MARP MEMBER MEETING
Sat., July 19, 2014
10:a.m. – 1 p.m.
This joint meeting with the Michigan Land Use Institute will feature a roll-out of “Getting Back on Track: Uncovering the Potential for Trains in Traverse City”, a report analyzing the potential for restarting rail travel along an 11-mile stretch of track between Traverse City and Acme/Williamsburg. The report was authored by James Bruckbauer, MLUI transportation specialist, with the generous support of The National Association of Realtors and other local sponsors.
MARP will hold a brief business meeting starting promptly at 10:00 a.m. James will give a formal presentation of his report “Getting Back on Track” at 11:00 a.m. Following the presentation, we will have the opportunity for further discussion over lunch (no host) at The Filling Station Microbrewery which occupies the former Pere Marquette Depot, 642 Railroad Place, just a few steps north of the Library.
We hope you have made plans to bring the family/friends and make a weekend of it. If you have not already reserved your lodging, you may have to look for something in the Cadillac area or another location along the way.
Our friends at MLUI have sent these suggestions:
• The Park Place is the historic downtown hotel
• Sleep Inn and Suites in Acme is very supportive of the rail project
• Boarders Inn and Suites
• Econo Lodge is modestly priced, but entirely acceptable
If you are into camping, you might enjoy spending an evening at the Dulcimer Funfest on the Osceola County Fairgrounds in Evart MI on July 17-20. The annual festival is sponsored by the Original Dulcimer Players Club, aka O.D.P.C., which bills itself as the largest and oldest hammered dulcimer club in the world. Visit the Osceola County Fairgrounds website for information about camping on site.
For the railroad historians among us, a “must see” stop as you pass through the Cadillac area, is the After 26 Depot Cafe & Gifts. Housed in the former Ann Arbor Railroad Depot at 127 West Cass Street in Cadillac, the After 26 Project recently celebrated its first anniversary in the refurbished depot. Dedicated to employing adults with developmental disabilities and cognitive impairments, the project has enjoyed huge success in its first year of operation. Live piano music is featured on Friday evenings and for Sunday brunch. Stop by on Friday or Saturday for dinner on your way to or from Traverse City. The cafe is also open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Visit the Facebook page for a sampling of the enthusiastic response this project is getting.