HistoricOmaha

Omaha World Herald
Published Monday February 27, 2006

BY SIBYL MYERS

Destination Midtown is starting entrepreneurship courses to help spur business development in the area.

Destination Midtown is a partnership of businesses, residents, the City of Omaha and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. The target area is from 24th Street to Saddle Creek Road, from Cuming to Center Streets.

The first eight-week course begins March 7 for entrepreneurs or business owners who want to strengthen their business operations. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The location will be given to registrants.

Topics will include business plan development, market research, products and services, marketing and promotion, operations, finances and site selection and evaluation.

Classes will be conducted by trainers from the Nebraska Business Development Center.

The cost for the course is $75 per person. Advance registration is required. Call 233-7142 or stop by the Chamber of Commerce office, 1301 Harney St., during business hours. Or visit the Web site at www.destinationmidtown.org.

The registration deadline is Friday.

Benson Alliance open house set
Omaha by Design and the City of Omaha are having an open house and public workshop for the Benson Alliance from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Benson High School, 5120 Maple St.

Community members may stop by anytime during the four-hour event. The workshop will provide an opportunity to share ideas, respond to preliminary planning concepts, discuss alternative solutions to problems and work with neighbors, community leaders and planners to develop a common vision for the Benson Alliance.

The Alliance area is from Saddle Creek Road and Fontenelle Boulevard to 72nd Street, from Western Avenue to the Sorensen Parkway.

For more information, call Omaha by Design at 342-3458 or visit the Web site, www.omahabydesign.org.

Learn to write grant application
The next Block of Builders workshop for neighborhood associations will focus on how to write a successful grant application.

The Neighborhood Center for Greater Omaha, 115 S. 49th Ave., is sponsoring the workshop from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 7.

To register, call Ron Abdouch at 561-7582 no later than Friday. Or send an e-mail to rabdouch@neighborhood-center.org and include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address.

Arts council offers workshop
The Nebraska Arts Council is sponsoring a free workshop March 8 in Omaha for artists, arts organizations and nonprofit groups interested in community arts projects.

The workshop will begin at 5 p.m. at the council office, 1004 Farnam St. Topics will include grant-writing tips and an overview of grants available for organizations and individuals.

Grant deadlines vary depending on the category. However, the spring deadline for several grants has been extended to April 1.For additional deadlines and grant descriptions, visit the Web site at www.nebraskaartscouncil.org and click on the “Grants” section. To sign up, call Kristin Hardin at 595-2122.

Author to speak at library event
Jonis Agee, a Nebraska native and author of 10 books, will speak March 5 at the W. Dale Clark Library to celebrate Women\’s History Month.

The Program for Women and Successful Aging, a nonprofit organization at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, is sponsoring Agee\’s presentation in collaboration with the Omaha Public Library.

The free public event will begin at 3 p.m. at the downtown library, 215 S. 15th St.

Other activities will include an art display by Barbara Linder and Lois Pillen and local poets reciting their works. The Moving Company, UNO’s modern dance performing group, will create a performance to poetry from PWSA’s “Celebrate: A Collection of Women’s Writings.”

Dinner theater stages a mystery

The Florentine Players is presenting its Murder Mystery Dinner Theater this coming weekend.

“Circus of the Dead” is the title of the performance to be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Florence City Hall, 2864 State St. Dinner tickets are $15 per person. Reservations must be made by Wednesday; call 502-2444.

Productions of the Florentine Players raise funds for historic preservation and community improvement projects sponsored by the Florence Historical Foundation.

Information for this column must be submitted two weeks in advance of publication. Mail to: Sibyl Myers, World-Herald, 1334 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68102. E-mail to sibylmyers@cox.net, fax to 345-0183 or phone 444-1061.

Omaha.com: \”>Backyard: Midtown course designed to give business a boost