BIRDSEYE – A documentary film company that produces short films for public television will highlight Crawford County in an upcoming segment for “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid.”

Jesse Belcher, executive director of Crawford County Economic Development, announced the news to a gathering of about 50 people at the organization’s annual meeting last Thursday at Patoka Lake Winery.

Belcher said a crew will film two segments that will air on PBS stations across the United States. The segments with Crawford County will focus on “great places to live and work,” he said.

A “Viewpoint” film crew spent time in Crawford County last week filming. Interviews were conducted at Patoka Lake Winery.

For the county to be featured in a documentary that will be aired nationally is a level of exposure the county has never experienced, Belcher said.

Belcher, who makes no secret of his love for his community, is excited for the opportunity to show the world what makes Crawford County special.

“The big key to attracting people to Crawford county is to get them here,” he said. “I firmly believe, if you come here you’ll see what a wonderful place to live and work that we have here.”

“Viewpoint” creates educational documentaries. According to its website, “The goal of the Viewpoint Project is to enlighten the audience by delivering diverse informational and educational documentaries by covering a variety of issues and topics.”

Crawford County is known for its many tourism assets, many of which are tied to the natural resources and topography of the region. The county is home to Marengo Cave, Cave Country Canoes, Lucas Oil Golf Course, Patoka Lake Winery, Patoka Lake Brewing, Old Homestead Distillery, Sycamore Springs and Patoka Lake, which is the second largest lake in the state.

Belcher said work on the segments should be completed in a couple of weeks. Crawford County Economic Development will announce information on air dates when it becomes available.

Meeting highlights

Belcher reviewed the recent accomplishments of Crawford County Economic Development.

  • The county now has nine public access WiFi hot spots thanks to a Digital Towns grant it received from Regional Opportunity Initiatives. The grant was also used to offer digital literacy classes.
  • Partnered with Ivy Tech, Community Foundation of Crawford County and Crawford County High School to offer an adult welding class
  • A large housing project is currently awaiting final approval from the state. Belcher said more details will be announced soon.

CCED also partnered with Community Foundation of Crawford County on local initiatives. Belcher said his organization received a grant from CCCF to cover preliminary engineering services for the housing project. CCCF also helped fund an update of the county’s Quality of Place plan.

“The Quality of Place plan we did a few years ago provided a lot of guidance and it’s a big reason for a lot of the good things happening,” he said.

Looking ahead, Belcher said plans to create a new park in Leavenworth and the Milltown murals project are more positive signs of Crawford County communities investing in quality of place.

The gathering wrapped up with an update on the Indiana Legislature from State Sen. Daryl Schmitt, R-Jasper.  Schmitt represents Senate District 48, which includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.