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Friday, April 29, 2011

US-23 Heritage Route Wins Big!

I am very happy to report that the US 23 Heritage Route has been awarded a grant from the National Scenic Byways program for $147,186!  The purpose of the grant is to develop an interpretive program including the following:

1. Complete the inventory of assets

2. Interpretive information development including identifying sites/stories, developing criteria for selection, gathering information and graphics, and website enhancement to present the interpretive information on the web.

3. Creation of a regional tourism map of the route showing interpretive info (includes printing)

4. Creation of a large tourism map for each county showing more detailed interpretive info (includes printing)

5. Creation of 4 large “themed maps” for the route showing themed interpretive info such as an “historic map”, a “ecotourism” map, etc. (includes printing)

6. Creation of a guidebook for the entire route (includes printing)

7. Creation of downloadable tours for the website.

US 23 was one of only 2 routes in Michigan to receive grant funding – the other being the Tahquamenon Scenic Heritage Route ($56,000 for a plan). The announcement is located at: http://www.bywaysonline.org/news/2011/2965

City Council Meeting

City Council Meeting is moved up to Monday, May 2, 2011 at 7:00 pm. The City budget for FY 2011-2012 will be presented. The public is welcome.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Sailor's Memorial Service

Here is a great picture of last year's Sailor's Memorial Service which begins the Annual Nautical City Festival.  The picture shows Captain (retired) Richard Peacock reading the names of sailors lost on the Great Lakes.  Mr. Frank Mayes is tolling the ships bell.  Mr. Mayes is the sole living survivor of the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley.  Also pictures are members of the Queen's Court and sponsors.  Thanks to Kristin Peacock Craig for sharing this great picture. 

Don't miss this year's Nautical City Festival.  It is a great event!  Also, please don't forget the lives of the sailors lost on the Great Lakes.  They gave their lives in service of others.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Working Together to Market “Up North”….

Northern Michigan is home to hundreds of miles of fantastic trails available to a variety of users north

of the 44th parallel. Visitors can access hiking trails, biking trails, snowmobile trails, ski trails, horse

trails, ORV trails, and water trails. Many visitors to northern Michigan have remarked that we have

some of the best trails in the country. The challenge? More people need to hear about them!

Recently, a new collaboration of partners has formed which feels that we can accomplish more

together than we can separately. We have a goal of collectively marketing all northern Michigan

recreational assets from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron with an Up North identity so that the rest of the

country knows what it really means to go “Up North”.

Who’s on board?

Our group consists of a broad coalition of partners including regional agencies, state agencies, local

agencies, and trail user groups which all have the same goal in mind – making northern Michigan a

nationally‐known recreation destination. There is power in numbers, so we want to include as many

partners as we can in order to accomplish our goal. Here is a list of partners that have attended

meetings so far in the interest of collaborating to improve northern Michigan’s economy through

tourism marketing:

Northeast Michigan Council of Governments Michigan Department of Transportation

Northwest Michigan Council of Governments MSU Extension

Land Information Access Association Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Top of Michigan Trails Council Michigan State University Extension

Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance Travel Michigan

Eastern Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Comm. Cheboygan County

US 23 Heritage Route North Country Trail Association

TART Trails Michigan Municipal League

Indian River Chamber of Commerce Michigan Trail Riders Association

Presque Isle County Development Commission Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians

Mackinaw Area Chamber of Commerce Topinabee Development Assoc.

Village of Mackinaw City Emmet County

Corwith Township Burt Lake Trail Committee

City of Grayling Crawford County Trails Committee

Briley Township

We are looking for more partners from across northern Michigan to join us in this endeavor! Our

group is currently working to form in an official capacity, and we need more partners to sign on in

order to ensure we are a true multi‐regional collaboration and to ensure that each portion of northern

Michigan is well represented in this endeavor. We plan to seek out private foundation funding and our

efforts are stronger with more partners on board. If you would like to join this effort, please contact

Denise Cline at dmcline@nemcog.org or 231.421.5384.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Capital Access for Small Business

If you are interested in starting a small business or expanding your existing bussiness, but you need funding, then this conference may be for you:

Moving Michigan Forward:  Improving Rural Small Business Captial Access to Create New Jobs

The program features Lt. Governor Brian Calley and Judith Canales from the USDA

The program starts at 10 am and runs until 4 pm.

Location:  MSU Kellogg Center Lincoln Room

Date:  Tuesday, april 26, 2011

Registration via email: ced@msu.edu or call 517-353-9147

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Safe Routes To School (SR2S)

Don't miss the SR2S presentation today at 4:00 pm at the Rogers City High School Library/Media Room.

A team from Michigan State University will make the presentation.  refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Help Needed

There is a family in need of a microwave.  If you have one to donate, please contact:

Carrie Badgero, MSW

Community Resource Coordinator
Alpena/Montmorency/Alcona DHS
Acting Services Supervisor
Montmorency County DHS
989-785-6025
cell: 989-306-0817

Summer Concerts Coming

Thanks to Katie Haywood, the Rogers City Area Chamber of Commerce, and many great local sponsors Rogers City will have a great summer concert series in 2011!  Watch for the schedule coming out soon.  You will not want to miss any of these great FREE concert events.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Pure Michigan Campaign

Spring is here and its time again to rev-up the Pure Michigan advertising campaign that has proven very successful on a number of fronts.


Along with attracting customers to Presque Isle County, the campaign has increased visitor traffic on our rogerscity.com website over 400 percent since the third quarter of 2010 and has propelled that website to number five on the most used list of viewer portals. Potential customers are checking us out!

With our partners from the five other counties that make up the Coastal Coalition, Presque Isle County is raising money to ensure a portion of the project’s focus remains squarely on northeast Michigan.

Joe Cercone from the EDC/ CDC is the point-man for this year’s fundraising effort. The Rogers City Chamber of Commerce, along with Joe, has information that can bring you up to date on the project’s targets, how much has been raised to attract visitors with dollars, and how you can help.

The Chamber is proud to be an information location and can point you in the right direction to begin the process of getting funds to the Pure Michigan campaign. Please call, email, or stop by our office on Bradley Highway if you can help this project build on the success that impacted all of us last year.

Thank you, Raymond Spain, Rogers City Area Chamber of Commerce