The Iowa Great Places panel has granted Tama County finalist status. This is very important. When Tama County was designated a Great Place in 2009 that enabled the following:

The Wieting Theatre to receive $155,000 in funding for Phase I.

Otter Creek was able to receive over $12,000 to plant native vegetation and $75,000 to help with the construction of the Riparian Diorama at the Nature Center.

$20,000 worth of highway signage was granted to advertise the Salt & Pepper Shaker Gallery in Traer.

Awarded the Dysart History Center with $25,000 for the Agricultural Museum and Interpretive Center.

This Great Place status qualified us for funding from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for a five-year period which ran out in 2014.

Our tourism partners in Tama County have reapplied to renew that status for another five years. Tama County has many tourist attractions that could use funding to further develop their sites.

If the Citizens Advisory Board grants re-designation status this year, Tama County can apply for funding this fall. Iowa Great Places has $ 1 million dollars available for disbursement for fiscal year 2018.

The Wieting Theatre is the only group with a shovel ready project this year from the Tama County Economic Development Commission Great Places application.

Otter Creek County Park would like to continue the improvements of the Nature Center and overnight facilities over the next three-seven years.

The Traer Salt & Pepper Gallery would like to expand to enable them to display all 28,000 shakers making it the largest collection in the U.S. within the next three-four years.

In the next few years, the Dysart Historical Center plans to expand and add more interactive experiences and exhibit space for more farm implements.

As a finalist, Heath Kellogg, Tama County Economic Development director, and representatives from the above groups will be hosting members of the Iowa Great Places Board and Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs on Tuesday, June 13, from 2-4 p.m. at the Wieting.

The Great Places board would like to see the progress made with their funds through site visits and photo displays before deciding on the re-designation status.

This is good news indeed for the future of Tama County tourism.