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- $40-million meeting slated
- WAPATO (6-10-98)--A $40-million meeting will take place
at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25 at the Wapato Youth Center, 302
W. 2nd St., according to a press release from the Lower Yakima
County Rural Enterprise Community (LYCREC).
The meeting concerns a proposal to the federal government for money for improvements in the Yakima Valley.
- LYCREC staff said "there was a great response to the
"Call-to-Action" community meeting held June 4 in Grandview.
More than 70 valley residents signed up to participate in this
dynamic community planning conversation about the future needs
of Yakima Valley employers, families, and residents of every
age and culture."
"We always need more voices.
- "If you live in the Yakima valley, your views, your values, your ideas and your voice in a citizen planning process is the starting point for pursuing a major opportunity. LYCREC has filed a notice of intent to submit an application that creates a federal Empowerment Zone, of 10 years duration, in the Yakima Valley.
- "An Empowerment Zone is a physically defined area in which substantial poverty and low-income exists, and for which federal resources provide special funding, special tax incentives and numerous other advantages that increase employment opportunities and quality-of-life upgrades.
- "A successful designation includes $40 million to Yakima Valley over the next 10 years. This money will create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in the mid-Valley area.
- "The success of the application requires a great range of community voices to reflect a collective community desire for its future needs. Young, old, short, tall, rich, not-so-rich, every occupation, homemakers too, and every culture, religion, and local organizations and group representatives, are invited to join the EZ Community Planning Team.
- "The EZ team will hold its next meeting on Thursday, June 25, at the Wapato Youth Center, 302 W. 2nd St., Wapato. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.
- "This meeting is Session 2 of the Community Planning Team. Tasks the community planning group will discuss include:
- 1. Developing a Vision Statement for the future 10 years of a Rural Empowerment Zone in Yakima Valley.
- 2. Deciding what eligible areas of the Yakima Valley will be included in the
- "The EZ Community Planning Team, with staff support provided by LYCREC, will develop an Empowerment Zone application packet for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Oct. 9, 1998. For additional info, phone the LYCREC office at (509) 839-6847.