We'll post the latest updates about how The Grand Vision is going on this page. You can also keep up with The Grand Vision through our email newsletter and our News Page.

Dear Grand Vision friend:

The Grand Vision Decision begins next week! On Oct. 7 we will start asking friends and neighbors across our six counties to fill out a "scorecard" that will allow us to settle on a plan for how we manage growth for the next 50 years.

Vision Decision Scorecards will be widely available throughout the region and on our web site starting Oct.7. Our goal is to get literally thousands of people to fill out and return them by Oct. 28.

But we need your help to make that happen. So, to help you get in the spirit of things and learn exactly how the Grand Vision Decision will work, we're inviting you to one of our Kickoff Events. There's one in every county, and we'd love to see your face in the place!

• Oct. 7th - Regional Kickoff at the State Theater*
• Oct. 9th - Kalkaska High School Auditorium
• Oct. 13th - MSU Horticultural Research Station
• Oct. 13th - Cadillac High School
• Oct. 14th - Shanty Creek Resort
• Oct. 14th - Benzie Central High School Auditorium

All meetings are from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. As is our custom, we'll provide light refreshments, so come early and mingle!

*Please Note - Due to limited seating, you will need to reserve a free ticket if you are going to the Regional Kickoff at the State Theater. It's easy: Just call 947-3446 or stop by the box office.

The kickoffs will be informal, fun, and quite interesting. If you go, you'll be among the first to see the Vision Decision Scorecards. We'll walk you through them, the four different scenarios they outline, and how responses to them will be used to reach a Final Vision.

Better yet, there will be computerized visualizations of what the different scenarios would look like in real places in our region-so it's not just looking at more maps!

And we will tell you more about the results of the scientific survey of the region's residents that the respected Lou Harris poll conducted. It revealed some surprising things about the values we share as a community, and why we live here.

The information at each event will be exactly the same. There is no need to travel to Traverse City for the regional kickoff if you can attend your county event.

Scorecards will also be available online starting on October 7! Or you could call, toll-free, 1-866-441-5214 and get one by mail. They will also be available for pickup and drop off at hundreds of locations around the region.

The more people from all walks of life, locales, and points of view who weigh in on the Grand Vision Decision, the more powerful and effective this wide-open, unprecedented, community-based project becomes. Please attend a kickoff if you can, please bring a few friends-especially the skeptical ones!-and let's make this thing as Grand as we can!

Thanks so much. We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Grand Vision Team

You can also keep up with The Grand Vision through our email newsletter and our News Page.

If you want to help us out with a banner on your web page, click to get started!

Grand Vision Update, September 18, 2008

Dear Grand Vision Supporter:

The Grand Vision is gearing up for the momentous October 7th - 28th Vision Decision and we need your help spreading the word. During this three-week period everyone who lives in and loves this community will be asked to fill out a Scorecard to voice their opinion about several possible future growth scenarios.

This is a truly grassroots, community planning activity, so the most important thing you can do is talk about The Grand Vision with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. And there are also a variety of great volunteer opportunities to help make sure we get full community involvement in this crucial phase of The Grand Vision.

Each of the six counties has a local leader who is coordinating a team of volunteers.

Antrim County - Peter Garwood, Antrim County Coordinator,

garwoodp@antrimcounty.org, 533-6265

Benzie County - Craig Seger, Benzie County Zoning Administrator,

cseger@benzieco.net, 882-9674

Grand Traverse County - Jennifer Hutchinson, Grand Vision Decision Coordinator,

jen@leelanau.com, 218-0096

Kalkaska County - Jack Kelly, Kalkaska County Zoning Administrator,

kalkaskazoning@yahoo.com, 258-3367

Leelanau County - Trudy Galla, Leelanau County Planning Director,

tgalla@co.leelanau.mi.us, 256-9812

Wexford County - Vance Edwards, Cadillac Wexford Transit Authority Director,
cwtadirector@yahoo.com, 775-9411

Contact the team leader from your county to get more involved in any of these activities:

• Put up posters in public places around your county announcing the Vision Decision and County Kickoff Event.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of the Grand Vision.
• Ask your workplace, church, civic group or other community group to place a note in its newsletter, e-mail and/ or Web site to notify other members about the Grand Vision Decision
• Spread the word to your friends and contacts by email or through Facebook (join the Grand Vision group) and send links to thegrandvision.org to see videos of local residents voicing their opinions.
• Offer to be a speaker to your local government, civic group, or school. We have a toolkit that includes video presentations, talking points, and handouts as well as buttons and bumper stickers.
• Help distribute scorecards and distribution/ collection boxes on October 6th to high-traffic commercial businesses throughout your county.

If you have other questions about how you can get involved contact Jennifer Hutchinson at 218-0096 or at jen@leelanau.com.

Thanks for your help in spreading the word about this important opportunity to help our region prepare for coming growth!

P.S. If you are interested in getting even more involved, a committed team of volunteers meets weekly as a Public Involvement Committee (PIC) at the Grand Traverse County Governmental Center on Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m.. All are welcome!