Six years after having to close down it’s operations in 2006, the Newaygo County Museum is planning to open it’s doors again midway through 2012. In a new location (12 Quarterline) that is situated  right downtown, they are currently open this Winter by Appointment.

There are some various volunteer opportunities with this re-opening that include:

-Artifacts Committee (Care & Maintenance of artifacts; designing displays)
-Fundraising/Public Relations Committee (Organize fundraisers, Promoting the Museum)
-Education Committee (Assemble & Promote Educational Artifact Boxes; School Tours)
-Museum Docents (Welcome patrons to the Museum during open hours)
-Technical/Record Keeping (Keep records of artifacts using Past Perfect program)

Their ultimate goal is to ‘generate interest and support from the community in order to operate a museum that will present and preserve our history for our children.’

More details and contact information will be released closer to the grand re-opening. You may also visit www.ncshg.org/museum.htm

The CVB Fall Photo Contest winners have been announced!  

Fall Scenery: Kim DeLong (71 likes)!
Fall Activities: Katy Marshlafiff (25 likes)!

Congratulations!

Please look at all the great photos on our Facebook page.  Our Winter contest is starting today so start taking pictures!

Entry rules: The photos must be taken in/of Newaygo County. By submitting these photos, you are giving the CVB the right to use them on our Newaygo County Tourism website, which is linked to our facebook. You will receive photo credit.

Newyago CVB Website: www.newaygocountytourism.com

How to Enter: Email your photo with your name, phone number, and which category you are submitting your photo to. Once your photo is approved, it will be posted to the Newaygo County CVB facebook page.

How to Vote: To vote, you must “like” the Newaygo County CVB facebook page. Go to our photo album listed “Newaygo County CVB’s Photo Contest”, click on the photo album you would like to vote on, and then click the picture you feel gets your vote. You may vote once in each category.

How to Win: Winning is easy! Get the most likes on your photo on facebook when the contest closes, and we will contact you as soon as possible for you to collect your prize.

Prize: The prize for winning this contest is $100 dollars per category.

Last day to enter: March 31st, 2012

Last day to vote: April 7th, 2012

Good Luck from all of us at The Newaygo County Convention and Visitors Bureau!

The North American Ice Fishing Championship (NAIFC)  Tournament is making a stop here in March of 2012.

Registration: You must register to enter the Tournament by March 2, two days before the actual event on March 4. There is a $200 Entry fee and a Rules Meeting on March 3. If registered late, there is a $20 additional fee on top of the Entry price.

Fish: During the five-hour tournament (which begins at 8am with weigh-in at 1pm), participants will be trying to catch 8 Crappie and 8 Sunfish. The current estimated payout is $21,000.

Schedule:
       – Friday Night Seminar: March 2 (Driftwood Bar & Grill Restaurant)
            -Social Hour 6:00-7:00pm
            -Seminar 7:00pm
            -Round table discussions with NAIFC Pro-Staff after the seminar
       – Saturday Morning Kids Ice Camp: March 3 
            -In class tutorial  10:00am-10:30am (Camp Harvest)
            -On Ice fishing 10:30am- Noon(Croton Dam Pond)
       -Saturday Night Rules Meeting (Driftwood Bar & Grill Restaurant)
            -Mandatory meeting (at least one team member)
            -Dinner with Cash Bar
            -Social Time 5:00-7:00pm
            -Registration  5:00-6:45pm
            -Rules Meeting starts at 7:00pm sharp!
       -Sunday Weigh-In (Location TBD)
            -In Door Weigh-in Starts at 2:00pm

Official Rules: http://www.naifc.com/rules.php

Coordinator: Kathy Roberts (kathy.roberts@naifc.com)
                            (320) 252-0428

Addresses/Phone Numbers:

Driftwood Bar & Grill Restaurant
5972 Croton Hardy Drive
Newaygo, MI 49337
231-652-2686

Camp Harvest
6829 East 72nd Street
Newaygo, MI 49337
231-652-2819

The My Best Midwest Getaway Contest is now on.

How the Contest Works: Encourage your Facebook fans to participate by sharing 300 words or less and or 8 photos of their best Midwest vacation, or perhaps a getaway they’ve been dreaming of taking. This is a great chance for people to brag about their experiences in the area.

How to Enter: Go to www.bestmidwestgetaway.com or www.facebook.com/midwestlivingmag

How to Win: Entries are accepted between August 1 and September 5. Voting begins September 6 and runs through September 18.  Top ten finalists chosen through the public voting period will compete for cash prizes.

Prize Highlights: One (1) grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 check; one (1) first prize winner will receive a $500 check, one (1) second prize winner will receive a check of $250; one (1) third place winner will receive a $150 check, and one (1) fourth place winner will receive a $100 check.

The Stephen F. Wessling Observatory, hosted by the Newaygo County Dark Sky Astronomers, has scheduled a special event for the Perseid Meteor Shower on Friday, August 12, 2011.

The time for this event will be from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight.  Admission on visitors’ nights is $5 for adults and $3 for youths 5-17 years of age and free for children less than 5 years of age.

