2007 All-America City Award Application Community Information Community name and state: Lewiston, Maine Your community is applying as a: ___ Neighborhood ___ Town X City ___ County ___ Region If applying as a region, name participating communities: If applying as a neighborhood, name city: Has your community applied before? Yes No If Yes, which years: 2006 Has your community been a Finalist before? Yes No If Yes, which years: 2006 Has your community been an All-America City before? Yes No If Yes, which years:________________ Contact Information All-America City Award contact (primary contact person available throughout entire competition and for follow-up): Name: Dottie Perham-Whittier Title: Community Relations Coordinator Organization: City of Lewiston Address: 27 Pine Street City, State, ZIP: Lewiston, Maine, 04240 Phone (business/day): (207) 784-2951, X110 Fax (business/day): (207) 795-5069 Phone (home/evening): (207) 786-2540 Fax (home/evening): N/A E-mail Address: [email protected] 1 List the 3 individuals who most actively participated in filling out this All-America City Award application (add additional lines if needed): (Provide name and title; organization; phone; e-mail address) Phil Nadeau, Deputy City Administrator, City of Lewiston, (207) 784-2951, X114; [email protected] Dottie Perham-Whittier, Community Relations Coordinator, City of Lewiston, (207) 784-2951, X110; [email protected] Kirsten Walter, Lots to Gardens Coordinator, Sisters of Charity Health System, (207) 755-3110; [email protected] The community applying will receive one complimentary membership (or a membership renewal if an AAC application was submitted last year) to the National Civic League for one year. To whom should this membership be directed? Name James A. Bennett, City Administrator Address Lewiston City Hall, 27 Pine Street City, State, Zip Code Lewiston, Maine 04240 Phone Number (207) 784-2951, X111 Fax (207) 795-5069 Email [email protected] If we are designated an All-America City, we agree to follow NCL’s rules (available on the Web site) regarding use of the All-America City Award logo, a registered trademark of the National Civic League. Signature: ______________________________________________________ Date: _____________________ Name: ________________________________________ Title: ______________________________________ Community Statistics Note: Use the most up-to-date statistics possible for your neighborhood, town, city, county, or region ( source suggestions: U.S. Census Bureau, State Department of Economic Security, State Department of Finance, Department of Public Health, and local school statistics) POPULATION (in year 2000 or most recent): 35,690* Source/Date : All data in this application reflects US Bureau of the Census 2000 population survey data which does not reflect new immigrant resident relocations. Immigrant resident numbers are based on case intake information since February 2001. Date of data retrieval for US Bureau of Census information was December 3, 2005. Lewiston Social Services Department information currently estimates the new immigrant resident population at approximately 3,000. POPULATION PERCENTAGE CHANGE 1990-2000 (indicate + or -): -10.01 % Source/Date : US Bureau of the Census 2000 Data – 12-03-05 RACIAL/ETHNIC POPULATION BREAKDOWN (percentage) : White alone 95.7 % Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1.3% Black or African American alone 1.1% Asian alone 0.8 % Amiercan Indian and 0.0% Alaska Native (AIAN) alone 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Other 0.0% 2 Pacific Islander (NHOP) alone 0.0% Some other race alone 0.4% Two or more races 1.7% Source/Date : US Bureau of the Census 2000 Data – 12-3-05 MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $40,061 Source/Date: US Bureau of the Census 2000 Data – 12-3-05 PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES BELOW POVERTY LEVEL: 10% Source/Date : US Bureau of the Census 2000 Data – 12-3-05 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 4.7% (December 2005) Source/Date : Maine Department of Labor, Division of Labor Market Information Services, February 2006 POPULATION BREAKDOWN BY AGE GROUP (percentages, if available) : 19 years old and under 24.7% 20-24 8.7% 25-44 26.9% 45-64 21.9% 65 and over 17.8% Source/Date : US Bureau of the Census 2000 Data – 12-3-05 PERCENTAGE OF HOME OWNERSHIP: 47.2% Source/Date : US Bureau of the Census 2000 Data – 12-3-05 WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION -- Name the three largest employment sectors in your community and provide the percentage of total employed in each: Education & Health Services 24% Retail & Trade 17% Manufacturing 15% Source/Date : Gerard Dennison – Maine Department of Labor – 11-14-05 Please attach a state map with your community clearly marked (attach as a separate sheet). Part I Civic Infrastructure Describe your community. Using the four major sections of the National Civic League’s The Civic Index, Second Edition (see www.ncl.org for more information), examine your community’s civic infrastructure and civic capacity and describe how your community lives each of the answers to each of the following questions. Please include real examples of how your community has demonstrated its strengths and faced its challenges. The roman numerals correspond to parts of The Civic Index, Second Edition. Also see the application instructions for this section. 