SN 9-10-2022

Page 2/The Sun and News, Saturday, September 10, 2022

Middleville Art Walk campaign nabs another grant

James Gemmell Contributing Writer The good news keeps coming for the amphitheater Art Walk project in downtown Middleville. A crowdfunding campaign was launched in mid- June, soliciting a minimum of $25,000 in donations in order to earn a matching grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s (MEDC) Public Spaces Community Places program. A total of $25,931 was raised with contributions from 736 donors. And now, the Middleville Downtown Development Authority has announced another grant of $21, has been awarded for the

project through the MEDC’s Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program. The funds will be distributed through The Right Place Inc. Altogether, nine projects in West Michigan are receiving grant funding totaling $3.4 million. The RAP incentive program is disbursing $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to address the impact of the COVID- pandemic in Michigan com- munities. “This $3 million in funding will spur more than $ million in placemaking project investments,” Tim Mroz said in a news release. He is Senior Vice President of Community Development

for The Right Place. “We must continue to invest in bold place-making initia- tives that provide an incred- ible quality of life for Michiganders, while also serving as a magnet to attract new ,talented people to the region.” Among other things, the funds for the Art Walk project will pay for three flat, tiered seating levels to be built around the amphitheater in Middleville. It also will fund the purchase and installation of more sculp- tures near the amphitheater and trail alongside the Thornapple River in Sesquicentennial Park. “I’m really happy the way our community and our businesses came together and helped make all this happen,” DDA Chairwoman Kim Jachim said. At least $50,000 was required for the project to proceed. The $25,931 that was raised in the crowdfunding campaign, com- bined with the $25, MEDC matching grant, had brought the total to $50, by Aug. 26.

With the RAP grant that was announced Sept. 7, the funding total is now $72,181. As with the MEDC grant, the RAP grant also required a matching amount to be raised before it could be awarded. DDA Director Katherine Bussard said the $25,000- plus raised in the crowdfunding campaign can be used as a match for both grant programs. “So, instead of having to come up with $50,000 (in community donations), we’re able to spend that $25,931 once and have it satisfy the requirements for a community investment in both of the (grant) programs,” Bussard said. “We didn’t plan on getting both grants. We thought we’d get one or the other. So, the additional funding means we can invest in bigger and better art for the space, and nicer-quality art. Maybe, more pieces of art in that area.” The project has raised $46,250 total in grant mon- ies, leveraged from the

$25,931 in donor contributions through the crowdfunding campaign, which was run by the DDA and the Thornapple Arts Council. “So, basically, the investment of the community through that crowdfunding wasn’t just matched once. It was almost matched twice because of the impact of these two grants,” Bussard said. With the additional funding, she said the DDA may consider adding a conceptu- al Phase 2 or Phase 3 to the

amphitheater and Art Walk activation project. Bussard said the DDA art committee will be meeting soon to dis- cuss it and then talk about recommendations with the full DDA board. The project will require Middleville Village Council approval. The DDA board will award the construction con- tract sometime this fall. The project was put out to bid earlier this year. The DDA art committee and the public will collaborate on which art pieces will be installed.

that falls into the sub genre known as “steampunk” – a form of science fiction inspired by 19th century industrial steam-powered machinery. An example of the form was the 1999 movie adaptation of the classic tele- vision show “Wild Wild West” that starred Will Smith

and Kevin Kline. “(The story is) kind of a rip on Peter Pan, where there’s a street gang of little thieves, and they can’t agree what the group name is,” Bauer said. “They came up with the Really Angry Turtles and the Rambunctious Angry Teens.

It’s kind of a joke through- out the play.” Auditions for the play will take place Sept. 13, with the cast list to be posted three days later. Bauer expects about 40 to 50 students to be involved in the production between cast members and crew.

“Everyone is excited about the play. We’re a little bit more excited (because we wrote it),” Emilee Ferris said. “We’re more eager to get started.” The play is scheduled Nov. 10-12. Shows are scheduled from 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and two

shows on Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. Bauer said that she has heard concerns from a few parents about the idea of a student-written play and whether it would be any good. She has no such wor- ries. “They did a really, really

good job. It’s just a delight- fully good play,” Bauer said. “It’s hilarious in the parts where the kids (in) the little street gangs argue, and then it has an overarching story that actually has meaning to it. I’m just so impressed with the results. I do hope people come to see it.”

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Gun Lake Tribal Council

members begin new term Members of Gun Lake Tribe’s tribal council were sworn into office on Sept. 1. Three Tribal Council seats were up for vote in August. The members of tribal council elected include one new member, Virginia Sprague- Vanderband, along with two incumbents — Nicole Overbeck and Chairman Bob Peters. The newest council member, Virginia Sprague- Vanderband, has been a large part of the tribal community for decades. Her most recent position as executive director of orga- nizational development

and training began back in 2010 with Gun Lake Casino. “We welcome Virginia to tribal council and look for- ward to the fresh viewpoint that she will bring to the leadership of Gun Lake Tribe,” said tribal council chairman Bob Peters. The results of the recent tribal election left the position of tribal council treasurer vacant. During its Sept. 1 meeting, tribal council voted to place Nicole Overbeck in this position. “Many thanks are due to Tomie Williamson for her years of service to the citizens of Gun Lake Tribe,”

said Peters. “Tomie was tribal council’s treasurer during some of the most challenging times we’ve seen in recent years, and it has not gone unnoticed by the rest of tribal council and the citizens she served.” Chairman Peters has been a member of the tribal council since 2014 and council member Overbeck has been on the council since 2018. As a federally recog- nized Indian tribe, Gun Lake Tribe is a sovereign nation with the powers of self-government. As such, tribal council is the elected governing body, comprised

of seven Gun Lake tribal citizens. Serving council members are elected for a four-year term, with terms being staggered based on the voting district repre- sented. Each council member must run for and gain re-election during their cycle in order to retain their seat on Gun Lake

tribal council. The Match-E-Be-Nash- She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe) has a rich his- tory in West Michigan and close connection to the land. The Bradley Indian Mission, located near Wayland, is the historic res- idential and cultural center

point of the tribal community. The tribe’s ancestors, and political predecessors, signed treaties with the United States government dating back to 1795. The tribe was re-affirmed to federal recognition in 1999.

Bob Peters Nicole Overbeck Virginia Sprague- Vanderband

SN 9-10-2022

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