Local Economy – Fairfield Iowa
In Jefferson County, unemployment rates rose above five percent from 4.8 at the end of November to 5.4 percent heading into 2009 with the reduction of over 100 in total labor force and 50 more residents added to unemployed total for the county. Headline in yesterday’s Fairfield Ledger was about twenty more jobs lost when Art Select closed.
Fairfield Airport is Fairfield Airport ‘has become one of the most recognized and busiest Class 2 Airports in the state’ over the past year.
The good news is that businesses like Creative Edge continue to expand and new jobs are slated for Jefferson County in green building, alternative energy, artisan food, digital media and clean technologies. Some of the projects will be discussed at the 2009 Local Economy Summit on Saturday February 21st at 10:00 a.m. at the Fairfield Public Library.
Iowa Non-Profit Alliance Conference
Date/Location: February 16th – 17th, 2009 – Des Moines
Venue: Marriott Hotel Downtown Des Moines
Attendance:500-600 People: Not-for-Profit Organizations, Policy Makers and Suppliers to the not-for profit community
Honorary Chairs: Barry Griswell (Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines) and Martha Willits (Greater Des Moines Partnership)
Keynote Speaker: Michael Audino (Charitable Giving Resource Center)
Registration: $75 – Early registration; Website: www.INFPA.org
Iowa One-Act Play Competition
Plays should be 10-20 min long and should be targeted to mature audiences – edgy, comic, tragic, etc. ; rehearsals to start in April in Fairfield. Send to Iowaplays@yahoo.com as pdf or Word files only. Include contact information
Deadline is Feb 1st.
Planet Fairfield Reality TV Series seeks leading men and women
Fairfield residents are encouraged to apply for a leading role in Planet Fairfield, a new reality TV series pilot. Go to www.planetfairfield.tv or email planetfairfield@gmail.com to request an application.
Fairfield First! Top Picks
Crazy Quilt Club
Clues drop as fast as corpses and dialogue races along at breakneck speed to keep the audience in stitches till the last minute, according to Director Scott Slechta. Slechta said, “This cast is great to work with. If the show is half as fun as the rehearsals, the audience is in store for a million laughs!”
Cast members include Gay Chapman as Clara Quentin, Judith Ward as Viola Underwood, Diana Flynn as Myrtle Ipswitch, Jennifer Hammel as Sarafina Litton, Laura Smith as Matilda Thibedeaux, Therese Cummiskey as Lydia Thorndyke, with DeeAnn Lantz as Veronica Blather, Emily Roth as Dr. Joyce Lydecker, her niece, and Sara Rhum as Lt. Jackie McCoy.
The Crazy Quilt Club plays Thursday, January 29 (dessert); Friday and Saturday, January 30 & 31 (dinner); Friday and Saturday, February 6 & 7 (dinner); and Sunday, February 8 (dessert). Tickets are available at Kim’s Kottage during business hours.
Might we say, “this one will keep you in stitches!”
Meet the Filmmakers – Reception & Talk
Fairfield First Fridays Art Walk – 5th Annual Film Expo
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
M.U.M. Argiro Student Center, Dalby Hall Auditorium
Two of the filmmakers presenting at the Film Expo will be on hand to give participants an insight into their creative process. The reception is also an opportunity to meet with them firsthand: Leigh Badgley, internationally renowned documentary filmmaker and Canadian TV producer from Vancouver, BC, Canada, and an MIU graduate; Steve Schott, producer/director at Hawthorne Direct, Fairfield; and Walter Day, noted video game authority and film celebrity, the focus of two featured films.
Leigh Badgley, co-producer of The Dolphin Dealer, will show a clip from her CBC documentary, which examines the controversial capture and export of wild dolphins.
Steve Schott will show the trailer from his film, The Final Season, which tells the true story of an underdog coach and team whom, despite tradition, have been written off not only by their rivals but also by those closest to them, the town.
Walter Day will show a clip from Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade, a documentary on the Golden Age of Arcade Games, in which he is prominently featured. The film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival, and other festivals, and aired on Showtime during the month of December 2008.
FAIRFIELD, IOWA IN THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
on the occasion of the Great Emancipator’s Bicentennial Birthday
The Carnegie Museum
Fairfield Art Walk, Friday, February 6th
For Entrepreneurs: Iowa Micro Loans
Check out new www.Iowamicroloan.org web site
Summer Technology Accelerator Program – N2TEC
National Network of Technology, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (N2TEC) is offering an SBA-funded Technology Accelerator Program in South Dakota this summer. Details are at www.n2tec.org. Candidates do not have to be students – they can be community members with start-ups about ready to go. They do not need to start their business in South Dakota (although that would be nice). They do need to be technology businesses and we’re providing a stipend of $15,000 for up to 10 individuals or teams as well as mentor teams and a variety of local and national resources.
Mark Your Calendars:
Fairfield Local Economy Summit
Saturday, February 21st
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Fairfield Public Library
Out of Town
Green Jobs National Conference
Connect with 2,000 government leaders and decision-makers, as well as business, labor and environmental organizations at this conference.
Feb. 4-6
Washington D.C.
greenjobsconference.org
Better Living Show
A consumer show highlighting eight core topics including: lifestyle, home/garden, transportation, food/beverage, clean tech, eco-adventure, recycling and conservation with food, speakers, and more.
March 27-29
Portland, OR
betterlivingshow.org
All Things Organic
An event focused exclusively on organic products–all products on display must be certified organic, made with certified organic ingredients or be approved for use in organic products.
June 16-18
Chicago, IL
organicexpo.com
BALLE Registration Open
Fairfield First! is part of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). The national conference will take place in Denver on May 21-23, 2009.
Topics will include:
Community Capital in the Green Economy
Successful Local First Campaigns
Creating Green Jobs in a Local Economy
Profitable Green Business Solutions
Public Policy for Local Living Economies
Local Food and Sustainable Agriculture
Independent Media
Living Economy Models for Economic Development
Financing Your Community Business
BALLE and the Global Economy
Regional Manufacturing in a Living Economy
Sourcing Fair Trade
www.livingeconomies.org for more information and registration links
GreenBuild International Conference and Expo
This is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building featuring educational sessions, renowned speakers, green building tours, special seminars, and networking events.
Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 11-13
www.greenbuildexpo.org