Joplin and their Citizen Advisory Recovery Team Make Time's ComebackList of 2012

Time Top 10 2012 Comebacks
4. Joplin, Missouri

By Erin SkardaDec. 04, 20120

JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES
Zach Abrams plays basketball outside of the FEMA trailer where his family lives after their home was destroyed by a tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., one year ago, May 22, 2012.

On May 22, 2011, a high-powered EF-5 tornado swept through the Midwestern city of Joplin, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its path. It was the single deadliest tornado to hit the U.S. in nearly 60 years, killing 161 people and injuring 1,000. Approximately 7,500 homes and hundreds of businesses were destroyed. But one year later, things were already looking up for Joplin. Just weeks after the tornado, the community came together for a public meeting, where a plan to rebuild the city was launched on a series of sticky notes. Led by local business owner Jane Cage, the group started the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team to work with the local government and act as a voice for residents. In January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $45 million investment in the city, which will go a long way toward bringing the sticky-note plan to life. And for the high school students of Joplin, who returned to class three months after the tornado in a makeshift space in the local mall, a special guest visited the city in May to deliver their commencement address: President Obama. “My deepest hope for all of you is that as you begin this new chapter in your life, you will bring that spirit of Joplin to every place you travel and everything you do,” he said

Read more:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/04/top-10-news-lists/slide/joplin-missouri/

From the Joplin Globe:

Our View: Making the strong finish 12/10/2012 3:00 PM
It all began with a series of sticky notes.

That’s right. That was the genesis for the rebuilding of Joplin.
And the words on those notes were yours.
Some of you wanted Joplin to come back after the 2011 tornado with sidewalks and neighborhood parks and lots and lots of trees. You wanted safe rooms and efficient housing. You wanted bike and walking trails.
Others said Joplin needed a new library, a performing arts center, a convention center, even a minor league ball field.
Yes, some dream practical dreams and others dream big.
Those yellow sticky notes have caught the attention of a lot of people outside of Joplin. Most recently, they were mentioned by Time magazine, which has listed Joplin as No. 4 on its Top 10 Comebacks of 2012.
Here’s what it had to say:
“Led by local business owner Jane Cage, the group started the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team to work with the local government and act as a voice for residents. In January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $45 million investment in the city, which will go a long way toward bringing the sticky-note plan to life.”
Passage of the much-negotiated tax increment financing proposal will also fund the dreams listed on sticky notes. Residents should hear more about the outcome of that proposal this week.
We want the best for all of Joplin. We continue to put our support behind the TIF proposal as long as the Joplin School District does not lose the impact of the $62 million bond issue voters endorsed in April. That too was a comeback moment in Joplin’s post-tornado history.
But, as you all know, we really haven’t made a comeback until we finish the long, hard job ahead of us.
There’s a reason accolades are being heaped on our town. Joplin figured out how to help itself.
We applaud the ingenuity and the creativity.
Now, let’s finish the job.

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