3 1. What is our community vision for its future? (300 word maximum) Lewiston’s vision of a “community engaged” is consistent with results of a 2006 United Way community needs assessment survey . Examples of progress are below: Lewiston is ENGAGED IN providing positive opportunities for families/children: $20 million invested into affordable housing since 2003 Advocates for Children; Head Start/Child Care Sisters of Charity nutrition center providing healthy eating instruction At-risk populations assisted by programs such as Lots to Gardens CREATING a more dynamic, diversified economy less dependent on low-paying jobs: Over $350 million in business construction since 2000 Lewiston Career Center/Junior Career Connection serve as job resources Businesses/residents utilize Maine’s only fully fiber optic cable/telephone/broadband network ENHANCING arts/cultural activities: Home to Actors’ Equity Public Theatre; Franco-American Heritage Center; Museum L-A; Bates College Olin Arts/Schaefer Theater; Marsden Hartley Cultural Center Home to Great Falls Balloon Festival, Franco-Fun Festival, Greek Festival, and Somali Independence Day Celebration 2nd Home to Midcoast Symphony Orchestra ENCOURAGING civic involvement: Bates College service learning/volunteerism Youth engaged in municipal government ADVOCATING lifeong learning: Downtown’s new Andover College Expansion of USM L-A College Bates College ranked by Princeton Review as “best overall value” School-business partnerships Jobs for Maine Graduates’ student financial literacy program 4 BECOMING more culturally informed/enhancing service access for non-English speakers Civil Rights Team & Student Leadership Project Community-wide outreach/services for new immigrant population Citizenship classes enabling individuals to seek/retain employment, interact with health providers, support school age children’s needs, and manage living tasks ENHANCING residents’ quality of life/healthy lifestyles, including health care for the Low/Moderate Income (LMI): School-based health program in middle/high schools B Street Health Center assists with health care of LMI population U Booze U Looze youth-to-youth initiative State-of-the-art Cardiac Center II. How are we fulfilling the new roles for community governance? II. (a). What is the extent and nature of community member participation in community improvement efforts? (300 word maximum) Community involvement is vast within Lewiston, and the below examples depict the willingness of individuals to work together for a common goal. Thorncrag Nature Center Project: Twenty-eight Stanton Bird Club volunteers “birthed” the idea for a nature center in 2003. Thorncrag currently serves Androscoggin County and beyond as the largest bird sanctuary within New England with 5 miles of recreational trails. A 40+ volunteer stewardship committee maintains the sanctuary, manages habitats, and provides safe access. Fundraising for Phase I of the “Center” project began in 2006, and 30% of the $600,000 goal has been raised. Engineers, architects, and businesses have contributed in-kind donations totaling $44,000. Skate Lewiston-Auburn Movement: A grassroots collaboration featuring non-profits, businesses, parents, youth, and municipal staff worked to establish a 12,000 square-foot state-of-the-art concrete skatepark on donated land in Lewiston’s downtown. Multi-generational partnerships were highlights of this $250,000 fundraising endeavor with adults/youth bringing this recreational opportunity to fruition in 2006 . United Somali Women of Maine (USWM): Through interviewing Somali immigrants, particularly women and girls, USWM sponsored the production/dissemination of a multimedia educational DVD called “Being Somali in Lewiston: Fostering Community Dialogue/Learning Through Image and Reflection .” Women interviewed discussed the importance of education; changing roles of women; and their commitment to their culture. The project aims at fostering discussion/learning amongst diverse audiences, including educators/service providers, as well as Somali/non-Somali community members. Androscoggin Leadership Institute: The Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce and Central Maine Medical Center have partnered to provide a community-strengthening Androscoggin