November 2002, Volume 2, Issue 11

LEWIS & CLARK ON EXPERIENCE WASHINGTON'S WEBSITE

Below you will find the industry link to Experience Washington, the official website of Washington State Tourism. Scroll down and click on "Lewis and Clark Forms" to search for and post bicentennial related events.

Appropriate events to post on the industry website include those of general public interest. Events appropriate to submit for the electronic newsletter's events and dates page would be those related to training, conferences, request for information, availability of resources and news.

http://www.experiencewashington.com/industry/IndustryPageSections_pid-102600.html

If you have any questions regarding searching for or posting events, please contact Linda Mitchell at lindami@cted.wa.gov.

NATIONAL BICENTENNIAL REPORT
By David L. Nicandri

In late October the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation hosted back to back meetings of state bicentennial coordinators and the National Bicentennial Council in Pendleton, OR. I would like to take the opportunity in this month's Washington bicentennial update to post information about the most salient discussion items and outcomes from those meetings.

Corps of Discovery II (National Traveling Interpretive Park)

The Department of the Interior will shortly be assigning a daily operations manager with emphasis on communication and coordination with the states, tribes, and local organizations because the demands in that area have exceeded the capacity of existing National Park Service staff. The coordinator will likely occupy an office in the West, though he/she will likely be on the road a lot. This individual will report to Interior in DC.

Corps II itself is proceeding, it will be substantive, but probably not as grand as originally envisioned. That's the "bad news." The "good news" is that the more compact version can likely visit more communities than previously thought possible. Though the footprint is reduced from previous plans, Corps II will still feature the signature "Tent of Many Voices" venue. There will be an emphasis on Native American cultural expression in the "Tent of Many Voices," but not to the exclusion of other cultures or traditions. The main interpretive themes will be: "the land," "the people" (tribes, the Corps of Discovery itself, latecomers), and "the times" (before the expedition, during the Corps of Discovery's journey, the 200 years since, and the future).

In addition to the "Voices" tent, there will be the reception/orientation tent (featuring imagery from Karl Bodmer and George Catlin) and an exhibition tent. The latter will be staffed by federal agency staff or local volunteers and will be an audio/visual experience only (no written text) that lasts about 30 minutes. Headsets will be used for sound amplification and distribution. The tents will hold about 150 people at a time.

Corps II will be at the national kick-off event in Charlottesville, and all signature events, including "Destination 2005" at the confluence of the Columbia River with the Pacific Ocean in November 2005.

Corps II's project managers will be conferring with the various trail state coordinators over the winter and before any final plans for the extended tour of Corps II are announced. A prototypical operating scenario calls for Corps II to be open to the public Friday through Sunday. Exhibition break-down will occur on Monday. Tuesday is travel day and the next set-up arranged on Wednesday and Thursday.

Corps II is interested in creating a national pool of talent to program in the "Tent of Many Voices." This may take the form of lectures, first person re-enactors, or audio-visual productions. A request for proposals is currently being circulated and copies can be procured from Mark Vessey at the WSHS Heritage Resource Center by emailing request to mvessey@wshs.wa.gov.

Trail Superintendent Gerard Baker announced that Scott Eckberg has joined the project as interpreter. Otis Half Moon, known to many here in Washington, is leaving the project as tribal coordinator in January, having taken a promotion to a position in the Service's Santa Fe office. For more information about the educational and interpretive content of Corps II, contact Scott Eckberg at 402-514-9311.

National Bicentennial Kick-off Event - Charlottesville, Virginia

Event registrants shall shortly receive acknowledgement of their status. The University of Virginia will be the main venue, with only a select few events at Monticello itself, the most noteworthy being the ceremony on January 18th, perhaps including the President of the United States. Corps II will be sited at the Monticello visitors' center. Advice to all concerned: You won't be able to take in every facet of the event, so do not try or you will be frustrated. The Monticello website is updated every Friday.

AAT is in the process of putting together a press strategy and kit. If you are interested in submitting information for inclusion in this press kit, please contact Michelle Zahrly with the Washington State Arts Commission at 360.586.8093. The releases need to be to Michelle by December 15th, preferably in a news release format. Please fax (360.586.5351) or email (michellez@arts.wa.gov) them to her. 10,000 people are expected to attend the public components of the event.

Monticello will be preparing "gift bags" for all event registrants. Any state or local project having a gift item or publication with high production value wishing to be included should contact: Krista Weih, Jefferson's West Exposition, University of Virginia, P. O. Box 400764, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4764. These items need to be delivered to Krista by December 15th. No single item can be larger than 8 1/2" x 11". The suggested quantity is 1200 items.

The state of Washington will maintain a booth at the national kick-off event. It will feature one version of the new traveling exhibit developed by the Washington State Historical Society entitled "End of our Voyage." The Washington booth will also have a table for the distribution of project related material from Washington. Any local committee or project interested in having their literature displayed should contact George Sharp (360.725.5064) at Washington State Tourism by December 9, 2002 regarding what they would like displayed. You do not need to send your materials by December 9, you only need to let George know by December 9 what you will be sending. The suggested quantity is 1000 copies.

