Our Towns is pleased to present the inaugural episode of our new podcast, Inside Our Towns.
Host Evan Sanford, whom we first met about seven years ago as an undergrad at KDAWG Radio at the University of Redlands, has created the Our Towns format, branding, and music for our podcasts. Evan talks with Jason Neises about civic challenges and solutions in the greater Dubuque area of Iowa.
We also combined two of our favorite themes, public libraries and remarkable women, in a look at the architecturally magnificent late 19th century Amelia S. Givin Library in tiny Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania.
Alex Bieler explores the Paper Clips Project out of Whitwell, Tennessee – a visual representation of the 6 million people killed during the Holocaust at a school that turned into a civic movement.
Guest writer Carl W. Hunt returns with Joseph J. Eash, III and their essay exploring how community-level education may serve as the enabler for self-government. Look to the past for answers for the future.
Please listen and read (and fine more on the stories of American renewal) below. And if you’re near southern Pennsylvania, pay a visit to Mt. Holly Springs to see the spectacular fretwork in the library, and if you find yourself in southeast Tennessee, go tour a powerful, student-driven memorial.
New Our Towns Publications
A Remarkable Woman Builds a Remarkable Library
Bringing together two of our favorite themes (libraries and remarkable women), this is the story of how a late-1800s free public library built by Amelia S. Givin in Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania continues to bring the region together today. From the stacks of books to the beautiful woodwork inside, this library brought the community together in the 19th century, and continues to find new ways today.
DEBORAH FALLOWS | LIBRARIES
Now is the Time for Reflection on Public Education
From the earliest days of the American republic, its founders have understood the connection between an educated populace and long-term civic success. Joseph J. Eash, III and Carl W. Hunt make a case that Americans of the 2020s should re-think the connection between public education and a viable democracy. It’s important, they argue, to look back at the country’s origin as well as 20th century philosophical shifts that have had lasting implications.
JOSEPH J. EASH, III AND CARL W. HUNT | EDUCATION
The Paper Clips Project: Students Bring Holocaust History to Southeastern Tennessee
Deb and Jim Fallows visited Marion County in southeastern Tennessee this past spring and spent time at the exhibit of the Paper Clips Project, a memorial to victims of the Holocaust in Europe, at the Whitwell Middle School. This report tells the backstory of the Project and shows how students can be drivers of conversation and understanding of very grown-up issues.
ALEX BIELER | EDUCATION
Voices from America
Inside Our Towns: Jason Neises
In the debut episode of the Inside Our Towns podcast, Evan Sanford talks with Jason Neises, the Community Development Coordinator at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, about his role and work at the foundation, real and perceived challenges in small-town America, the impact Community Heart & Soul has had in Iowa, and how small-town residents are taking their future into their own hands.
OUR TOWNS | RURAL AND REGIONAL
More on American Renewal
New Film About Portsmouth, Ohio is Rallying Cry for America: 'Who is Going to Save Us? We Are'. From Moundsville, John W. Miller writes about the exciting and hopeful things happening in the Portsmouths of the world, including a new film titled Peerless City, by Portsmouth native Amanda Page and Pittsburgh filmmaker David Bernabo.
How Aurora, Colorado is using mobile ‘public spaces’ to address the challenges of suburban social service delivery. Erica Dorn writes for Brookings Metro about how Aurora, Denver, has leveraged and distributed social services to connect marginalized community members to resources—overcoming the challenges of auto-oriented development by creating new kinds of “public spaces” specifically designed to meet the needs of a diverse population.
Higher learning for all: Why supporting LGBTQ students matters, especially now. Alex Anacki of Higher Learning Advocates writes about LGBTQ+ students in higher learning and how these students should be supported at the federal and state levels.
How a Camping Startup is Drawing Travelers to Colorado’s Remote West End. Sarah Kuta reports for The Daily Yonder about how a 120-acre parcel of land northwest of Naturita, Colorado, which was once the site of a uranium mill company town, has been reborn as CampV, a hip glamping and arts destination.