Fifty years ago, the first nutrition center in the State of Alabama opened at the Scottsboro Senior Center and the Jackson County Council on Aging celebrated the milestone with a packed house on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

“This marked a new way of life for hundreds of Jackson County senior citizens,” said Chad Coleman, director of the Jackson County Council on Aging.

Linda Larcom, the nutrition program coordinator, said the meals program got off the ground because of the tireless efforts of its founder, Rita Williams Glasz, who was honored at the celebration with a plaque of appreciation.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been that long,” Rita said. “I remember going out and knocking on doors and finding seniors. We didn’t have computerized things like we do now to go by, so I had to go out and collect names of individuals by going door to door. I visited with people and invited them to come to the center.”

She was met with skepticism, curiosity, and excitement.

“How on earth are you going to bring food from Huntsville to a center over here and it be any good?” she remembers some people asking her. But on opening day, Sept. 26, 1973, people showed up.

“We had what looked like a trail of ants coming up the sidewalk with all of the seniors walking from different parts around the neighborhood,” Rita recalled. “Volunteers also brought people in, and we had a room full … there was so much excitement about the thoughts of what might happen in the future with the center.”

That future included everything from presenting people with birthday cakes, for some, the first ones they’d ever had. They also took trips, for many it was their first time to leave Scottsboro.

“They got to participate in fashion shows, dress up for Halloween, learn to dance, just things they had never had an opportunity to do,” Rita said. “Most didn’t drive and had never worked; all they had ever done was stay home and take care of their family, so it was a real exciting time.”

On a personal note, she said her grandmother was there on opening day and enjoyed it so much that it became what she looked forward to each day.

“Twenty-five years later, my mother participated, and it became what she looked forward to and now, 25 more years later, I’m eligible to participate and I get to enjoy the activities too,” Rita said. “That’s why I ask you all to continue to support our centers because one of these days your kids or even grandkids may get to participate and enjoy activities at the senior center,”

Linda said Scottsboro was the first to have a Nutrition Center but others in Jackson County followed, including:

• Stevenson Senior Center, Sept. 27, 1973
• Paint Rock Senior Center, Oct. 17, 1977
• Bridgeport Senior Center, Oct. 17, 1977
• Pisgah Senior Center, March 1, 1978
• Bryant Senior Center, Oct. 1, 1996

Sitting through the ceremony, TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Jordan said she reflected on the importance of senior centers and how they fill a void in people’s lives as they age.

“It’s a real important part of who we become if we’re fortunate enough to be able to age in a way that allows us to still be mobile and to still interact with our friends,” Michelle said. “This center has been meeting those companionship, friendship, nutrition, exercise, physical and mental health needs for 50 years and it is quite an accomplishment. A golden anniversary is certainly something to celebrate.”

She said like gold being heated and molded into an object of significance, the Scottsboro Senior Center “has been heated and molded into something beautiful and I’m so glad TARCOG gets to play a role in meeting the needs of Jackson County and the Scottsboro Senior Center and I hope we’re in partnership for the next 50 years.”

TARCOG Community Development Specialist Marley Hicks joined Scottsboro Mayor Jim McCamy and Trey Noland, a project manager with PM Environmental to discuss the redevelopment strategies for the Willow Street Corridor in Scottsboro at the Southeast Brownfields Conference at the Pelham Civic Complex near Birmingham on Sept. 21.

Cleaning up contaminated areas, knowns as brownfields, to make room for new economic development opportunities has been a goal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 1995 when the agency started its Brownfields Program to make it easier and more financially possible to put these old sites back to use creating jobs.

For Scottsboro, the results are exciting. McCamy said an online community survey is currently underway through the city’s website for residents and community design workshops are planned as part of the community-driven redevelopment efforts for downtown and the Willow Creek Corridor.

ALDOT has announced ATRIP-II applications for transportation projects costing up to $2,000,000 are now available online.

ATRIP-II is an ALDOT administered transportation infrastructure grant program for projects of local interest created in the Rebuild Alabama Act of 2019. Transportation projects which improve any state-maintained highway system are acceptable projects eligible for grant funding. Local roads and bridges are not eligible except for incidental work that is necessary in order to complete the improvements to a state route.

Who may apply? Any local county or municipal government within the State of Alabama is eligible to apply.  Local governments can apply for only one project. Multiple submissions will not be accepted.