FYI: The Charlottesville/Albemarle County Airport is also looking for as many as 20 ornaments from each trail state for its Christmas Tree. The ornaments do not have to be based on the Lewis and Clark theme, but they should reflect some aspect of state heritage or culture. If interested, contact Laura Krom or Nancy King at 434-984-9809. Items will need to be shipped to Nancy King, Monticello, P. O. Box 316, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Ornaments need to be labeled and organizers need to be apprised of the desire to have the ornaments returned.

National Bicentennial Council

The Council's situation is stabilizing, though still constrained by debt. Nevertheless, it was announced in Pendleton that the Bicentennial Council next year will launch a $160 million national advertising awareness campaign through the Ad Council using the creative team of Young & Rubicam. The campaign will launch in July. The "cash" budget incumbent on the Council and partners to raise is $2 million, or $45,000 per month through 2006. Actual media placement is pro bono.

Bob Archibald, President of the Council and also the Missouri Historical Society, will be creating an advisory committee to serve as a "sounding board" for theme development. The general purpose of the campaign is mindset and awareness, and not promotion of specific events and activities. Long developed mission/vision concepts of the Council's such as "join the journey" will be featured, with the thought to encourage people to travel the trail, read a book, or visit a website. The specific themes preliminarily determined are "travel adventure," cultural/tribal preservation, and trail stewardship/conservation. The campaign will use such media as TV, radio, web banners, and print media. The Council's website (lewisandclark200.org) will be a major portal for activity and information. (The Council continues to maintain the website and it is being updated weekly. To offer information, click to "webmaster.")

Bob Archibald noted in Pendleton that the Council has established a moratorium on all licensing arrangements. It is envisioned that obligations to current licensees will be maintained. Signature Events remain a priority for the Council, after payroll, debt reduction, and the Ad Council campaign. The Council hopes to be able to eventually support signature events financially. A brochure about the ensuing signature events will be produced for the kick-off at Monticello.

Tourism

A new national travel awareness instrument has been developed and is being distributed to households nationally. The desired response rate is 1400 households. It is a mail-back survey. Washington Tourism having led the 1999 survey, Idaho Tourism is taking the lead on this one. The review process will commence around Thanksgiving with the hope that the results will be finalized by Christmas. The survey is not designed to answer the question "how many people are coming," so much as to establish insights for target marketing.

National Park Service Report

Congress is expected to appropriate $5 million for Challenge Cost Share grants, as it did last year, with the outside chance that it might reach $7 million. The deadline for submittals is January 15th. Applications will be reviewed in late February, with announcements of awards in early March. Funds are expected to be available for reimbursement by early May 2003.

St. Charles, Missouri Re-Enactors

One of the nation's premiere Lewis & Clark re-enactment groups has formally announced its plan to travel the length of the trail during the bicentennial. More information can be found at lewisandclark.net, or by calling Scott Mandrell at 618-463-9032.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NAME TO HONOR YORK

The Evergreen School District [on the east side of Vancouver, WA] will be building a new elementary school this year. Each school in the Evergreen School District bears a name that honors local geography and/or history. A committee of students, staff, parents and community members have chosen the name "York" for the new school. Said Brock Huddleston, a fifth-grader and a member of the Committee, "Students thought it had spunk and history. It's a big link to Lewis and Clark, but it didn't sound too Lewis-and-Clarkish."

LEWIS AND CLARK TRAIL HERITAGE FOUNDATION GRANT APPLICATION

The Monetary Grants Committee of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation announces the return of the Foundation's modest monetary grants program. In considering the applications, the Committee is guided by the Foundation's charter objectives—"to stimulate and increase public knowledge and awareness of the historical, social and cultural significance and heritage of the Lewis and Clark Trail, the facilities available for those studying or retracing the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the natural wealth and beauty of our land." It will be up to the applicant to show how a proposed project meets these objectives. It is important the applicant understands the Foundation's grants are very modest; in the past, the grants awarded ranged from $100 to $1,000.

Applicants can download the information and the application from the Foundation's web page at www.lewisandclark.org. The deadline for submission of an application is March 15, 2003. Please contact Barb Kubik at chemna@aol.com with any questions.

CHALLENGE COST SHARE GRANTS AND WORKSHOPS

The National Park Service, through the federal Challenge Cost Share Program, will distribute matching funds to non-federal organizations for projects that involve the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Funds may be used for projects that preserve the story and protect the resources of the National Historic Trail.

