ASHTABULA — Tourism, recreation, wineries, bike trails, fishing, boating, hunting, cultural activities, covered bridges and more ... they are what gives life to Ashtabula County, and those are what the Ashtabula County Civic Development Corp. is developing its 2010 campaign around, major donors learned Tuesday night.

CDC introduced the projects it selected for the 2010 campaign during a Major Donor Dinner at Martini’s Restaurant at the Harbor Golf Club. More than 60 people attended the dinner, hosted by the CDC officers and trustees.

“It’s economic development through tourism enhancement,” said Scott Becker, CDC president, who also is president of Plasticolors. “We’re focusing on a positive perspective instead of deficit thinking, building on our strengths.”

The 2010 campaign theme and outline “Building on our Strengths: Living and Playing in Ashtabula County” includes quality-of-life infrastructure development supporting recreational and cultural projects, economic development and an education impact fund targeted at promoting financial literacy among county residents.

The quality-of-life infrastructure development projects include:

n Constructing a new concession stand/ box office, lighted walkways and patio at the Ashtabula Arts Center-Straw Hat Theater;

n Provide matching money to continue the North Shore Trail 4.2 miles to Bridge Street in the Ashtabula Harbor, build an observation deck overlooking the railroad lift bridge and bike signage;

n Providing exterior lighting, plaques on 33 historical buildings and bicycle racks in the Ashtabula Harbor;

n Support the Geneva-area Recreational, Educational, Athletic Trust aquatics and medical center;

n Conneaut Port Authority: Wildlife Viewing Platform;

n Geneva Wine and Culinary Center; and

n YMCA improvements.

The economic development/ tourism enhancement portion of the project will include electronic interactive kiosks throughout the county.

Economic development will benefit by the CDC assisting Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County in leveraging grant, loan and investment dollars for new or existing projects.

An educational impact will be made by giving money to Partnership for Education in Ashtabula County, which promotes education in the county, including literacy.

The project allocations total $1.7 million, with only 10 to 15 percent paid to administration, said Norah Anderson, campaign chair and executive director.

CDC has a campaign every five years with a different theme that reflects the needs of the county at that time.

Anderson’s idea was to go with the tourism aspect of the county in this campaign and then ask, “How can we help?” Becker said.

Trustee Richard Selip said, “You don’t have to be a tourist to enjoy all that’s here.”

He believes county residents have changed their attitude about the area, realizing its natural resources have a lot to offer.

Anderson agreed.

“We have three scenic rivers,” she said, noting the CDC wants to focus on the positive by enhancing the tourism experience.

“There’s a little bit of a tourist component to all of the (2010 campaign’s) projects,” Anderson said.

CDC is celebrating more than 50 years of improving Ashtabula County’s quality of life.

Started in 1959 by civic-minded business and industry leaders, CDC was a pioneering concept, involving selection of community development projects, soliciting and securing support to fund the projects, and then the oversight of fund disbursement.

Its mission statement reads, “The Civic Development Corp. of Ashtabula County is an organization that provides leadership in addressing and planning for the needs of Ashtabula County by identifying as its strategic goals certain development programs, capital projects and initiatives, which will improve the quality of life in the county; and provide the fundraising, organization, financial experience and oversight to attain these goals.”

Throughout the past 50 years, 57 community leaders have stepped forward to serve as CDC officers and trustees, raising nearly $16 million to fund 159 different projects.

One secret of CDC’s success is the organization conducted several studies to establish long-range planning and funding opportunities.

In 1957, before the first campaign, a recreational survey of the Ashtabula area was conducted, which led to CDC’s formal organization and established the first campaign as the “Youth Building Fund” to help pay for new building and expansion programs for the area’s youth through the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Goodwill Industries and the YMCA-YWCA of Ashtabula County.

The founding trustees — Theodore Carlisle, president; William Martin, vice president; Theodore Warren, Ford Russell, Fred Lehtinen, Robert Pokorny, Albert W. Reece, and John Sheldon — raised $1 million.

Today’s trustee-officers include: Becker, president; Scott Strayer of Cristal-Millennium, vice president; MaryLou Howe of KeyBank, secretary, and Mark Astorino, treasurer. Other trustees include Selip, Stuart Cordell, Glenn Hadlock, Dr. Lori Herpen-DeCato, Ken Kister, Tom Meola, Pat Weston-Hall, Steve Varckette and John Yesso.

One only needs to look around the county to see the projects CDC has supported in the past, including the Ashtabula Arts Center, Kent State University-Ashtabula, Donahoe Center, the Ashtabula Senior Center, the Conneaut Community Center and the American Red Cross, among many others.