CAWACO funds again
by Ron Gholson, Blount Countian, August 26, 2010
Palisades Park $5000 grant participants, (front row from left): Frances Frengel, Joan Ledford, Juanita Turley (all representing Council of Garden Clubs); state Rep. Elwyn Thomas; CAWACO project manager Patti Pennington. (Back row): Janice Graves, John Graves (Council of Garden Clubs); Palisades Park board chairman Bob Turley; Heidi Richards, CAWACO coordinator; and Jeff Todd, Palisades Park manager.
Continuing a long tradition of supporting community projects in Blount County with critical funding, CAWACO Resource Conservation and Development Council Monday celebrated support for three more local projects totaling $12,500. The projects included grants to Palisades Park, Blount County Memorial Museum, and the Blount County Community Arts Council.
Palisades Park received $5000 to create a “Trail of Trees,” an education project to teach children and park users to identify species of native trees. It consisted of building a 1000-foot trail and installing ID stations providing information on each selected tree. A brochure to accompany the stations on the trail was also created.
Blount County Memorial Museum $2500 grant participants (from left): Drayton Cosby, CAWACO public affairs consultant; Amy Rhudy, museum curator, Heidi Richards, CAWACO coordinator; Patti Pennington, CAWACO project manager; and state Rep. Elwyn Thomas.
The Museum received $2500 to buy furniture and an additional computer and software for museum patrons to use for geneological research. Geneological records stored on microfilm were also converted to data that can be accessed by computer.
The Community Arts Council received $5000 to bring to the county the 2010 Missoula Children’s Theater program providing exposure to professional dramatic productions to county children, and the Three on a String cultural enrichment concert last fall.
Blount County Community Arts Council $5000 grant participants (from left): Drayton Cosby; Amy Rhudy, standing in for Blount County Community Arts Council (but not appropriating its grant money); Heidi Richards; Patti Pennington; Elwyn Thomas.
“I’d like to say thanks to CAWACO for their continuing interest and long-time support of many and varied Blount County community projects,” said state Rep. Elwyn Thomas. “These three projects today are representative of their work. CAWACO has been and continues to be the primary source for community projects like these, and consequently, I try to be a primary source of their funding support in the state Legislature. We’re a small rural county and we need to make the best possible use of resources. CAWACO helps us do that, and we greatly appreciate their untiring efforts on our behalf.”
