DOLLAR TALES
Once upon a time there was a little pot of dollars that wished
more than anything to grow big and strong. So,
the little pot of dollars set out to seek its fortune in the
big world where moxie bucks and funding webs fought and grabbed
at every little dollar they saw. But the little
pot of dollars was smart. It knew to grow big and strong it
would need nurturing and direction, and a place to send down
deep sturdy roots. It found the Paul Bunyan Scenic
Byway Association. From that moment on, the little
pot of dollars started growing and adding strength until it
was able to do real work! Sure, it was still small, but it
was getting stronger every day and that little pot of dollars
knew that someday soon it would be able to support itself
and the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association it loved to serve.
The end....or maybe just the beginning........
Byway Association Dollars and How They Grew
In 1997 the idea of seeking scenic byway status for CSAH
#16 was hatched as a means of helping make the case for paving
the shoulders for the safety of bikers and walkers. With zero
dollars in hand, but some good prospects, a committee was
formed.
After obtaining official byway designation in June of 1998,
the committee developed an association and made available
different levels of membership. Nearly $12,000 in donations
was received initially.
That $12,000 was parlayed into $58,000 in the form of a federal
grant to develop a Corridor Management Plan. Crow Wing County
agreed to be the PBSBAÍs fiscal agent.
In Jan., 2000, $2000 in cash donations from 4 local organizations
was doubled through a MN Office of Tourism grant, to create
the acclaimed Birds of the Byway brochure.
Up to $16,000 in donations and membership dollars was matched
with federal monies to create $32,000 worth of hiking trails
in two locations along the Byway, including the development
of a footbridge scheduled for installation by June, 2003,
at Island Lake Woods.
A combination of cash and in-kind donations of nearly $8000
was doubled through a DNR Partnership grant completed in June,
2002, resulting in a Gateway Gazebo building and informational
signage at two locations highlighting environmentally significant
features of the Byway.
In a unique “no cash commitment” partnership
with Grand Casino Mille Lacs, the PBSBA obtained more than
$3000 worth of production and printing services from the Casino
to produce the first Byway playing cards series featuring
scenes of the Byway in pen and ink, done by an area art student
in 2001.
$1500 of Byway funds bought the PBSBA approximately $4800
worth of original art from a local artist, netting the Byway
$3300 which was used in part to obtain prints of the originals
for resale, and in part to fund other projects.
$14,000 donated by Central Region Partnership allowed the
PBSBA to receive a $65,000 federal grant to develop an Interpretive
Plan which will be completed in Dec., 2003.
Taken together, over the past four and a half years, the PBSBA
has turned donations and membership dollars of a little over
$50,000 into working dollars totaling nearly $185,000.
The projects have benefited residents, visitors and communities. Thanks
to you, the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association members,
in-kind supporters and business, individual, organizational
and jurisdictional contributors, weÍre able to tell this great
and true Dollar Tale!
If you are not yet a part of the PBSBA, we invite you to join.
A Kind of Kindness
In-kind donations
It was wartime; World War II. But, despite it
all, day to day life had to go on. When a tornado blew down
the family barn, a young soldier's ship-out date was delayed
so he could help rebuild the very engine of the family's survival.
His were not only family labors; they were in-kind services,
the work of a trained soldier, courtesy of Uncle Sam. It was
a special kind of kindness, indeed.
Although the motivation is not nearly as dramatic, the kindness
side of in-kind donations is still evident, and the PBSBA
has been a sincerely appreciative recipient.
From free or reduced fees for production, consultation, website
development, photography, legal and accounting services to
carpentry work, art, birding advisors, media spots, copying,
lumber, flowers, meeting rooms, engineering services, lodging
and promotion, the in-kind kindness of community residents
and businesses has made such a difference. Thank
you!
Projects in Progress
The second series of original oils will feature Seasons of
the Byway. Crosslake artist, Tom Ottoson, has completed
the winter scene and is currently nearing completion of the
fall scene.
- Production and printing for the second set of playing
cards is again being fully funded by Grand Casino Mille
Lacs. Art is being provided by Pine River-Backus
art students.
- The second phase of the Veterans Hiking Trail at the Island
Lake Woods site is now underway. The footbridge
over Hay Creek, connecting the south and north segments
of the hiking trail, is scheduled for completion in June,
2003.
- Also at Island Lake Woods, a grant request for a Bog Walk
from the end of the Ridge Path to the Island, will be submitted
by the end of February, 2003. This National Recreation
Trails grant requires a 50% local cash match.
- Work on the Interpretive Plan has begun. Already goals
have been set. The Plan should be completed by Dec., 2003.
Local match funding of approximately $15,000, 20% of the
total cost, has been provided by Central Region Partnership,
part of the University of Minnesota Extension services.
- The PBSBA, the Lakers Car Club and other local partners
have chosen late September or early October as the time
frame for the first annual Fall Color Drive for 2003.
On September 27 from 9am-12:30pm, the Mounted Eagles will
hold their Walk-N-Roll so they can ride fundraiser along
the paved shoulders of #16, concluding with a ceremony at
Moonlite Bay.
!!SITE HIGHLIGHT!!
Nearly 100 resources and points of interest have been identified
along the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway route. Some
of the spots are well known such as the Uppgaard Wildlife
Management Area or the Crosslake Historic Log Village. Others
are not as commonly recognized.Each of the quarterly issues
of Inkslinger will highlight one of these lesser known Byway
points of interest.
Breezy Point Cemetery and Walking Path
Located just off CSAH #11 about 1 mile north of the Breezy
Gates, this site was designed and created with funding from
the Pelican Conservation Club. Concern over the
lack of a cemetery for Breezy residents sparked the Club’s
decision to take on this project in 1999. Well landscaped
and creatively designed, the walking path curves through a
sun-dappled landscape that appears to frame the cemetery proper.
Next time you drive the Byway, take some time to enjoy the
Breezy Point Walking Path.
PBSB IN THE NEWS
- The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway will be included in a 2003
publication by Lake Country Echo entitled, Trails and Byways
- Biking Minnesota magazine has added the Paul Bunyan Scenic
Byway as a new category heading for listings purchased for
the spring issue. Advertisers can now choose
to be located under this heading.
- Byway Extension Approved
The PBSB is now 6 miles longer with the approval of the
requested extension west along CSAH #1 from the #15 and
#1 intersection. Many thanks to John Wetrosky of the Pine
River Chamber for leading this effort!
BENEFITS OF BYWAY MEMBERSHIP
Why should I join? What do I get out of it? Those questions
go through our heads every time any organization seeks our
membership.
Today, the PBSBA offers the following list outlining the
value you get for your dollars. With your support,
the list will grow longer each year.
- Development of area amenities, free to the public, such
as hiking trails, informational pull-off spots, paved shoulders.
- Investment in the preservation of the stories of our areaÍs
past and development of diverse ways of telling those stories.
- Promotion of the simple pleasure of enjoying our natural
and scenic beauty through the time-honored tradition of
family drives.
- Opportunity to be part of the creation of a multi-community
theme around the PBSB route, adding a sense of unity among
the 14 Byway jurisdictions.
Join today. Let your dollars start doing good things tomorrow.
SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO:
Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Assoc.
PO Box 401
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association is a 501c3 non-profit
group. The organization’s financial institution is Lakes
State Bank, Pequot Lakes.
Already a Byway Assoc. member? Great! Encourage
a friend or colleague to join!
Call 218-543-4714 for more information.
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