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We're experiencing intermittent issues with customers making payments and updating account balances after payment. We're sorry for any inconvenience & ask that you return later to complete your transaction.
We're experiencing intermittent issues with customers making payments and updating account balances after payment. We're sorry for any inconvenience & ask that you return later to complete your transaction.
We're experiencing intermittent issues with customers making payments and updating account balances after payment. We're sorry for any inconvenience & ask that you return later to complete your transaction.
We're experiencing intermittent issues with customers making payments and updating account balances after payment. We're sorry for any inconvenience & ask that you return later to complete your transaction.
Small Town Visits
Putting Small Towns on the "Must Visit" Map
The city of Big Rapids is doing big things - literally. The Mecosta County community received a $25,000 grant through the 2022 Put Your Town on the Map pitch competition hosted by the Consumers Energy Foundation.
The competition was created to uplift smaller municipalities with populations under 10,000 who have innovative ideas to draw visitors. The city of Big Rapids is using their first-place prize to build a modern skate park in Northern Michigan.
“This new space gives kids a safe and fun place to come together and play outdoors - something not everyone has,” Mark Gifford, Big Rapids City manager.
The 2022 competition also awarded a $15,000 grant to Gaylord in Otsego County and a $10,000 award for Hart in Oceana County.
Lisa Marie Tobin is bringing "Art in the Alley Way" through the Gaylord Area Council for the Arts, helping achieve their mission to foster creativity within the community. The effort will connect the Gaylord Gateway Trailhead to Claude Shannon Park. The project is supported by 15 local businesses and property owners and will be project managed by at-risk youth and their mentors.
“Coming out of the pandemic, vibrant arts and culture in communities are attracting new visitors and residents alike,” Tobin said. “This will lift our community up and allow people to get engaged and feel they are part of the community.”
Hart is living up to its name with their $10,000 grant, which funded a giant tin man statue representing their community's “heart” for those who live, work and play there. The statue inspired a larger “Put the ART in Hart” initiative, with a goal to feature 25 art installations or murals downtown by 2025.
“If you see a 22-foot-tall tin man on the road, you know where he’s heading,” laughed Nichole Kleiner, Hart Community Development Director. “It seemed something unachievable and was such a lofty goal. The total cost was $50,000,” said Kleiner. “Once we won the grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation, the community stepped up and coordinated fundraisers to pay the rest.” The Tin Man is expected to arrive in Hart on June 10.