County leaders work to boost area’s broadband access, adoption and use

A new plan is in the works to stimulate growth in the area economy and enhance the quality of life for Charlevoix County residents through increased access, adoption, and use of broadband technology. Leaders of Charlevoix County are working to identify technology needs and opportunities by becoming a participant in Connect Michigan’s Connected community certification program.

  “Representatives from governments, schools, libraries, and chambers of commerce throughout Charlevoix County are teaming up with the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, the Michigan Public Service Commission and their Connect Michigan program to encourage increased broadband system development and usage in the county,” said Michael Cain, city manager for Boyne City. “We have been working to increase broadband availability in our communities and throughout the entire county for several years and are excited by this new approach offered by Connect Michigan.”

  Charlevoix is a county with lush landscapes and abundant water resources. Many are attracted to the area, but are technologically challenged — particularly in rural areas — because of limited options for broadband services due to natural topographical barriers and a highly dispersed population base, which makes it difficult for providers to make a business case for expanding their networks.

  "The Northern Lakes Economic Alliance hopes to help local communities further the dissemination of broadband throughout the county and region” said Jan Kellogg, NLEA economic development specialist.  “We feel that by working together with Connect Michigan we will be able to identify collaborations and activities that will lead to better broadband coverage and usage."

  “Through this program communities across Michigan are aiming to accelerate the access, adoption, and use of technology to foster an environment that is ripe for improving the economic, educational, healthcare, and governmental resources available to residents and businesses,” said Eric Frederick, Program Manager for Connect Michigan. “The Connected program will help Charlevoix County build awareness of broadband’s benefits and expedite broadband development.”

  Connect Michigan’s community engagement program will guide Charlevoix County through an assessment of its overall broadband and technology status, using criteria that parent organization Connected Nation has developed as a “community certification” model. The program helps train regional team leaders and supports the formation of community planning teams made up of various sector representatives with the goal of creating an actionable plan for expanding the access, adoption, and use of broadband. 

  “Broadband is a great tool, but only if you know how it can help you and have it available,” said Cain. “Connect Michigan is offering all of us in Charlevoix County a great opportunity to work on both the supply and demand ends of broadband and we are looking forward to taking advantage of it.”

# # #

About Connect Michigan:  As a public-private partnership, Connect Michigan partners with technology-minded businesses, government entities and universities to accelerate technology in the state. The work of Connect Michigan is made possible by support from the Michigan Public Service Commission. For more information about what Connect Michigan is doing to accelerate technology in Michigan’s communities, visit www.connectmi.org.

> Follow Connect Michigan on Facebook or Twitter.

300 attend as Boyne Chamber honors business and community leaders

Chamber Board President Ed Grice.

Nearly 300 people braved the cold and snow to attend the Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner at Boyne Mountain Resort. Officials handed out six major awards at the Thursday evening event to honor local residents and business operators who made a significant impact in the community during the last year. Those recognized included local volunteers, business experts and community leaders:

Volunteer of the Year - Cindi Malin of CindiFranco's Cool Stuff

·         Community Pride Award - Boyne City 4th of July Festival Committee

·         Entrepreneur of the Year - Todd Wright and Andy Poineau of Wildwood Rush Zipline Tour

·         Young Entrepreneur of the Year - Kelly Woodard and Ryan Houghton of Bella Vita restaurant

·         Heritage Award - Ray and Karen Guzniczak of Country Now & Then/Up the Lazy River

·         Sally Roselli Business Leadership Award - Mary Palmer, Fred Moore and Jim Cartright of Magnum Hospitality (Cafe Sante and Red Mesa Grill)

·         Fullstory from Petoskey News-Review.

Boyne City: Small-town growth with character

There’s a lot going on in Boyne City. The city’s population surged by more than 6 percent in the last decade, new businesses are open, a factory is under construction and the list of community events never ends. Some say Boyne City is the “jewel of Charlevoix County,” but it’s irrefutable that the town bucked economic trends in recent years and found its niche as a popular place to visit, live or retire. Boyne City’s population increased by 6.6 percent since the 2000 turn-of-the-century census and now stands at 3,735 residents, more than 14 percent of the county’s total population. That bucked trends across the county and region, where population loss dominated. “I think we’re beating most of the trends out there,” said Michael Cain, city manager. Cain attributes the city’s success to community planning efforts. Boyne City keeps an active and award-winning Main Street program to benefit its downtown region, high-speed broadband Internet cables will soon run through town and persistent infrastructure upgrades all combine to poise Boyne City for continued growth, Cain said. “We’re trying to make sure we have a year-round economy that has year-round success,” he said. Full story from Petoskey News-Review. 

