April 29, 2013
MEDIA ADVISORY
Who:
Senator Carl Levin
Donald Welch, President and CEO, Merit Network
Roger Mendall, Director, Northland Library Cooperative
Jolene Michaels, Library Director, Mackinaw Area Public Library
Debra Ely, Library Director, St. Ignace Public Library
Jason Kronemeyer, Technology Director, Eastern Upper Penninsula ISD
Jamie Huber, General Education Supervisor, Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle ESD
Gene Reck, Township Supervisor, Cross Village Township
Dan Blough, Special Assistant to Congressman Dan Benishek
Robert Sweeney, Executive Secretary, Mackinac Bridge Authority
Karie Slavik, Associate Director, University of Michigan Biological Station
Gavin Leach, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Northern Michigan University
What:
Fiber-optic Infrastructure Dedication for the Northern Michigan Community to commemorate the completion of significant segments of Merit’s REACH-3MC Broadband Stimulus Project. Mackinaw Area Public Library and St. Ignace Public Library will host key stakeholders who will reflect upon this momentous occasion. The event will be streamed live simultaneously between both locations. Merit Network will announce a significant milestone for the project and answer questions on how the community can take advantage of this high-speed network.
In 2010, Merit Network, Inc. received two federal stimulus awards for REACH-3MC. The Rural, Education, Anchor, Community and Health care – Michigan Middle Mile Collaborative (REACH-3MC) will create 2,287 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in rural and underserved areas throughout Michigan and provide backhaul to key interconnection points in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Through REACH-3MC, Merit enables state and local government, colleges, schools, libraries, health care facilities and other community anchor institutions to connect to Merit’s private, high-performance network, enabling them to lower costs, consolidate services and provide more to Michigan’s citizens. Merit engages sub-recipients from the private sector to improve service to homes and businesses along the REACH-3MC route. Merit’s existing fiber infrastructure combined with the new REACH-3MC network infrastructure creates a robust footprint in the state, providing Michigan with a strategic asset to leverage in the future.
Where:
The event will be streamed live simultaneously between two locations:
Mackinaw Area Public Library
528 W Central Ave
Mackinaw City, MI 49701St. Ignace Public Library
110 W. Spruce Street
St. Ignace, Michigan 49781
When:
April 30, 2013 at 11:00 AM
How:
The event is open to the public. Anyone may attend in person at either location. Please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
For more information: www.merit.edu
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