Applications available here: https://www.dot.state.al.us/programs/ATRIPII.html

All applications must be submitted electronically no later than 5:00 pm on November 17, 2023. Applications should be emailed to atrip2app@dot.state.al.us in PDF format (25 MB max per email, multiple emails may be sent if necessary) with “FY 2024 ATRIP-II Application – Sponsor Name” in the subject line.

For more information contact, Will Balderrama at will.balderrama@tarcog.us

TARCOG helped secure funding

A colorful and interactive new playground is officially ready for action at Powell Park in DeKalb County thanks to $178,192 in grant funds from the combined efforts of TARCOG, town leaders, state legislators, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Development Agency (ADECA), and the Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC&D).

On Tuesday, Aug. 22, leaders gathered at the Granny Wigley Pavilion before heading across the street to visit the new playground area. Powell town leaders were also presented a check for $15,000 from RC&D. It was the final funding piece for the playground equipment. TARCOG helped the town apply for and receive a $148,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Development Agency (ADECA).

The Town of Powell also came up with an extra $15,192 for a new set of swings.

“It’s just not a park without swings,” said Powell Councilman Reggie Byrum. “We usually get compliments on the park every week … It has been a lengthy process and we’re thankful to be at the end of it where we have this beautiful park.”

The new hasn’t worn off but there’s evidence that Powell’s youngest residents have wasted no time putting the new equipment to use in recent months.

“There were lots of moving parts that made it possible and we are thankful for each one of those and our town is forever grateful for that,” Byrum said.

TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Gilliam-Jordan, said the agency was happy to make the grant submission to ADECA on behalf of the Town of Powell.

“We have grant season every year and the better the project the more opportunity to get it funded and this was just the right project,” Gilliam-Jordan said. “Thank you for your partnership. We’re excited every time we get a win it’s a win for North Alabama.”

Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter said he was glad to see the working relationships that facilitated the playground.

“There’s no question that Powell is proud of their park and it doesn’t look like this just today, it looks like this every day. It’s always clean and neat and certainly a gem for the town.”

Now that the new playground equipment including multiple slides and climbing features, interactive games, monkey bars and swings are fully installed, Byrum said the old playground equipment will be torn down immediately.

State Sen. Steve Livingston said the importance of pooling multiple resources was key to the project’s success.

“The sense of pride in Powell is obvious from the other side of the college to all the way to Rainsville and this park is just part of that,” Livingston said.

Powell Councilman Gurlon Lands also expressed his gratitude.

“Without every one of you, we couldn’t have done it,” Lands said.

Preparing to hand over a check for $15,000, Renona Siebert, executive director of Alabama Mountains, Rivers & Valleys (AMRV) RC&D, said all the partnerships combined make projects like the Powell playground a success.

“This may be the nicest playground I’ve ever seen right here in Powell,” said Drayton Cosby of the Cosby Company. “It just shows it doesn’t matter how big you are or how many people, you’ve got to have the right people so you can get something done.”

Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc. awards grant directed to assist in workforce training for jobseekers 55+

Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) was awarded a $583,722 Workforce Inclusion grant from the Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc. (Center). Almost 90 percent of this grant – originally from the U.S. Department of Labor – will provide temporary employment to no less than 105 low-income older Alabamians living in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, and Marshall Counties. These older adults will participate in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act and the only federal job training program targeted exclusively to low-income, older jobseekers.

In its 59th year, SCSEP promotes personal dignity and self-sufficiency through work. The training attained through SCSEP provides in-demand skills for older, unemployed, low-income Americans. The Center, a top-tier U.S. Department of Labor National Grantee of SCSEP, works through a network of local partners delivering career training programs for eligible 50-plus-year- old workers across the United States. To date, the Center has served more than 500,000 eligible older workers in permanent employment through the SCSEP program. “Our long-term, local partners are a key to the strength of the Center and provide the systems to train older Americans into strategic advantage for employers across the country.” said Gary A. Officer, Center for Workforce Inclusion President, and CEO. “We are very pleased to continue our support of the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments for the 27th consecutive year.”

