To Arms, To Arms! Get Ready for Action! Send Michigan-theme Postcards &/or Send Tweets ... Vote between Jan. 16-28 for Digitizing The Utica Sentinel #DigUtica

Upton House Postcard for #DigUtica

Okay Everyone, do you want to see a Macomb County newspaper digitized and online??? 

Yes? Then get your Twitter accounts ready and/or get your pen/stamps/Michigan-image postcards ready. The finalists for the 2017 Digital Michigan Newspaper Grant Program have been announced by the Clarke Historical Library on the campus of Central Michigan University.

The final five are:

• The Utica Sentinel (Macomb County)  #DigUtica
• The L'Anse Sentinel (Baraga County)
• Shelby Independent/Shelby Enterprise/The Oceana Herald (Oceana County)
• New Baltimore-New Haven Star/North Macomb News-Press (Macomb County)  #DigNewBaltimore
• Leelanau Enterprise (Leelanau County)

The 2017 Digital Michigan Newspaper Grant Program

And to pick the winning newspaper — there can be only one — to be the next digitized and available online you need to vote by using Twitter or sending postcards with a specific hashtag phrase for the newspaper of your choice.

Postcard for #DigUtica

Though there are two Macomb County newspapers in the final five, The Utica Sentinel as one of the oldest Macomb County newspapers and is extremely worthy to be chosen as the winning newspaper for 2017. The Sentinel covered news from a very large area of the county and neighboring counties -- not just the city of Utica! If awarded the 2017 grant, it would coincide well with the bicentennial of Utica in 2017; and in 2018 the 50th anniversary of the city of Sterling Heights. Just imagine the many, many discoveries that could be found with a few simple keystrokes. So much to learn! To vote for The Utica Sentinel use the hashtag phrase #DigUtica when voting.

So what do you have to do and when?

By Postcard (whether you are a non-tech or a techie)
Mail postcards between January 16 and January 28 (postmarked) for 10 votes per postcard.

• Each postcard must have the hashtag phrase written/printed in the body of the postcard for the newspaper of your choice like   #DigUtica
• Mail your postcards postmarked within the above dates to:
  Clarke Historical Library
  250 E. Preston St.
  Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
• Enter (send a postcard) as many times as you wish. 
• If you use a pre-made postcard it must have a Michigan theme. Free Upton House postcards are available from the Sterling Heights Public Library and Mount Clemens Public Library.
• Hand-drawn postcards (by an adult or child) must contain something depicting Michigan. The Sterling Heights Public Library will be mailing hand-drawn postcards in bulk. Just drop your hand-drawn postcards off at the library during its Postcard Party. (See below.)

By Twitter
Tweet between January 23 and January 28 for 1 vote per tweet.

• To cast your vote tweet the hashtag code for the newspaper of your choice like  #DigUtica
• Enter (Tweet) as many times are you wish.

By Twitter
Tweet on January 26 to vote for your favorite hand-drawn postcards

• Your tweet vote determines 1st Place and 500 votes/2nd Place and 250 votes for the Best Refrigerator Art (youth submission) and Most Artistic (adult submission)
• Check the Clarke Historical Library's website for more details on how voting will actually work. When we learn, we will try to relay the information too.
• Enter (Tweet) as many times are you wish.

The Sterling Heights Public Library is holding a Postcard Party on Saturday, January 14, from 10 a.m. to Noon, for participants to draw postcards, eat snacks and support The Utica Sentinel in the grant competition.

So when you stop by the MCGG Open House tomorrow, pick up some Upton House postcards to mail and vote (during the stated time frame above) for The Utica Sentinel as the 2017 Digital Michigan Newspaper Grant Program.

See other Michigan Digitized Newspapers at the Digital Michigan Newspaper Portal.

#DigUtica

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE