Grant Will Go Toward Creating a Guide to the Planning and Use of Fishtown

Leland, MI, June 7, 2010 – The Fishtown Preservation Society (FPS) has been awarded a $50,000 grant by the Midwest Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation from the Jeffris Heartland Fund. The seed money is a matching grant for a project to create a Historic Structures Report, which FPS will use to guide the planning and care of Fishtown, a century-old commercial fishing village along the Leland River in Leland, Michigan.

As part of the project, the grant will provide funds for an extensive report that will include a history of Fishtown, architectural drawings of the existing buildings, and develop building and landscape treatment and work recommendations for Fishtown.  FPS is working with a group of professional partners to develop the project, including Hopkins Burns Design Studio, Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio, and Laurie K. Sommers, Cultural Consulting.

“Funding made possible by the Jeffris Family Foundation for the Jeffris Heartland Fund will help towns across the Midwest preserve the historic places that have anchored their communities for generations,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “At a time when the national economy is experiencing profound challenges, funding from sources like the Jeffris Family Foundation is especially critical to ensure that the historic fabric of our smaller towns is not lost forever.”

For over ten years, the Jeffris Family Foundation has served as a catalyst to community support for historic preservation by making capital challenge grants to community-based projects in Wisconsin.  In 2008, the Jeffris Heartland Fund was established to expand its scope to the entire Midwest, including the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.  Grants are awarded to nonprofit groups and public agencies, with priority going to projects in smaller cities and towns where funding sources are typically more limited.

About Fishtown Preservation Society

Fishtown is a working waterfront with a cultural fishing heritage that draws thousands of visitors each year to the Leelanau Peninsula and Leland.  A special place that portrays commercial fishing and maritime heritage, Fishtown is home to a broad and rich history and is an important economic asset to the region.  FPS acquired ownership of the site to preserve its historical integrity and ensure that it continues as a publicly accessible and authentic connection to regional history, Great Lakes fishing and maritime traditions.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.

Biking, paddling, and running enthusiasts will head to Northern Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula for the second annual M-22 Challenge Triathlon on Saturday, June 12, while in Leelanau County, participants and spectators alike will find the best in locally produced wine and cuisine that same day at the Leland Wine & Food Festival.
The County’s unparalleled scenery offers triathlon participants an opportunity to compete in a challenging and breathtakingly beautiful event.

Starting in Leelanau County’s Glen Arbor, the M-22 Challenge is designed to testathletes against Lake Michigan’s coastal terrain and the area’s environmental elements.“The course promises an unforgettable experience. With a bike race around Bigand Little Glen Lakes; an exciting paddle “anything” event through crystal clearLittle Glen Lake; and a final challenge of a three mile run which includes a duneclimb in the heart of the Sleeping Bear National Park overlooking Lake Michigan,the event just may be the most picturesque triathlon in the country,” stated eventorganizer Matt Myers.

Just 15 miles along the scenic M-22 highway to the Leland Harbor and steps from historic Fishtown, visitors will find the 25th annual Leland Wine & Food Festival beginning at Noon that same day, Saturday, June 12th.

The Leland Wine & Food Festival is a northern Michigan tradition (Michigan’s first wine and food festival) held on the second Saturday in June. Visitors traveling highway M-22 to the Harbor will enjoy tasting wines from local wineries and tasting specialties from local restaurateurs and purveyors. Live music is presented in the park all day and offers guests uncompromising views of Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands. A $12 admission includes an etched wine glass and two tickets for wine tasting.

Registration for the Second Annual M-22 Challenge opens March 1, 2010 and is limited to 300 ONLY participants. All participants must register online at www.m22challenge.com to compete. A portion of proceeds from the M-22 Challenge benefit the Leelanau Conservancy.

Both the M-22 Challenge and brand are founded by kiteboarders Matt and Keegan Myers, both in search of epic wind and waves. M-22 was created to express the common passion for Northern Michigan. M-22 is not just a road; it’s a way of life. It’s bays, beaches and bonfires; dunes and vineyards; cottages, friends and family. It is the feeling one get when one realizes ‘there is no other place I would rather be’.