In this week’s update: $250,000 from the Department of Commerce SPRINT Grant, Christmas in July planning, request for City of Lindsborg support upcoming soon, and more!
In our weekly update, keep up to date on what staff and volunteers at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum are working on to lift up the history of Lindsborg and the surrounding region. This weekly update both looks back at what happened last week and looks ahead at what’s coming.
For May 8-14, 2023:
News:
- The big news from last week is landing a quarter million dollar grant from the highly prestigious and competitive SPRINT program through the Kansas Department of Commerce! We’re very excited about how this can help us on a number of critical infrastructure projects. We kind out more this coming week about how these funds can be used and applied. Read more about the grant program HERE.
- Registration is open now for the next Swedish Genealogy Workshop on June 10! Purchase your reservation through the museum gift shop HERE!
- We’re on the City of Lindsborg council meeting agenda for June 5, to request funding support for the museum. We support and encourage anyone who would like to speak in favor of funding the museum’s work to attend.
- We received approval from the State Preservation office to proceed with replacement and renovation of the Swedish Pavilion windows.
All Staff
- All staff meeting covering: Millfest review, upcoming events, Svensk Hyllningsfest planning, 120th anniversary of the Swedish Pavilion in 2024, fall fundraiser, volunteer appreciation event, and several other miscellaneous topics.
- Prepared for and attended weekly Board of Directors meeting.
Lenora Lynam, Executive Director
- Daily bookkeeping (Bank deposits, bills, recording and reconciling transactions in accounting software.)
- Cleaning and putting items away from Millfest on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Cleaning up after some water leaks from heavy rain.
- Coordinated meeting between the collections and exhibits committees on updating the immigration exhibit and Swedish Pavilion exhibits.
- Looked into a Old Mill Christmas ornament to be released for a Christmas in July event.
- Sent request to be on the City of Lindsborg June 5 agenda.
- Coordinated to start renovations to the Swedish Pavilion front porch.
- Assisted an individual from Texas with genealogy research.
Caroline de Filippis, Community Development Director
- Process donations.
- Created a thank-you for Millfest volunteers and get handwritten notes on each.
- Help a bird escape safely out of the Heritage Square buildings.
- Attend community Hyllningsfest planning meeting.
- Work on additional membership and tasks related to the museum Development Committee.
- Solicit feedback from Millfest demonstrators.
- Worked on planning for next steps for the 125th Old Mill anniversary committee.
- Work on City Council presentation for June 5.
Adam Pracht, Marketing and Communications Director
- Social media posts, responding to multiple messages and comments. Sent Facebook invites to individuals expressing interest.
- We now have more than 1,800 Facebook followers!
- Attended AdHoc.
- Gave a Saturday tour to a Russell 4-H club.
- Website review widgets got repaired, so reversed out the temporary measures that blocked the display of incorrect review information.
- Updated online gift shop stock numbers on wheat weavings.
- Communicated with Mennonite Press as the best pricing for publication of the 125th anniversary coffee table book.
- Assisted another nonprofit with questions about WooCommerce.
- Scheduled a May 17 tour for an area church group.
- Met with a Radio Kansas advertising rep.
- Provided results and information to Lindsborg News-Record about Millfest.
- Look through Millfest pictures and videos and selected which ones to place online.
- Started process of exporting 360 videos of the Mill in motion.
- Took measurements of books and other gift shop items for listing in the online gift shop.
Caroline and Adam
- Worked with volunteers on Monday for cleaning up and putting items away following Millfest.
Volunteers
- Les Sperling, Mike Koch, and Kathy Peterson: Monday morning Millfest cleanup.
- Jerry Sperling, Ron Wilson, and Carol Gusenius: Monday front desk coverage.
- Mike Koch: Tuesday morning helped with fixing a leaky spigot by the Train depot and changing batteries on the front door lock.
- Kathy Peterson: Flower beds and landscaping work.