The city has become a finalist for an award that recognizes cooperative efforts to make progress.
By ADRIENNE P. SAMUELS
Published May 4, 2004
Clearwater is one of 30 cities that have been named finalists for the designation of All-America City.
The award is passed out every year by the National Civil League, a Denver-based think tank that promotes efficient government.
Ten winners will be declared in mid June. Before then, the city has to convince the NCL judges that they are the best in the bunch, which includes South Florida's Lauderhill, Pembroke Pines and Pompano Beach. Other finalists include Stamford, Conn., and Cottage Grove, Ore.
"It's an effort to recognize communities where people are working together in a proactive, thoughtful and constructive way," said Chris Gates, president of the NCL.
All finalists are asked to send a delegation to the June 10-12 final selection competition in Atlanta. Judges will hear each group's pitch and then decide winners on June 12.
Clearwater is poised to send 17 or 18 people - possibly including a spoken-word poet from North Greenwood - to convince the NCL that they are the best.
"It's a three-day process that consists of a community expo where you showcase your city," said Doug Matthews, the public communications director for Clearwater. "Obviously, you want to have representatives indicative of the breadth of the partnership. You want to have the right people."
Clearwater hopes to win by focusing on three things: the Hispanic Outreach Center, the library's GOALS program (a youth reading and tutoring effort) and the revitalization of the North Greenwood area.
Each of those programs relies upon the joint efforts of businesses, city government employees and volunteers, a major criterion for award-winners.
"It's how the community as a whole gets together as a whole to solve a problem," said Matthews.
The National Civil League was created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1894 and has been giving out the All-America City Award since 1954. In addition to the awards, the NCL promotes good government by conducting research and publishing a quarterly journal.
The NCL designation does not mean a community is perfect, said Gates. But it is a boon to the city.
"This is a boost both internally and externally," said Gates. "This is the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for a community. It says this is a place where people worry more about solving problems than who gets the credit. Internally, it's a helpful reminder to a community that as tough as their challenges might be, that somebody from outside has recognized they are making progress and doing good things."
