Beltrami County Board approves grants

By Justin Glawe
jglawe@bemidjipioneer.com
BEMIDJI – With just north of $380,000 in the coffers for the Beltrami County Board of Commissioner’s development fund, a raise was in order.
Commissioners agreed Tuesday to increase the total amount available to grant applicants to $150,000. Previously, $100,000 was the maximum the board could have handed out.
Twelve grants were requested, and board members denied four because they did not meet criteria.
“I don’t mean to say that these projects are not good and not worthy, but I don’t know if they fall under industrial, agriculture and tourism,” said District 2 Commissioner Joe Vene, citing the three criteria that grant recipients must meet.
The following grants were denied by the board:
--Beltrami Public Library Book Festival – $10,000
--Evergreen Youth and Family Service – $7,500
--Headwaters School of Music and the Arts – $2,905
--Headwaters Science Center – $1,593
The following grants were approved by the board:
--Beltrami County Agricultural Association – $35,000
-- Beltrami County Historical Society – $3,000
--Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce – $10,000
--Blackduck Area History and Art Center – $2,905
--Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji – $10,000
--Chief Bemidji Statue Project – $25,000
--Greater Bemidji – $30,000
--Paul Bunyan Playhouse – $25,000