The Political Whore

The National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference concludes tonight in Tampa. Here is the last of the projects we have highlighted, all nominees in the judging that leads up to the announcement of 10 All-America Cities starting at 7 p.m. Watch here for the results:

Caroline County, Virginia
Caroline’s Promise Dental Program

Caroline’s Promise is a nonprofit organization that strives to meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of the county’s youth. One of the organization’s five pledged promises is to provide a healthy start and future for all Caroline County children, and this promise is the focus of the dental program started in 2003. Like many rural counties, Caroline County has struggled with issues brought about by the shortage of medical professionals in the county and the resulting lack of access to care. In response, the County developed an innovative rural Dental program that has received numerous national awards.  A number of things have made this program successful. One is having the dentist located in a modern and permanent surrounding and not a mobile unit, which gives assurance to the children and parents of the quality of care they are receiving.  Another is the involvement of the county school system through the school nurses and its transportation system. The success of the program in Caroline County is now looked upon as the model for future programs in the region.

Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City tonight at the conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.

The National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference concludes tonight in Tampa. We’ve highlighting one nominated project from each of the 30 competing communities (10 will be named AAC’s). Here is Rowlett, Texas:

Rowlett, Texas
ROCK

Seeing an influx of juvenile offenses in 2003, Rowlett Municipal Judge Belinda Loveland created Reaching Our Community’s Kids (ROCK).  ROCK is an after-school mentoring program teaching life skills to at-risk boys and girls, providing them with the training and encouragement necessary to succeed in school and stay out of the juvenile justice system, while advocating the benefits of living substance free. “Our goal each week is to provide students the tools to make healthy choices in their everyday life,” Judge Loveland said. “We are here to support them and counsel them with any problems they encounter along their journey to success.” In Rowlett, community support for ROCK stems from Rowlett Lions Club, Rotary Club, Police Department, Fire Department, School District, business leaders and neighbors all working together to make a difference in the life of a child. ROCK has a direct impact on approximately 150 of Rowlett’s boys and girls annually. But what makes this program so successful is the promise of positive ‘peer pressure’ emulating from the participants into the community as a whole.

Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City tonight at the  conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.