2006 NCIP contest judging schedule set

LINCOLN, NEB. (September 11, 2006)—Community development professionals and volunteer judges will visit 25 communities, two counties and one region from September 18-October 28 to judge the 2006 Nebraska Community Improvement Program (NCIP) Awards. Fifty-nine communities and counties are participating in NCIP this year.

Each community or county will present its community and economic development projects to a team of two judges. NCIP participants are evaluated on the community development process, volunteer and leadership development, and community and economic development. Communities provide judges with written information, as well as host special presentations and community tours.

Judging for Special Awards Projects is taking place in Lincoln during the week of Sept. 11. The judges will determine a first place winner for each population class in the categories of volunteer and leadership development; youth involvement and leadership development; public works, facilities and services; environmental projects and awareness; community services; parks, recreation and forestry; arts and humanities; business assistance and development; and tourism promotion and development.

Communities to be visited and the judging dates and times are:

Week 1, Sept. 18-21, 2006

Class I: (1-550 population)

Bancroft (490 pop.), Sept. 18, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Coleridge (541 pop.) Sept. 18, 2:30-4:15 p.m. (CST)

Farnam (227 pop.) Sept. 19, 3-4:45 p.m. (CST)

Eustis (461 pop.) Sept. 20, 9-10:45 a.m. (CST)

Alexandria (197 pop.) Sept. 20, 3:45-5:30 p.m. (CST)

Class III: (1,001-4,000 population)

Wisner (1,270 pop.), Sept. 18, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Hartington (1,640 pop.), Sept. 18, 3-4:45 p.m. (CST)

Neligh (1,651 pop.), Sept. 19, 9-10:45 a.m. (CST)

Ainsworth (1,870 pop.), Sept. 19, 2:30-4:15 p.m. (CST)

Kimball (2,559 pop.), Sept. 20, 2-3:45 p.m. (MST)

Ravenna (1,341 pop.), Sept. 21, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Class V: (10,001 and up population)

Lexington (10,011 pop.), Sept. 18, 10:30-12:15 p.m. (CST)

North Platte (23,878 pop.), Sept. 18, 3-4:45 p.m. (CST)

Columbus (20,909 pop.), Sept. 19, 1-2:45 p.m. (CST)

South Sioux City (11,925 pop.), Sept. 20, 9:30-11:15 a.m. (CST)

Week 2, Sept. 25-28, 2006
Class II: (551-1,000 population)

Blue Hill (886 pop.), Sept. 25, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Franklin (990 pop.), Sept. 25, 2-3:45 p.m. (CST)

Culbertson (594 pop.), Sept. 26, 9-10:45 a.m. (CST)

Bassett (743 pop.), Sept. 27, 9-10:45 a.m. (CST)

Class IV: (4,001-10,000 population)

Nebraska City (7,228 pop.), Sept. 25, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Seward (6,426 pop.), Sept. 25, 3-4:45 p.m. (CST)

Aurora (4,300 pop.), Sept. 26, 9-10:45 a.m. (CST)

Cozad (4,163 pop.), Sept. 26, 2-3:45 p.m. (CST)

Alliance (8,315 pop.), Sept. 27, 10-11:45 a.m. (MST)

Wahoo (4,063 pop.), Sept. 28, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Class VI: (Multi Communities)

Pawnee County (located Pawnee City), Sept. 25, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Seward County (located in Seward), Sept. 25, 4-5:45 p.m. (CST)

Loup Basin Region (located in Ord), Sept. 26, 10-11:45 a.m. (CST)

Outstanding communities and projects will be recognized with plaques and cash awards by Governor Dave Heineman at the annual NCIP Recognition Day Banquet, November 3, in Kearney. The banquet is being held in conjunction with Community Advantage Training, which will take place earlier that day.

The plaques and cash awards for NCIP are provided by investor-owned natural gas and telephone companies: Glenwood Telephone, Great Plains Communications, Kinder Morgan, Northwestern Public Service, Northern Natural Gas, and Aquila.

For more information, contact Lindsay Papenhausen, NCIP Coordinator, at 800-426-6505, 402-471-6587, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it