Longview Link By Michele Geistlinger on Behalf of Chey Nickerson

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Longview's ACE (Active, Creative and Engaged) Team is excited to announce their plans to form a registered Society with the proposed name of Longview ARC Society. The ARC letters in the name stand for Arts, Recreation and Community which will be the focus of the society. The main reason for forming the society is to have the ability to access a wider assortment of grants that are unavailable to municipalities through Council driven groups such as the Community Services Advisory Board. The team is ready to move forward with its application for the ACE seed funds for the community identified projects which include upgrades to the Centennial Park with playground additions, park benches, picnic tables and attractive waste receptacles and a serenity garden at the Village office grounds. These projects will involve partnerships with the ACE/ARC team, Village Council, the Longview Recreation Board and independent philanthropic groups as well as some provincial funding which we will now be able to apply for.

Longview's ACE team has been steadily moving forward since Ian Hill's Ignite Tour 14 months ago. They have successfully completed the community scanning tool and held four successive meetings to narrow down the list for the community initiative. During this time they also applied for, won and hosted a successful Alberta Rural Touring Showcase in June 2010 which many ACE members raised monies for, planned for, lent equipment and participated in. During the summer a newsletter was successfully launched under the ACE umbrella and has grown into its own entity the Longview Voice. One of the main goals of ACE is to bring community together and find those leaders who are amidst us. The Voice has attracted a number of enthusiastic community people who wish to nurture this project and take over its management as ACE moves forward with the Village projects. The ARC Society wishes the Voice good luck and hopes it will be a great conduit for upcoming projects. In the fall of 2010 ACE began a fundraiser towards the Main Street beautification portion of the ACE proposed projects. Close to $6,000 was raised towards Christmas lights on Main Street in a partnership with the Village Council supplying an additional $4,500. The lights were beautiful and truly added to Longview's existing charm! The ACE/ARC team is presently putting together the seed money application and looking at some very interesting upcoming opportunities. Stay tuned for more info on Communities Choosewell. This wonderful program is back in Longview and is in planning stages as we speak!

In recognition of Volunteer Week, Longview ARC Society would like to thank all of the wonderful volunteers who have assisted with Boards, workshops, Sustainability Planning, Longview Stampede Committee, Longstock Music and Arts Festival, Canada Day Committee, all ACE/ARC team members, Library Board, Longview Fellowship volunteers, Volunteer Firefighters, Longview Christmas party, Longview Youth group, Longview Voice editors, Blue Bronna Volunteers and the countless unpaid hours that council puts in on our behalf. You people truly ROCK!!  Together We Can Do Anything!!