The middle of June - Almostfo

It has been a few busy weeks here in Iowa. Planning for Vern's Historic Metals Workshop goes forward. We have a few people that say they will sign up. If we get 10 that would be great. Just last night a college student was very interested, so we will see. The good thing is that we have very nearly covered the costs of the workshop with the music on Tuesday nights at Lonnski's. And that money is being matched to a grant from Brownell's Inc. in Montezuma. They see a community effort and reward it. Yeah for our team.

Our transition from the umbrella of GPCF should be finished by June 15. Things take so long, it can be quite frustrating. But waiting and being patient allows for others to catch up and hopefully have time to commit to the team.

The bridge lift is still scheduled for early July, when water flows go down. If we get the SHPO grant, the engineering will commence immediately and because we will have our legal stuff complete by then, we should be able to go forward with some restoration.

Grants Delivered

You know there is just something about hand delivery to the right person on the day the application is due. But it took every ounce of intent to get this application done correctly, and I'm glad that I took the time to go back over the guide just to make sure that I had done the math right. And, I had not. Had to go back and do it all over again, and I still don't know that I did it spot on. I found one date mistake and one extra period when I reread the entire thing, after delivery of course. I couldn't have found that one if I had tried before printing. The search for perfection goes on. Making sure that I have the PepsiRefresh grant ready to go so that can be sent in directly on June 1. Grinnell responds pretty well to online surveys and we all have a lot of circles of friends that I know will help. One never knows. You just have to show up, that is one of the lessons of the Grateful Dead. You can't have that kind of fun unless you show up.

Now the waiting game, for GMRC, for SHPO, for Music, Fun and Food....

I was just enlightened on the politics of YES. Here is what I learned, the County said yes, because why not. No one expected us to make this happen and yet here we are happening! and then the powers that be wanting to be in power start going, "oh, but wait"!. sorry, not waiting....you should have taken me seriously long before this.

Mid May - Reallly?

We are now our own official non-profit with a bank account to accept donations. Woo Hoo. It takes a long time to get most things done around here. I'm not quite sure why, business doesn't move this slowly, perhaps it should.

Anyway, life goes on. Requested 7000 from GMRC to fund the music that funds the funds for the fundraisers. Should know on that sometime next week. Putting in the HDRP grant on Wednesday, a full 5 days before it is due on the 17th. that is good too.

I have Vern's Historic Metals Seminar outline and am just looking for the welding lab to do the work in. Anybody close to Grinnell a welder? Give me a call.

June 29 & 30
8am - 5 pm
$150 for 16 hours
$75 if you will be a volunteer
lunch provided

Nothing is easy, ever. Don't forget.

So, rather than getting a quick resolution from the County Attorney, the DNR Director has now said that it is not safe for the bridge to go back in the same place. I don't know what his safety issues are, and it is not his project anymore, so cost should not be his issue. I just think he doesn't really want us out there.

So what to do. I've called in the big guns at the State Historical Preservation Office and we will see what needs to be done. I will be going there next week for a meeting with the Director. She also encouraged me to break down the grant writing process and deal with the bridge lift with the matching funds that we currently have in place. Pretty cool and a good idea.

Getting ready to put our needs out on the Pepsi Refresh grant site, so all you watchers will have to go and vote for that.

Going Forward

My job has been defined to looking and writing for grants, getting all of the details settled for the big bridge lift, creating the event for Vern and creating the music scene with benefits including increased awareness and eventual monies for the bridge.

To that end our last event grossed $281 less band expense (100). Not bad for #2. Word of mouth, a bit of guerilla advertising, facebook have all been great tools for getting the word out. It doesn't hurt that these musicians are some of the most talented. I helped subsidize the first raffle to establish the value and now we are on to the 2nd - a year's worth of haircuts from MickeyPat's in Grinnell. This is $120 value - raffle tickets are on sale now.

The event brought more musicians to the table and they knew others. It seems like we have the potential to have great fun with this - planning through the end of June with Vern's Seminar being the culmination of this run. Next fall - September through November - more Tuesdays? IT's been discussed.

midApril closing in

Time to figure out how to raise the last funds for the big bridge lift. Any ideas. Bakesales, bunny hops, egg rolls, kayaks, canoes. More, big donations would be great. Who has $1000 for us?

How to Raise Money in a Storm

Put it off to next week. Hail, wind, rain and power failure put a stop to the Lonnski's Pub & Deli benefit for the Skunk River Bridge. David Zollo had just finished his first set and the night was over. not much money raised, but a rain date has been established for May 4th. Almost Acoustic Tuesdays advertised in the Datebook Section of the Des Moines Register so that is good. Andrew Fleming is next.
Still working for the lift of the bridge, rain doesn't help. We'll see ya in the spring. Off to grant writing in a big way.