Walnut Cove Small Town Main Street program recently announced that a local project was recognized in the N.C. Small Town Main Street Awards competition. In the category of Design, the Fowler Park Revitalization and Walnut Cove Main Street Design received honorable mention and a Certificate of Special Recognition. Walnut Cove Town Manager Homer Dearmin accepted the award on behalf of the town.

The N.C. Small Town Main Street Awards competition recognizes the outstanding achievements of particpating communities in organization, design, economic restructuring and promotion—the four key areas of the downtown revitalization program’s emphasis. Entries were judged by a panel that included staff members from Downtown Graphics Network, Foundation for the Carolinas and Downtown Salisbury, Inc.

Following the judging, Office of Urban Development Director Liz Parham remarked, “The Main Street Awards represent North Carolina’s finest examples of downtown revitalization initiatives. Main Street and Small Town Main Street communities understand how to leverage partnerships, incentives and investment in an effort to strengthen the local economy. These projects serve as exemplary models as the best in downtown redevelopment and are celebrated for their accomplishments.”

Dearmin was pleased to represent Walnut Cove in receiving the award. “The Fowler Park Committee and the Main Street Committee worked diligently to see this project to fruition,” said Dearmin. “This effort substantially improved the appearance of our town, and demonstrated how public and private partnerships can be beneficial to everyone. The Fowler Park Committee and the family of Dr. Jack Fowler had a huge part in this project.”

Dearmin noted that the majority of the project took place over the summer of 2008, and that work is still ongoing to improve the appearance and economic structure of Downtown Walnut Cove. Dearmin has served as Walnut Cove’s Town Manager since 2007.

On Thursday, January 28, Parham, N.C. Secretary of Commerce J. Keith Crisco, Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll, Assistant Secretary for Community Development Joseph D. Crocker and Division of Community Assistance Director Gloria Nance-Sims presented the N.C. Small Town Main Street Awards during the North Carolina Main Street Annual Awards program at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, New Bern. The following projects were honored:

ORGANIZATION

? AWARD – Benson, Downtown Benches on Main

ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING (BEST PRIVATE PROJECT)

? AWARD – Weldon, Riverside Mill Renovation

ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING (BEST PUBLIC PROJECT)

? AWARD – Benson, Town of Benson Development Incentive Toolbox

DESIGN

? Certificate of Special Recognition - Walnut Cove, Fowler Park

Revitalization and Walnut Cove Main Street Design

PROMOTION

? AWARD – Burnsville, Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina

? Certificate of Special Recognition – Benson, Benson Saturday Stroll

The National Trust for Historic Preservation created the Main Street Program, a downtown revitalization strategy for smaller towns based on economic revitalization within the context of historic preservation. North Carolina was selected as an original Main Street state in 1980, and in 2003 the Office of Urban Development established the N.C. Small Town Main Street program.

Since its inception, N.C. Small Town Main Street has selected 28 communities from across the state to participate in the program. Walnut Cove has participated in this program since the winter of 2006.

The Small Town Main Street program focuses on the growing number of small, rural towns that need downtown development assistance but are not likely, due to size or resource limitations, to pursue the regular Main Street program. Selected communities receive onsite technical assistance from the Small Town Main Street staff in areas including organizational development, market analysis, business assistance, promotions and design.