CCCDC to celebrate milestone Aug. 25

By RUTH BAXTER

The Carroll County Community Development Corporation will celebrate its 30th anniversary at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Point Park pavilion in Carrollton

Organized in September 1982, CCCDC united the efforts of local government, business and industry and community groups to make Carrollton/Carroll County a better place to live and work.

Through the sale of $50 shares of stock, the group initially raised $34,000 to fund its efforts, and CCCDC receives continued financial support from the city of Carrollton and Carroll County Fiscal Court, as well as from grants for projects and programs that have had an impact on the well-being of the community.

The CCCDC was unique because it gave the opportunity to organize and direct everyone’s interests and initiatives by working together. We’ve been able to accomplish quite a lot by exchanging information and ideas, and uniting to make something positive happen.

The CCCDC is run by a board of directors elected each January by those who donated to the organization. The board includes two representatives each from city/county government, industry, financial institutions, merchants, and individuals and organizations. The board meets monthly as a group, and works during the month through its three committees: Commercial Development, Industrial Development and Quality of Life. Joan Moore, our full-time executive director, oversees the CCCDC’s goals and objectives, with administrative help from Bret Calhoun.

Current board members are Carrollton Mayor Gene McMurry; County Judge-Executive Harold “Shorty” Tomlinson;  Dow Corning Plant Manager Larry Travestead; First National Bank President Greg Goff; United Citizens Bank & Trust Vice President Roy Weeks; CPA Dennis Raisor; Malcolm Carraco;  Jim Fothergill; Carrollton Utilities Manager Bill Osborne; Carroll County Schools Superintendent Lisa James; Carroll County Memorial Hospital CEO Kanute Rarey; and myself.

Throughout the past 30 years, the CCCDC has been instrumental in many important projects for the area including:

• The establishment of the cities of Carrollton and Ghent on the National Historic  Register

• Renovating the Old Stone Jail;

• Recruiting new industry: North America Stainless and Celetox (now CertainTeed);

• Renovating/rehabilitating the Eighth Street housing project;

• Establishing Carrollton Arts Board Inc. to host art, music and drama programs;

• Organizing the city’s Design Standards Review Board for downtown construction and renovation;

• Purchasing land to expand Point Park and make improvements there;

• Working with the schools to establish the Educational Excellence Foundation of Carroll County;

• Establishing the MOMS program to help single parents become self-sufficient, which received both state awards and national recognition;

• Renovating a Fourth Street building for Day Care, MOM and One Stop;

• Developing Carrollton’s “Safe Routes to School Project” including Polk Street extension that connects all schools with sidewalks;

• Assisting Kentucky Ladder with its relocation to Ladder Lane

• Obtaining, in conjunction with Carroll County Schools, the $2.12 million grant to establish the Early Head Start program;

• Obtaining $100,000 for the Recreational Trails program;

• Hispanic Care Initiative;

• Workforce Study and annual visits to all industrial partners;

• Recruiting new industries and working for the expansion of existing industries;

• Obtaining $4.02 million in new funding from 27 grants.

The community is invited to the celebration on Saturday; cake and ice cream will be served. Past and present CCCDC directors also will be onhand for a reunion dinner.

Carrollton attorney Ruth Baxter is a founding member of the CCCDC.