I witnessed it, in its entirety and I know it works. I was a tourist. Nothing more. I was a spectator. It works incredibly well. They didn't cut down trees either.
The Traverse City Film Festival will be celebrating it's ninth year this year. I think that is correct. It just finished up a new venue of ART in the Winter Comedy Festival.
The TCFF was begun at the same time "The State Theater" was coveted by a very controversial and despised documentarian by the name of Michael Moore. The Oscar award winner for "Bowling for Columbine."
Michael is from Flint. It is where he was raised by a man employed by the USA auto industry. It is where his mother made dinner and watched as her neighbors moved away when the plants closed. It is easy to say, he loves Michigan. So, when he looked for solace during the time when Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney unleashed their war machine regardless of UN assessments and against every humanitarian directive on the planet, he found The State Theater.
To say that Front Street of Traverse City was boarded up is an understatement. It was a city in deterioration and Michael decided he needed a home for his movies and the movies of his community. He literally turned to neighbors and asked for monies to begin a legacy to documentarians and the need for justice they seek.
The State Theater was a sound building, but, it was out of repair of its interiors and in gross need of attention. The idea to refurbish fell on the idea and loyalty of people 'who believed.' There was no reason for Traverse City to turn around. There was no real tourism, except, for a few upscale lodges that were self-contained in their ability to entertain a clientele. Literally, Big Bear Lodge has it's own log flume. Or is it water slides? I think it is water slides, they just seem like log flumes.
At any rate, the natural world was the bragging rights of Traverse City before the State Theater reopened due to a non-profit that would give a place for filmmakers.
Today, the art community, regardless of Interlochen which has an international focus, is vibrant. The City Opera House, the Old Town Playhouse are all in excellent condition due to the revitalization of The State Theater.
Front Street in Traverse City now hosts all kinds of small businesses. Some are franchises, but, most are independent business owners. Their business model it to have every store front be diversified in their products to prevent implosion of their client base. It works. One can walk into many of the store fronts and ask for ice cream. While there the client might be shopping for greeting cards or the latest artistic nicknack or curio.
The economy that swirls around The State Theater, which supplies a community space, not just an entertainment space. They have a variety of special options on a weekly basis to the community. It is where people gathered to watch the inauguration of President Obama. But, the economy that literally is enthusiastic along Front Street required investment, not just a harvest. As a matter of fact, there are dearly few wood carvers seeking harvested wood so much as driftwood from Lake Michigan in the bay beach fronts.
So, to say the state of leadership in Michigan is more than sad when a completely OBVIOUS model for revitalization exists, is extremely accurate.
Detroit could use re-vitalization. It could use INVESTMENT to bring about change in a meaningful way. But, to provide Emergency Managers as the only method of revitalization to sell off and destroy cities is not a democracy and is even more proof of failed leadership.
Today, President Obama can stand proud of his accomplishments with an economy that should still be in the depths of a depression. He didn't accomplish the revitalization of the USA's economy by selling lumber. Quite the contrary, he valued the beauty of national parks and INVESTED in making them more precious and beautiful and safe so there would be more visitors and more income to the parks and to the local communities. President Obama invested. He still stands on investment and seeks to drive the USA economy into prosperity and low levels of unemployment.
Investment works. Whether it is a group of enthusiastic citizens and/or government seeking to provide quality of life to citizens, it works. It not only works, but, it works well.
Snyder and his Republicans in the State House need to go and there are very sound reasons to decide in the favor of a government that works for Michigan and brings investment to it's beautiful lake shores.
The Traverse City Film Festival will be celebrating it's ninth year this year. I think that is correct. It just finished up a new venue of ART in the Winter Comedy Festival.
The TCFF was begun at the same time "The State Theater" was coveted by a very controversial and despised documentarian by the name of Michael Moore. The Oscar award winner for "Bowling for Columbine."
Michael is from Flint. It is where he was raised by a man employed by the USA auto industry. It is where his mother made dinner and watched as her neighbors moved away when the plants closed. It is easy to say, he loves Michigan. So, when he looked for solace during the time when Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney unleashed their war machine regardless of UN assessments and against every humanitarian directive on the planet, he found The State Theater.
To say that Front Street of Traverse City was boarded up is an understatement. It was a city in deterioration and Michael decided he needed a home for his movies and the movies of his community. He literally turned to neighbors and asked for monies to begin a legacy to documentarians and the need for justice they seek.
The State Theater was a sound building, but, it was out of repair of its interiors and in gross need of attention. The idea to refurbish fell on the idea and loyalty of people 'who believed.' There was no reason for Traverse City to turn around. There was no real tourism, except, for a few upscale lodges that were self-contained in their ability to entertain a clientele. Literally, Big Bear Lodge has it's own log flume. Or is it water slides? I think it is water slides, they just seem like log flumes.
At any rate, the natural world was the bragging rights of Traverse City before the State Theater reopened due to a non-profit that would give a place for filmmakers.
Today, the art community, regardless of Interlochen which has an international focus, is vibrant. The City Opera House, the Old Town Playhouse are all in excellent condition due to the revitalization of The State Theater.
Front Street in Traverse City now hosts all kinds of small businesses. Some are franchises, but, most are independent business owners. Their business model it to have every store front be diversified in their products to prevent implosion of their client base. It works. One can walk into many of the store fronts and ask for ice cream. While there the client might be shopping for greeting cards or the latest artistic nicknack or curio.
The economy that swirls around The State Theater, which supplies a community space, not just an entertainment space. They have a variety of special options on a weekly basis to the community. It is where people gathered to watch the inauguration of President Obama. But, the economy that literally is enthusiastic along Front Street required investment, not just a harvest. As a matter of fact, there are dearly few wood carvers seeking harvested wood so much as driftwood from Lake Michigan in the bay beach fronts.
So, to say the state of leadership in Michigan is more than sad when a completely OBVIOUS model for revitalization exists, is extremely accurate.
Detroit could use re-vitalization. It could use INVESTMENT to bring about change in a meaningful way. But, to provide Emergency Managers as the only method of revitalization to sell off and destroy cities is not a democracy and is even more proof of failed leadership.
Today, President Obama can stand proud of his accomplishments with an economy that should still be in the depths of a depression. He didn't accomplish the revitalization of the USA's economy by selling lumber. Quite the contrary, he valued the beauty of national parks and INVESTED in making them more precious and beautiful and safe so there would be more visitors and more income to the parks and to the local communities. President Obama invested. He still stands on investment and seeks to drive the USA economy into prosperity and low levels of unemployment.
Investment works. Whether it is a group of enthusiastic citizens and/or government seeking to provide quality of life to citizens, it works. It not only works, but, it works well.
Snyder and his Republicans in the State House need to go and there are very sound reasons to decide in the favor of a government that works for Michigan and brings investment to it's beautiful lake shores.