Boyne City downtown seeks spot on National Register of Historic Places

Commissioners in Boyne City unanimously agreed to seek recognition for a portion of downtown to be listed as a district on the National Register of Historic Places. The general study area is South Lake Street to Main Street, Water Street from Lake Street to the Dilworth Hotel, the 100-block of South Park Street and a portion of Main Street between Lake and Park streets. If approved, the proposed district would be listed among the cultural resources across the nation that are most worthy of preservation. Full story from Petoskey News-Review.

Bay Winds Credit Union breaks ground for Boyne City office

David Leusink, president/CEO of Bay Winds Federal Credit Union has announced that construction on its new Boyne City branch is underway at 308 N. Lake St. Company officials said It will “help lead the way in the revitalization of the NoBo (North Boyne) business district.” The branch will feature dialog stations, a state-of-the-art customer service concept. Construction is being facilitated through local contractors and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012 at a cost of $1.4 million. At 9,000 transactions a month Bay Winds has outgrown its current facility in the Glen’s Plaza. Dialog banking will provide an ideal mix of technological efficiency in an environment of that fosters dynamic customer service. “We feel it optimizes the best of hi-tech and hi-touch,” said Leusink. The traditional teller line is being replaced with dialog stations thereby creating a side-by-side service environment that is more flexible, functional and consumer friendly. Attending a ground-breaking ceremony on Sept. 16 were CEO David Leusink, city officials, credit union board members and members of Team Boyne, the Main Street economic restructuring committee. Bay Winds website.

Hand-crafted skis now being made in Boyne City as 2 companies move to town

Shaggy's Copper Country Skis will be hosting an Open House at its new factory/showroom on Saturday, Sept. 10. The new facility is located at 01170 M-75 South in Boyne City between Challenge Mountain Resale and the BP Gas Station. The event will start with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. and continues until 6 p.m. The Open House will feature an unveiling of the 2011/12 lineup for Shaggy's Copper Country Skis. Factory tours will be offered, detailing how each ski is handcrafted in Boyne City. Shaggy's will also be giving away free swag including T-shirts and stickers. A drawing will be held for a free pair of skis from the newly unveiled lineup. Shaggy’s is an independent ski company founded in South Lyon, Michigan in 2005. Shaggy's handcrafts snow skis from the start of the core to the layup and final tuning of the skis. Company owner Jeff Thompson said, “We are a family operation that puts our heart and soul into our product. There is no outsourcing at Shaggy’s; we are American-made and we are Pure Michigan.” For more information visit www.sccskis.com.

Additionally, John and Shari Thompson will open the doors of their construction company, Thompson Home Construction, at the same location. Moving their successful construction business of 26 years (from South Lyon) to Boyne City, the couple hopes to serve the community with fast and reliable service. Both licensed Residential Builders, John and Shari bring 26 years of experience in residential and commercial construction. Additionally, John’s 33 years of carpentry experience (rough framing and trim) allow him to accomplish virtually any carpentry job.
To contact either Shaggy's Copper Country Skis or Thompson Home Construction, call (231) 459-4322 or (231) 330-2854. 

Northwestern Bank loan center opens in Boyne City

Northwestern Bank’s Loan Center in Boyne City opened for business on Aug. 25, 2011. The storefront office is located at 104 S. Lake Street, just off Water Street in the downtown retail district and will offer commercial and residential mortgages, business loans, home equity lines of credit and other consumer loans. “We’re excited to be expanding our lending presence in Charlevoix County and in the Boyne City area,” said Northwestern Vice President Steve Weber, who will be managing the Loan Center as well as Northwestern’s Charlevoix office. Joining Weber is Northwestern Bank Mortgage Loan Officer Jessica Porter, who brings more than 10 years of mortgage lending experience. The Boyne City location also has a 24-hour full-service ATM and can accept deposits from Northwestern Bank customers. In addition to the Loan Center in Boyne City, Northwestern serves the Charlevoix and Emmet County areas with an office in Charlevoix, three locations in Petoskey, one in Bay Harbor, and one in Harbor Springs. Northwestern Bank was chartered in 1955 and is now the largest independent community bank in Northern Michigan. A growing financial institution with more than $885 million in assets, the bank is one of the leading mortgage, consumer, and commercial lenders in the region. Based in Traverse City, Northwestern Bank offers complete banking, investment and trust, and employee benefit services from 27 offices throughout northern Lower Michigan. Northwestern is known for its "I can do that!" approach to service, which empowers employees to make decisions on the spot to meet customer needs and exceed their expectations. For more information on Northwestern Bank, go to www.nwbank.com or call (231) 459-4305.