Street and
Clackamas County Main Street programs. Beginning last year, these
communities participated in regional training workshops and were
assisted in starting, organizing, and planning their local program.
Technical assistance has been provided for historic surveys, community
assessments, resource team visits, market analysis, and architectural
design.

For more information about the Oregon Main Street Program, contact Gary
Van Huffel at (503) 986-0134 or visit
http://www.oregon.gov/ECDD/mainstreet/index.shtml.


DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP STARTS IN JULY IN MEDFORD

"Protecting Library & Archive Collections: Disaster Preparedness,
Response & Recovery" is a two-part workshop to be offered July 23 and
Oct. 8 in Medford. At the end of the workshop,  participants will have
completed a disaster plan, learned how to train staff to implement the
plan effectively, set pre- and post-disaster action priorities for their
collections, learned how to use practical decision-making skills during
an emergency, and experienced salvage procedures for books, documents,
and non-print media.

Kristen Kern, the Fine and Performing Arts Librarian at Portland State
University and co-chair of the Portland Area Disaster Response Group,
will lead the workshop. 

The workshop days are scheduled 11 weeks apart. Participants will
prepare short assignments prior to the first session; between sessions,
they will undertake additional assignments resulting in a completed
disaster plan at the end of Part 2. Upon completion, the institution
will be invited to join an informal network of WESTPAS trained personnel
to provide mutual aid in the event of emergencies involving collections
in the region.

There is no charge to your institution for your attendance.  Funding
for the workshop is provided by the National Endowment for the
Humanities and co-sponsored by the Oregon State Library.
Pre-registration is required and can be done at the WESTPAS workshop
site http://tinyurl.com/bkfc44   Go to the correct month and date to
find the online registration form. For registration assistance contact:
Kathy Krause krause at plsinfo.org 


NATIONAL TRUST'S DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICATIONS

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a diversity
scholarship program to help approximately 60 community leaders from
diverse social, economic, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds
attend the National Preservation Conference.  This year's meeting is
Oct. 13-17 in Nashville, Tenn.  The deadline to apply is June 15.  More
information and the application are online at
www.preservationnation.org/resources/training/npc/npc-scholarships.html
 or contact conference at nthp.org.
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission,
which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us