All-American City Award 1961ALL-AMERICAN CITY A!'17ARD
Each year the National Funicipal League and Look �Iagazine coop
sponsor a competitive program to select the eleven municipalities
to be awarded the All-American City title. The aiklards are made to
those municipalities who have accom-plished outstanding civic
achievement of benefit to the community as a whole through resource-
ful action.
The competition is open to any size city or town. Population
and resources' are taken fully into account in judging a city's
achievements,
The National Municipal League states that -to be considered
an All-American City., "achievements should of significant scope
relative to the size and resources of the city, and rust be of
basic importance to the life of the community." Areas of" action may
cover a wide spectrurn. Typical areas of action are improvements in
government; municipal services; housing; health, recreational or
cultural facilities; attraction of new industries, or decisive action
in meeting some unusual emergency. A long history of citizen activity
that has made a "good city" continually better is yet another basis
for consideration.
Twelve distinguished leaders in government, education, business,
labor and civic affairs make up the jury that selects the winner.
The finalists, chosen by an impartial screening committee, are in-
vited to send spokesmen to address the jury at the National Con-
ference on Covernment- to be hold this year at Detroit Michigan,
November 17 - 20. Dr. George Gallup, Chairman of the Council of the
National Municipal League and director of the American institute
of Public Opinion', will serve as jury forernan.
The winning cities find themselves at the center of the stage,
with opportunities to be grasped.---,Ij�d----x-o-s-ponsibilities tc be appraised.
In the eyes of the nation - and of the world- they become the visible
symbols of citizen action, of democracy at work. Civic pride reaches
a peak with the flood of congratulations from all quarters - from.
the 11hite House, from governor -'s, senators, rembers, of Congress,
Neighboring cities also add voices of praise.
With scarcely an excepticn, winners over the years have made
the award an occasion for civic rejoicing, marked by banquets, parades
fireworks, mass rallies, concerts, school participations, flag-raisinf-,
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ceremonies and other events consistent with the resources and imagi-
nation of the community. Arany cities have carries lo-lut a year-long
program, in which celebration of present honors goes hand in hand
with ambitious plans for the future,
LAST YEAP'S INTINNING CITIES
Allentown Pa. (108,347)*- Citizen action has made a good city even
a V
ter. Projects to improve downtown included a new $7,000,000
courthouse, a $3,000,000 City Hall, a slum clearance program. Also,
volunteers raised money for a new art museum and Liberty Bell Shrine,
and citizen effort has attracted 7 new industries,
Bartesville, Okla, (27t893)* - Determined citizens led a state-wide
campaign and torced a refeTendum., to reapportion the state legislature,
Energetic Jaycees, who sparked the reapportionment drive, also raised
over $600,000 in voluntary contributions for a new public park and
golf course.
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Boston, Mass, (697,197) * - Citizens and lvlayor joined forces in a
mammoth program to modernize the city i#.7hile preserving historic
buildings. Projects for the "New Boston" include a $120,000,000
urban -renewal pros. a`
ed redevelopment of the aed w.,..nterfront massive
clean-up drives,
Chattanooga, Tenn. (130,009)* - Downtown renewal is accompanied by
work to beautify the whole netropclitcnM area. Citizen 5yrCljups also
established Technical Institute to give skilled trainl*n&(-T', developed
#_ C -i training
Ll, parks tor new and expanded industries, are studying
n rovernnent fcr the area
advanta�-,es of Metropolitan
Graf ton, W. Va. (5,791)* T
-the town that "refused to die" when
jifslast mindustry closed in 1958, citizens contributed
$30,000 for industrial development ; local women took a labor invent-
ory, and downtown got a face-lifting . Today, two ne...w industries
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have opened and there is hope of a third.
Grand Function Colo*, (20,500)** - Citizens of this small metropolis
serving an area of some 40,000 so. ni. have, without outside finan-
cial aid, renovated sewers, waterlines, lirrhts and traffic signals,
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redesigned the, main shopping thcroufvhfarc, expanded, hospital facili-
ties, opened a rehabilitation center for the handicapped,
High Point, N.C. (62,063) - Downtown and rusidential improvements,
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plus intensive efforts to attract end expand industries helped this
city win. Citizens also saved city's access to nation"all markets by
winning a stiff legal battle to ratain a switching agreement between
railroads and shippers,
Knoxvil.le, Tenn. (182,000)" - Downtown improvements sparked by
citizen groups include a $1,000,000 promenade and shopping center,
a pedestrian mall, a new auditorium -coliseum seatincl-, 10,000.
Meanwhile, over 30,000 citi-zens can.paignee successfully to repeal
unworkable local prohibition laws and clear city of bootle(Tgers,
Quincy, Ill. (47,000)" - Fifty years cf- apathy ended three years
aSo when citizens banded together to renew the city. A, score of
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civic groups won approval for a $9,000,000 new sewer and water
system; raised several million dollars f/ --,r new hospital beds, and
voted $5,000,000 for two new high schools,
San DierTo, Calif. (616,500)** - A tripled population since 1940
mace overhauling of downtown imperativc Citizens paid for surveys
then joined with govornment to raise nearly $75,000,000 in private
and public funds for the Centre City plan, now well under x?,Yay.
Volunteers raised $1,600,000 -'in only six wocks to cor.plete the
Community Concourse,
The accomplishments of North Palm �Beach warrant its beim
considered this year for an All-American City award,
The growth village has shown consistent during
k_> L__$ the past five
years to a present population of 6 000. It is a product of long -
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range planning and effective zoninc,-, Pll streets are paved and made
attractive with planted parkways ,.3i0ewalks front each home. The
entire village is equipped with street lights. �Tlarina facilities
together with a boat ramp are available. Its buildin(T code meets
the highest standards and is effectively enforced. P46 -creational
f-,acilities are provided together with desireable recreational pro-
�-ramsfor all ages includinf-, shuffleboard courts, senior citizen
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building, lighted ball field equipped with bleacher seats, together
with a comprehensive arts and crafts prorrram. To provide recreation-
al areas for future growth, park area sit' -es have been set aside in
all areas of the villnge. Also, last year the villarre completed the
first phase of a planned recreational facility complex when it opened
its 18 -hole (Tolf course, Country Club clubhouse, and one of the five
largest swimming pools in the nation.
The police protection provided is such that the villaqehas one
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of the lowest criMe and court c^se records of any corparable''-sizeO
municipality in. the country. Pesidential -Eire insurance rates were
reduced in 1960 because of its effective fire prevention and protect-
ion program,
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North Pala. Beach is a clean and nent-appearinc,-T run ic i*p a I ity.
Garbage and trash is picked fror -the cf cach residence every
48 hours,
Draina�e is not a prob.1 --,Dsnn in the. vi a, c -
as s -all areas are
cross -linked with a cornprehe-
:1ive storiii sewer system enc,ineered to
care for the heaviestra .~,A.alls 4
Since 1959, when its 4[1i.x ',,,oas set at 7 r.n.ills, the villarre
has had one of the lowest tax rates of any south Florida municipality,
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No taxes other than real pro arty taxes are levied; the village has
no utility or ?_'arbacte tax. The averarre villa, -,e home -owner pays littir
more per month in villar�e taxes than the ronthly cost cf telephone
service . k.
North Palm Beach is one of the outstanclicvnmunicipalities of
its size in the nation, Its population thinks 1'n terns prer--ress
and expands its improvement programs steadily in proportion to c- its
growth, C--, 0