By L. Parsons Last week, Route 66 Association member Rhett Butler addressed the Winslow City Council. His presentation regarded grant funding opportunities available to Winslow and other Route 66 communities. The Route 66 Association of Arizona is an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the businesses and towns along the historic route. “There has been a lot of effort to try to support the communities not only in preservation and protection but also of promoting of Route 66. That promotion is part of the reason this organization began looking at grant opportunities and how we could offset some of the cost of taking care of the historic road and generating new business through marketing and expanding the commodities and services that are available in our localized economies,” said Butler. He then outlined the two grants the organization offers. “The first is a 50/50 cost share grant. This really was built around the observation of depletion of businesses, 60-80% depletion in small business. We wanted to be sure we had a program that could help mitigate that.” The other is a non-profit grant offered alongside the Arizona Community Foundation. According to Butler, the 50/50 cost share grant is available to private business owners, attractions such as the Standing on the Corner Park and chambers of commerce along Route 66. Several grant awards are available from $500 to $10,000. This grant does require a 50% match from the applicant. He said, “There are so many beautiful buildings downtown, not just in Winslow but all throughout the Arizona Route 66 community, that are being utilized by new business and waiting to be purchased. That is something the 50/50 grant could be used for. Anything that is considered promotion and protection of the route would be included in eligible projects. The creative side is that in stepping into the economics of tomorrow and what tourism will look like post-COVID; it’s important that we think outside of the box. Think digital.” Butler continued, “Whether it’s improving your outreach by really focusing on the digital presence and establishing a website or building your social media base this grant could help with that.” The non-profit grant available from the organization in partnership with the Arizona Community Foundation is open to 501(c)3 organizations, local and state governments, tribal governments and educational institutions. No match is required for the non-profit grant. Awards will be distributed in amounts between $1,000 and $25,000. Applications and information on both grants are available through the Arizona Route 66 Foundation at www.historic 66az.com. Both grants will reach their deadline tomorrow, April 1, but are annually awarded. Butler continued, “We are able to continue to fund these grants and other projects through the purchase of the Route 66 specialty license plate, sold through the Arizona Department of Transportation, so please consider making that purchase. As we move into a new era of Route 66 preservation, visit the website and get the information on these opportunities and reach out if you have questions on how to apply or what to include in your application.” Navajo County Public Health Director Janelle Linn and county emergency management director Katrina Jenkins also presented to the council, reporting an ongoing downward trend in regards to COVID cases being reported to the department and the success of the vaccine distribution county wide. She made it a point to mention the overall positivity rate for the county is currently at 2.4%, a vast improvement over the highest rates in December and January. Jenkins addressed the topic of POD (Point of Distribution) vaccinations. PODs are mass vaccination sites that are mostly drive thru events. She explained that the years-old practice of employing local fire departments and pharmacies to distribute vaccines has paid off. In Winslow, for example, the Winslow Fire Department has hosted and operated POD events for flu shots in preparation for the need to quickly distribute other vaccines. Jenkins said, “Luckily, we have many community partners who are distributing the vaccines so we have not had a need to open a POD yet.” It is unknown whether or not a POD will ever be needed in the area, as the state has moved into the second tier of vaccine eligibility, which opens availability to anyone over the age of 18. Vaccines are still not being allotted to Navajo County communities in large amounts. However, as Linn said, “We have gone from not having enough vaccine to keep up with the appointments to not having enough appointments to distribute all of the vaccine.” In other business, the council: * Declared April as Fair Housing Month by Proclamation of the Mayor.
