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DCA identifies Iowa’s new Great Places
Lt. Governor Patty Judge to formally
recognize new Great Places Monday
DES MOINES –
The Department of Cultural Affairs today
announced Marquette/McGregor, Spencer,
Warren County and West Union as Iowa ’s
next Great Place
The announcement came after the Iowa
Great Places Citizen Advisory Board
concluded a three-day tour of the four
finalist locations and made its
recommendations to DCA Director Cyndi
Pederson. Pederson approved the advisory
board’s recommendations, bringing the
total number of Iowa Great Places to 20.
Lt.
Governor Patty Judge will formally
recognize Iowa ’s new Great Places at 1
p.m. Monday at the Capitol Building .
The newly identified Great Places are
expected to develop work plans and sign
Memorandums of Understanding with the
state later this year.
“This has
been a terrific week for Iowa ,”
Pederson said. “We received letters of
intent from 19 different communities,
and four went through the application
process this year. They shared their
hopes and dreams for the future and
showed remarkable commitment to their
place and to the program. The interest,
enthusiasm and energy shows there are
people all over this state with the
passion to achieve their vision.”
Iowa Great
Places is a program that calls on state
agencies to partner with Iowans by
combining state resources with local
assets to make Iowa ’s communities,
neighborhoods, districts and regions
great places where people want to live,
work and raise a family.
The
program asks Iowans to develop proposals
that address seven unique and authentic
dimensions that make places special:
engaging experiences; rich, diverse
populations and cultures; a vital,
creative economy; clean and accessible
natural and built environments;
well-designed infrastructure; a shared
attitude of optimism that welcomes new
ideas; and based on a diverse and
inclusive cultural mosaic.
State
agencies continue to work with Iowa’s
previously identified Great Places –
Adams County, Appanoose County, Charles
City, Clinton, Coon Rapids, Council
Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Dubuque,
Fairfield, Guttenberg, Jackson County,
Mason City, Perry, Sioux City and Valley
Junction of West Des Moines – to achieve
their visions by identifying technical
assistance and existing programs such as
grant and financial aid programs, and
the State Historic Preservation Tax
Credit program.
Following
is a list of this year’s newly
identified Great Places, their visioning
themes and proposed projects:
Marquette/McGregor
“The Great Spirit of Iowa ”
·
Driftless
Area Wetland Center .
·
Emma Big
Bear Nature Trails & Nature Shelter.
·
Marquette-Joliet Wildlife Observatory
·
Andrew
Clemens Art Center.
Spencer
“Sparkle
in Spencer & Ignite Your Imagination”
-
Spencer’s Grand Enhancements – Grand
Avenue Boulevard & Bridge
Revitalization.
-
Spencer Community Theatre Remodel &
Expansion.
-
Parker
Historical Museum Remodel &
Expansion.
-
Adaptive Reuse of the Historic 1914
Old High School & 1937 Auditorium.
-
“Pathway to Information”- bringing
Spencer’s cultural & historic assets
to its people.
-
Continued expansion of the Little
Sioux River Trail.
Warren
County
“… your natural choice”
-
Scotch
Ridge Center & Trails – 47-acre
tract that will link Carlisle and
Warren County to the Principal
Riverwalk in downtown Des Moines .
-
Indianola Memorial Trail &
Amphitheater.
-
Year-round stage for Balloon Classic
Facility.
-
National
Balloon Museum Addition and
Educational Center.
-
Technical assistance for the Blank
Performing Arts Center.
West Union
“A Green Pilot Community”
-
West
Union
has been chosen by the Department of
Economic Development as one of two
state communities that will be pilot
statewide programs for Green
Initiatives.
-
Redesign of the downtown
streetscape.
-
Redesign that will make West Union
neighborhoods walkable/bikeable.
-
Redesign of the Courthouse Square
Plaza .
-
Energy
efficient, zero-water runoff with
geothermal sidewalks and ice and
snow removal.
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THE 100 BEST SMALL-TOWN GETAWAYS – FROM MIDWEST LIVING
MAGAZINE
DES
MOINES (April 19, 2007) – When a free weekend comes
along, everyone wants to use it wisely. And no one knows
more great places to spend a getaway than Midwest Living.
The editors have been visiting the region’s small towns for
20 years, and their list of 100 Best Small-Town Getaways
guarantees readers will find the perfect place to escape for
a little shopping, sightseeing and relaxing.
Since Midwest Living’s first issue in 1987, its editors
have been on a continual quest to uncover the best cities
and towns. For this official Top 100 list, the editors
looked specifically at the 8,500 towns with populations less
than 20,000 in the Midwest and added a layer of research
that spanned several months and ranked towns in 12
categories: attractions, vibe, scenery, walkability,
shopping, dining, lodging, arts scene, outdoor activities,
proximity to major cities, multiday potential and wild card
(for special events such as festivals)
Our great communities of Marquette and McGregor were
listed as number 69 of the 100 Best Small-Town Getaways.
Only seven other Iowa towns were listed among the '100
Best'. We are proud to be regarded so
highly for all that our area has to offer!
69. Marquette/McGregor, IA
Neighboring towns appealingly situated along the
Mississippi, river views in Pikes Peak State Park.
About Midwest Living
Midwest Living magazine (www.midwestliving.com),
published by Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), is a regional
publication that celebrates the richness of life in the
Midwest. Founded in 1987, the magazine is dedicated to
providing its readers a wealth of region-specific
information and inspiration, focusing on travel and events,
food and dining, and home and garden, as well as other
editorial content categories. Midwest Living magazine,
which reaches 3.8 million readers, is published bi-monthly
and has a rate base of 925,000
McGregor was featured this year in the
New York Times Travel section!
Read
all about it here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/travel/escapes/10house.html
Marquette and McGregor were
listed as Iowa's number one Summer Fun Destination in the
June 3, 2007 issue of the
Des Moines Register
Summertime fun in Iowa beckons
Short weekend road trips gain popularity as drivers shy away
from high prices at the gas pump
By TOM PERRY
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Marquette and McGregor are two small, picturesque villages a
few miles apart on the banks of the Mississippi River in
northeast Iowa.
In addition to impressive river views, you'll find
19th-century mansions, antique stores, museums, natural
wonders and recreational opportunities.
Check us out in the September/October issue of
Iowa Outdoors!
Lost In Iowa ~ Road Trip

Autumn Gold in God's Country
By Jennifer
Wilson
"Ancient effigy mounds, 500-foot
bluffs and cold springs
abound along the Father of Waters in magical
Marquette and McGregor. From high atop Pikes Peak, let
fall colors ignite your soul."
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