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New Era Meeting to be Held By: Jenny McCampbell [Click here to print article] INVITATION TO A PLANNING CONFERENCE FROM THE CLINTON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL One of the key missions of the Clinton County Arts Council (CCAC) is to create a cultural tourist destination in the north end of St. Johns: developing the Clinton Northern Railroad Museum and incorporating it with the Depot Gallery, Briggs Public Library, the Veteran’s Memorial, the city’s plans for the area west of the Depot, and the tri-county Rails to Trails plans. The railroad museum will not only enrich the lives of area citizens and help educate our youth, it will also attract tourists to St. Johns, thereby increasing the economic base of the city. The weekend of Railroad Days, held by CCAC in September 2006, was attended by over 800 people from miles around, including some who traveled from out of state for the occasion. The Clinton County Arts Council (CCAC) is re-energized and ready to roll. We have a full 12-member board that is very active; Elaine Twichell has recently been hired as the part-time Creative Director and she volunteers as the Railroad Museum Project Manager; and we are holding more classes and special events at the Depot Gallery. We also have a team of very dedicated volunteers who have been working whenever they can on the restoration of the three historic railroad cars we now own, thanks to the tremendous efforts of that team. As we embark on this major endeavor, we are inviting leaders from many segments of our community to help us by participating in a conference. We also welcome and encourage the participation of all interested citizens. The conference information is as follows: New Era for CCAC Saturday, March 24, 8:00 AM – Noon The St. Johns Banquet and Conference Center (formerly the Municipal Building) 121 East Walker St., St. Johns The conference will start with some brief presentations by the city, CCAC and Rails to Trails on the current status of different aspects and future plans. Participants will then work in groups to discuss their reactions, come up with recommendations and suggest ideas for implementation. Coffee and pastries from Traditions will be provided. The funding for this conference comes from the 2007 grant that CCAC received from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, which is strongly encouraging arts councils to be involved in economic development. Anyone who is interested in participating in this conference is asked to fill out the registration form and return it by March 17. New Era for CCAC Conference Saturday, March 24, 8:00 AM – Noon REGISTRATION FORM Name______________________________________________ Address___________________________________________ Home phone__________________ Work phone____________________ Email address__________________________________________________ Company/organization you represent________________________________ Please note: the meeting is on the second floor of the building, but a chair lift is available _____ Please check here if you would like to make use of the lift so we will be prepared to provide assistance upon your arrival. Please return this form by March 17, 2007 to: New Era for CCAC Conference Depot Center for the Arts 107 East Railroad Avenue St. Johns, MI 48879 |