Local communities and organizations are encouraged to compete for these funds and contribute to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. It is a competitive process for a limited amount of funds. Application packets and more information may be obtained from:

Midori Raymore, Challenge Cost Share Program Coordinator
402-514-9311 or 888-237-3252
midori_raymore@nps.gov. or http://www.nps.gov/lecl
On-line applications are encouraged and due by January 15, 2003. Hard copy applications are due December 15, 2002.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Recent weeks have been devoted to editorial cleanups of some of the older episodes on Discovering Lewis & Clark. Click on http://lewis-clark.org/index.htm to revisit "The American Bison" and "Nathaniel Pryor's Mission." There also, a reciprocal link from DL&C to the UK resource, Spartacus Educational, will lead students of all ages to a selective list of Web resources that includes some topics related to the era of Lewis and Clark.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

November 20, 2002
Challenge Cost Share 2003 Workshop
10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Water Resource Center
4600 SE Columbia Way
Vancouver, WA
Contact Midori Raymore
402-514-9311 or 888-237-3252
email at midori_raymore@nps.gov.

December 9, 2002
Monticello Literature Display Notification Deadline
Contact George Sharp at 360.725.5064

December 10, 2002
Agency Assistance Team (AAT - for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial) Monthly Meeting
10:00 am to 1:00 pm (approx.)
State Capital Museum, Coach House
211 West 21st Ave
Olympia,WA
Contact Mark Vessey at 360.586.0219

December 10, 2002
Lower Columbia River Water Trail Committee
(regular monthly meeting)
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Portland Vancouver Area
Exact location to be determined
Contact Chris Hathaway
503.226.1565 ext. 228
hathaway.chris@lcrep.org.

December 15, 2002
Challenge Cost Share Grant Hard Copy Deadline
Contact Midori Raymore
402-514-9311 or 888-237-3252
http://www.nps.gov/lecl

December 15, 2002
Monticello Press Release Deadline
Contact Michelle Zahrly
360.586.8093 or michellez@arts.wa.gov

December 15, 2002
Monticello Gift Bag Deadline
Mail to Krista Weih
Jefferson's West Exposition
University of Virginia
P. O. Box 400764
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4764

January 13 - 19, 2003
Bicentennial Kick-Off
Monticello & Charlottesville, Virginia
If you are interested in being involved in a coordinated travel effort, please contact Arlene Johnson at 360-906-7119 or director@lewisandclark-clark.org

January 15, 2002
Challenge Cost Share Grant On-line Application Deadline
Contact Midori Raymore
402-514-9311 or 888-237-3252
http://www.nps.gov/lecl

January 17, 2003
Journey's End National Art Exhibition:
Revisiting the Lewis & Clark Journey Submission Deadline.
Deadline for artists to submit entries into the juried show.
Please email journeys@pacifier.com or
visit www.jsend.org for entry form and further information.

February 8, 2003
Washington State Chapter of Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
Annual business meeting
10:00 AM
Washington State Historical Society Museum
1911 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA
For information contact:
"Doc" Wesselius, Program Chairman
360-736-6106, docndeb@localaccess.com
OR visit the website at http://www.lcarchive.org/wa_lcthf.html.

March 8-30, 2003
Journey's End National Art Exhibition:
Revisiting the Lewis & Clark Journey
Maritime Museum in Astoria, OR

March 15, 2003
Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation Grant Application Deadline
Contact Barb Kubik
chemna@aol.com

April 29, 2003
Washington Lewis and Clark Trail Local Coordination Meeting
Meeting in Olympia, Washington
Contact Judy Lorenzo at 360.705.7274

April 30, 2003
Washington Lewis and Clark Advisory Committee (Statutory Committee)
Meeting in Olympia, Washington
Contact Mark Vessey at 360.586.0219 or mvessey@wshs.wa.gov

May 14, 2003
Northwest History Week
Previously called Vancouver Area Bicentennial Kick-Off
Planned: Several events are anticipated
Contact: Arlene Johnson 360.906.7119

Thanksgiving Weekend 2005
Destination Pacific 2005 - Bicentennial Signature Event
Pacific County, Washington and Clatsop County, Oregon
Look for more information in the future.

PLEASE LOOK for additional information and updates on Bicentennial planning activities and projects in next month's e-newsletter.

ALSO - if you have articles or news-worthy information that you would like to contribute to this e-newsletter or to Washington's quarterly bicentennial newsletter, please Contact Kristin Hoffman at Otak 206.262.2840 or mandi.roberts@otak.com.

The Washington State Historical Society, lead agency of the state's Agency Assistance Team (AAT) for bicentennial planning, will send this newsletter via e-mail on a monthly basis to provide updates on events, projects, and activities going on around the state in preparation for the commemoration.

Your name is in the state's Lewis and Clark Trail database as someone who has expressed interest in the bicentennial and/or who has attended public meetings during the past three years. If you do not want to continue to receive this newsletter and/or other bicentennial communications, reply to this e-mail or contact Mark Vessey at the Heritage Resource Center 360-586-0219.

The AAT will continue to publish and mail out the quarterly "hard copy" newsletters in addition to this electronic communication.