CCC Small Business Center to promote Bio-entrepreneurship

WHAT: Orientation to free fall training classes on traditional or bio-based entrepreneurship

WHO: Anyone serious about owning a business

WHEN: 6:30pm, Tuesday, August 19th

WHERE: Craven Community College, New Bern Campus, Business and

Information Technology Building

HOW: Register by contacting Bob Ericksen by email or phone (252-638-7353)

For the full announcement, click HERE (right click for new window).

Broad Street Improvements to begin soon

The Construction phase of the Broad Street improvements are slated to begin next month. Barnhill Contracting Company will do the work. The project will start at First Street and make its way down to East Front Street for completion by late 2009. See more details in the Sun Journal article HERE (right click for new window).

Chamber focus groups to include Five Points

In response to a Chamber-sponsored survey, the New Bern Chamber of Commerce's Board has convened focus groups to better understand their membership's concerns about the following six topics: Transportation, Environment, Entertainment, Retail Growth, Broad Street and Five Points Development, and Business Development. Five Points Revitalization Advisory Board members Mary Peterkin and Katherine Adolph are members of the Broad Street/Five Points focus group.

The groups will determine their top three concerns and present them to the elected City and County officials in the fall. For more details, see the Sun Journal article HERE (right click for new window).

City to pursue application for EPA Brownfield grants

Raleigh engineering and environmental solutions firm Mid-Atlantic Associates, Inc. has expressed an interest in helping the City pursue the next round of EPA Brownfield Assessment and Clean Up grants. The Planning Department received the go-ahead from the Board of Aldermen at their July work session.

Assessment grants are used to inventory and assess abandoned, idled or underused properties in order to remove/clarify real or perceived environmental uncertainties that may be impediments to redevelopment. Assessment grants can be followed by Clean Up grants are used to help pay for the remediation of identified contamination, thereby making the properties even more marketable for investment and redevelopment.

See the New Bern Sun Journal article HERE (right click for new window).

Elizabeth City State Researchers bidding for opportunity to study New Bern Underground Railroad lore (Sun Journal, 6/4/08 & 7/8/08)

The National Park Service recently designated our portion of the Neuse River as part of the Underground Railroad — an effort to free North American slaves from bondage. If this grant comes through, Uptown Business and Professional Association plans to work with students and researchers to help connect them with members of the community for this study.

For the full Sun Journal articles, see: Professors want to see New Bern study Underground Railroad lore & Underground Railroad had local link (right click for new window).