In a final push to prove Jasper should advance in the America’s Best Communities competition, residents are being encouraged to take to social media to share personal stories that show why the community is a great place to live and work.
In a press release yesterday Dan Fritch of the local ABC Team says the group is issuing the challenge to make sure they have all the help they can get to share Jasper’s unique story. Fritch says Jasper is truly one of America’s best communities, and no matter what happens in the next rounds of the competition, they need to be doing everything possible to help more people understand why they should locate their business and raise their family in the community.
The ABC Team Jasper is also asking residents to use the hashtags #ABC50 to connect with the national conversation and link the social media conversation together locally at facebook.com/Jasper-IN-Americas-Best-Communities.
Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz says it’s an opportunity for all of the community to work together to help spread a positive message about Jasper and the bright future the city has.
Seitz says Tweet by tweet, Facebook post by Facebook post, everyone can make an impact on public perceptions of the community and persuade even more people to take the time to learn more about all Jasper has to offer.
America’s Best Communities has been regularly sharing photos and videos from the towns and cities participating in the competition on its social media pages and with reporters and editors at national media outlets.
The Jasper ABC Team is confident an uptick in local social media activity will ensure Jasper gets a large share of the national attention being focused on this competition.
Sponsored by Frontier Communications, DISH Network, CoBank and The Weather Channel, America’s Best Communities is a $10 million competition that aims to revitalize small towns and rural communities across the country. About 400 communities are entered in the competition, and Jasper was among 50 nationwide that were selected to advance into the quarterfinals.
Each community was awarded $50,000 to develop a Community Revitalization Plan. Local leaders were given six months to work on Jasper’s plan and were required to submit the plan for review on November 6th.
A panel of independent expert judges is now evaluating the plans and will select 15 communities for the semifinals, which will be announced January 13.
Jasper’s plan will help guide the growth of the local economy and support improvements to quality of life.
The strategies for redevelopment and urban design reinforce and celebrate Jasper’s unique character and inherent strengths. It proposes viable approaches to better connect the cherished Courthouse Square with the emerging Patoka Riverfront and stimulate economic development through business growth, new downtown housing opportunities, and increased tourism.