“SCSEP helps our community’s eligible 55+ jobseekers learn news skills and refresh old ones when they are coming back into the workforce,” said Michelle Jordan, Executive Director of TARCOG. At their training sites, SCSEP job seekers help local community, faith-based, and public agencies carry out their mission, such as the Scottsboro Senior Center, His Way Recovery in Huntsville, the United Givers Fund in DeKalb County, Athens Activity Center and the

Albertville Career Center. By working in SCSEP positions, SCSEP is providing hope and dignity to low-income, older job seekers who have the toughest employment challenges. This grant from the Center is essential to our being able to deliver these vital workforce training services to our community.”

About the Center for Workforce Inclusion

For 60 years, the Center for Workforce Inclusion has worked with older, low-income job seekers overlooked by traditional workforce programs. We trace our roots to the National Council of Senior Citizens, launched in 1962 to advocate for older Americans. We are now the only national entity dedicated exclusively to the workforce development needs of underserved workers over the age of 50. Since our founding, we have empowered nearly 500,000 clients to attain in- demand skills, overcome barriers to employment, and secure employment with more than 5,000 employers in industries that range from financial services, hospitality, and office administration to social services, health care, transportation, and manufacturing. For more information, please visit www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org.

The Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) is seeking proposals from firms and individuals to conduct a regional transportation safety action plan in partnership with TARCOG’s Rural Planning Organization (RPO). TARCOG was the recipient of U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding to assist our member governments in effectively identifying and addressing transportation safety concerns and ready them for potential implementation funding.

The Request for Proposal information and instructions is hyperlinked below. It is imperative that Respondents examine and become familiar with the SS4A grant program requirements established by US DOT Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Funding for the project has been made possible through this grant and is contingent on strict conformance to the guidelines set forth by FHWA.  Respondents shall comply with the stated Federal Grant Requirements.

Questions related to this RFP should be directed to SS4A Project Coordinator, Phoenix Robinson at phoenix.robinson@tarcog.us.

Responses shall not exceed 20 pages in length (excluding attachments) and must be submitted to the attention of the SS4A Project Coordinator electronically by 5:00 p.m. central, June 23, 2023. Responses received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Download SS4A Request for Proposal (RFP) Instructions

FAQ’s

TARCOG and the Rural Planning Organization are announcing its meeting schedule for the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) outreach meetings. Meetings will be held across the region in each county. These meetings will be in coordination with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).

The STIP is a long-range plan that assesses the State’s transportation system and presents plans for improvement and maintenance. The document will provide a means to display the State’s current assets and examine where work will be needed in the future. Alabama’s transportation infrastructure includes the highway system, transit and rail lines, bicycle and pedestrian operations, freight operations, airports, and river and seaports. STIP Flyer

TARCOG and ALDOT are seeking citizen participation at these meetings.

Limestone/Madison Counties 

Jackson/ Dekalb

Marshall County

In our role as the Rural Planning Organization (RPO), TARCOG serves as the clearinghouse for all Section 5310 applications received from transit providers in both in the Huntsville Urbanized Area (City of Huntsville and Madison County) and in the rest of our five-county region on behalf of the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).  Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program projects must be derived from a locally developed, Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan (HSCTP) and endorsed by TARCOG to be eligible for funding consideration.

Full Section 5310 application information can be found at: www.dot.state.al.us/programs/enhancedmobility.html

Completed applications must be received by TARCOG at 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450, Huntsville, AL 35806 by 5:00 p.m. June 1, 2023, to be endorsed and subsequently forwarded to ALDOT.  For the current TARCOG Human Services Coordinated Transit Plan and ALDOT Section 5310 memos, please see below.

HSCTP Plan

Statewide Memo

Huntsville Urbanized Area Memo

Please contact Sara James at sara.james@tarcog.us with any questions.

The Draft Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) five county region is now available. The 30-day public review/comment period begins April 3, 2023, and ends May 3, 2023.

The TARCOG CEDS is a five-year plan serving both as a guiding vision and a “blueprint” for the economic growth of the region and as a benchmark with which to measure growth and success. The CEDS provides a current picture of the status of the region’s economy and documents progress towards economic development goals.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the development of our CEDS. This was an intensive and locally rooted process involving multiple community and stakeholder meetings to gather valuable input to develop TARCOG’s region wide goals and vision for economic development objectives over the next five years.

Please email any comments and/or feedback to Economic Development and Planning Director, Sara James at sara.james@tarcog.us by the end of the comment period.

CEDS DRAFT PDF