By LEON HUMPHREY
CARTER COUNTY MAYOR
September marks the change from summer to fall especially with the cooler days and nights now upon us. With the change in seasons, I pause to reflect back on all the wonderful changes and improvements that have taken place in the County so far this year. I am especially happy to see that everywhere you look, Carter County Citizens are making a difference. The County is growing, more people and businesses are moving into the area, more jobs are being created and we are coming together as a community to help each other accomplish great things. We are also no longer “America’s Best Kept Secret.”
If you watched ABC television on Sunday night, September 10, at 9 p.m., you will see Carter County’s very own Ms. Peyton Wilson who is our new Miss Carter County 2018 (crowned on September 2, 2017). She will be recognized for placing third in the nation in the Miss America Serves Competition, raising over $6400 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Miss America state scholarships. Ms. Wilson is an excellent ambassador for Carter County and we congratulate her on her leadership, service and accomplishments and wish her well as she goes on to compete for scholarships and the title of Miss Tennessee.
Scholarship pageants are one of the most effective ways for teens and young women to afford a college education. Scholarships are awarded on the local, state and national levels, according to Pageant Center. Like scholarship pageants, one of the ways for communities to help fund projects and grow is by competing for grants. A grant is a way the government funds a community’s ideas and projects to provide public services and stimulate the economy. Federal Grants support critical recovery initiatives, innovative research, and many other programs listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). The State of Tennessee has recently announced several new competitive grants that Carter County, its cities and citizens have an opportunity to apply for. Some of these grants are listed below.
TNECD is now accepting Work-Based Learning Grant applications. The Work-Based Learning Grants will be awarded to projects that promote community-led work-based learning programs that improve career awareness and readiness among students. The grants are aimed at improving Tennessee’s future workforce talent pipeline. All those interested in receiving the Work-Based Learning Grant must submit applications by Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. To learn more visit tn.gov/WBLGrant.
With the Discover Entrepreneurship Grants, LaunchTN has introduced a new funding opportunity for organizations aiming to support entrepreneurs. Non-profit organizations can apply for grants toward youth and adult education meant to develop future founders and build high growth companies. LaunchTN’s intention is to stimulate opportunistic approaches to fostering entrepreneurship among diverse populations and across a variety of industries. To learn more visit http://launchtn.org/discover-entrepreneurship-grants/ .
The Agriculture Enterprise Fund is a new initiative from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, an important Rural Task Force partner. AEF grants are available for new and expanding Tennessee agricultural and food businesses, farmers, and other entities. Successful applicants will display an impact on local farm income, access to markets, increased capacity, or agricultural innovation, especially in Tennessee’s at-risk and distressed counties. To learn more visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/topic/agriculture-enterprise-fund .
These are just a few of the many grants available at this time. Winston Churchill is known for saying, “To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.” While none of us are perfect, we must all continue to strive to try to improve our circumstances and world, helping each other continue to make changes for the better whether we are supporting scholarship and education and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals like Ms. Wilson and the Miss America organization or searching out ways to help support our communities and organizations through grants to develop and expand educational, business and community opportunities.
One thing is certain in this competitive world, we may not win every competition we enter into but we definitely won’t win if we never try and we should continue to strive to make the world we live in as perfect as we can. Our generation and future generations are counting on us all to make the effort. It truly is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.
Please feel free to contact me at mayor@cartercountytn.gov or by phone at 423-542-1801 if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance to you. My office is located at 801 East Elk Avenue, Suite 201 located in the County Courthouse in Elizabethton. I have an open-door policy and everyone is always welcome.