Jamestown   (CSi)  The Jamestown Tourism Grant/Executive Board met Thursday at the CSi Technology Center at Historic Franklin School, to hear requests for dollars from the City Promotion Capital Construction Fund.

Requests are taken twice a year on March 1st, and October 1st.

Board members present were:  President Matt Woods, Tena Lawrence, Janna Bergstedt and Mitzi Hager.

At Thursday’s meeting the board reviewed Goals and Objectives of Capital Construction Fund.

Tourism Director Searle Swedlund pointed out that the total annual funds available are $80,000, with the goal for this fund to allocate no more than $43,000.

On hand to present requests were:

The 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse – Steve Reidburn

The Alfred Dickey Library/Louis L’Amour – Joe Rector

Fort Seward – Keith Norman

Frontier Village – Tina Busche

 

The 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse Committee represented by Site Supervisor,  Steve Reidburn applied for $8,000 with the project estimated to cost $13,800.

The project entails renovation of the courtroom doors and hardware, with plans to finish the project in time for the start of the 2018 tourist season, beginning on Memorial Day.

Additional funding is from the North Dakota State Historical Society, and the 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse Committee.  In kind support comes from volunteer help, and donations to the site.

The board recommend funding the full amount of $8,000.

 

Funds were requested by the Alfred Dickey Public Library for the Louis L’Amour project, represented by Library Director, Joe Rector.

He said the Friends of the Library is requesting the full amount of the project costs at $23,007, with plans to complete the project in time for the library’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2019.

Project work includes, electrical work, an interactive kiosk, purchase of artifacts, books, images and installation, photo a television for display, and other installation needs.

The board recommended funding at 18,000.

Rector added other plans include erecting a statue to Louis L’Amour in front of the Alfred Dickey Public Library, and a display to honor the Alfred Dickey family.

 

The Fort Seward request, made on behalf of Keith Norman, is for improvements to the Interpretive Center, to improve visitor experience.  Included is production of a 10-15 minute video to explain why Fort Seward existed, and what life was like at the Fort.

Project intent is to upgrade the displays and change the focus of the Interpretive Center to telling the story of the men who served at Fort Seward rather than simply displaying a few nails and pottery shards they left behind.

He said this will also increase the time that visitor spends at the Interpretive Center and in Jamestown and increase the likelihood of them returning to Jamestown.

The update will also improve the appearance of the museum to bring it up to speed as a modern interpretive center rather than a display of old nails and broken pottery in display cases.

The funding request was for $11, 170.61 which the total was approved for funding.

 

Frontier Village represented by Secretary Tina Busche, requested fund for improvements to the large caboose, in the amount of $18,430. Dedicated funds for the project amount to $2,795.98.

The total cost of the project is $21,226.

Planned improvements to the caboose include:  A new roof, walls, floor, siding, windows and decking on exterior landings.

She said research has been done concerning a way to tell the history of the Midland Continental Railroad caboose, that ran north and south of Jamestown.  A display is planned for a panel to be placed outside and unattached to the caboose.

On Thursday, tourism granted a request in the amount of  $5,829 from the City Promotion Capital Construction Fund.

The board voted to fund an additional $10,000 from funds allocated at the monthly Grant/Executive Board meeting, with the stipulation that the Frontier Village shows, on paper, more concrete plans on how the historical aspects on projects including the medical building are to implemented.

The total amount of funds approved on Thursday were $42,999.61.