Visitors are reminded to bring flashlights for walking around the property to the observatory and dress appropriately for the evening’s conditions.  Group reservations for non-scheduled viewing night, no more than 30 individuals, also are available.  For information, call (231) 924-2420 x 5.  For more information on viewing events, times and location please take a look at our website www.sfwobservatory.org

With Michigan’s summer tourism season in full swing, the Pure Michigan Facebook page has reached a record of more than 300,000 fans – the highest number of fans for any state tourism Facebook page in the nation.

The Pure Michigan eNewsletter has also passed the 300,000 subscriber mark. The free eNewsletter recently had a spike in sign-ups, with nearly 30,000 new subscriptions during the month of June.

“Whether through social media, newsletters or our Pure Michigan advertising campaign, our marketing efforts work to attract visitors to Michigan in order to create jobs and generate a positive impact for Michigan’s economy,” said George Zimmermann, Vice President for Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “With so many active fans, the Pure Michigan Facebook page serves as an excellent forum to discover things to do and experience in Michigan.”

To view the full atricle go to, http://mkg.fluencymedia.com/pw/oe/?a8ZKrkdTE9r4RpWMdZvnEE3xABec8nd7y6uygURtiq4gaVC0ddIFTUWoDhNshVHZ0

LANSING — A new website is working to boost the tourism industry by helping people plan their travel.

MiDrive is a traffic website with an interactive map showing warnings for travelers, said Barbara Hicks, a public affairs representative at the Department of Transportation (MDOT).

“The idea is to put all the information of travel on the website and tourists can use it to plan their routes,” Hicks said.

The interactive map includes construction barrels users can click on for information about that location, such as when the construction will end, said Hicks.

“You can search the construction site by counties as well, which makes it very easy for tourists to plan where they want to travel,” Hicks said.

The other elements of the site include weather updates by ZIP codes, traffic incidents and traffic cameras.

“The cameras are called road weather information system cameras in Detroit, Grand Rapids and parts of the Upper Peninsula,” Hicks said.

To Read More on this matter, read the full article at http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-oakland-press/story/technology-aims-encourage-motoring-tourists-0/1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 26, 2011
Governor Snyder Declares August “Michigan Camping & RV Month”
(CHEBOYGAN, Mich) – For generations, Michigan has welcomed campers and RVers to its natural woodlands,freshwater shorelines and beaches, in two distinct peninsulas – nestled in the middle of the Great LakesRegion.
In honor of such tradition, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, along with several legislators, has declared Augustas “Michigan Camping & Recreation Vehicle Month.” Camping is a key contributor to the state’s $17 billiontourism industry. The declaration supports the economic and recreational contributions that the campingindustry contributes to Michigan’s overall tourism.
Both Michiganders and visitors alike take advantage of the state’s array of sun, freshwater coastline, 19 millionacres of woodlands, soft breezes and fresh air, where the temperate climate allows for great camping andoutdoor recreation–making it the ultimate Pure Michigan experience!
Michigan has more than 950 licensed private recreation vehicle parks and campgrounds, with more than111,000 licensed campsites. The state has more than 160 county or government operated campgrounds withover 14,700 sites–from rustic to full-service. Michigan also boasts over 300,000 licensed recreation vehicles,including motorhomes and travel trailers. In 2010, Michigan ranked third in the nation in new recreationvehicle sales.
Camping and RVing encourages visitors and locals alike to partake in activities such as boating, fishing,hunting, snowmobiling, paddling, pedaling, golfing, geocaching, nature watching, photography, and otheroutdoor activities, which also highlight Michigan’s great outdoor parks and recreation areas.
Michigan is home to 98 state parks and recreation areas–as well as 133 state forest campgrounds–under theauspices of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and seven forests/parks/lakeshores in Michiganunder the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. Collectively, Michigan offers 15,000 sites on state and federallands designated for camping.
Michigan’s two non-profit camping organizations: ARVC Michigan–the Association of RV Parks & Campgroundsof Michigan and MARVAC–the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles & Campgrounds equally promoteand support private campground and RV parks throughout the state.
All state lands are managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, while the national parksand lakeshores are managed by the National Park Service and/or the U.S. Forest Service. All campgrounds– including the companion recreational activities – are among the tourism destinations promoted by TravelMichigan and its award-winning Pure Michigan campaign.
###www.MichiganCampingAndRVMonth.com
Media Contacts:
Bill Sheffer, CAEDirector – MARVAC800-422-6478 ext. 11bsheffer@mmhrvca.org
www.MARVAC.org
Tracie FisherDave LorenzMaia StephensDirector – ARVC-MichiganTravel MichiganMichigan DNR517-335-0007989-225-8573tatefisher@hotmail.comLorenzD@Michigan.org stephensm3@michigan.gov
www.MichCampgrounds.com www.Michigan.org

http://michigan.gov/dnr

Hansen sponsors new invasive species legislation

Along with the threat of Asian carp, more than 180 non-native pests, like zebra mussels and the round goby, have infiltrated Michigan waters.

In addition to serious ecological concerns, invasive species have already affected tourism, fishing and related industries in Michigan and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in lost economic benefits.

New Senate legislation will establish a council of experts to determine how to better protect our state from continued invasions.

Under Senate Bills 508-510, the Great Lakes Basin Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Council will work on long- and short-term plans to prevent and eradicate these pests throughout the region.

Because invasives present such a serious threat, it’s going to take a full and thorough effort to eliminate this biological pollution and preserve our Great Lakes way of life.