Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 26, 1994 TAG: 9408270035
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
A committee had requested that amount from the town to go with $2,218 in the festival's own bank account to cover advertising and entertainers for the Oct. 15 celebration.
But the town's Finance Committee decided against providing that much financial support at its meeting Thursday morning.
Five of council's eight members attended the meeting, and came to no conclusion about how much money - if any - to give.
``Wean 'em. Wean 'em now. You've got to start sometime,'' Councilman Junior Black said. ``They've got $2,200. Let 'em spend that.''
Black also criticized moving the festivities this year from Jackson Park to a three-block section of Main Street, where most of the committee members working on the event this year have businesses.
``Once it's moved to Main Street, you won't have the participation you had over here in the park,'' Black said. ``I think you're just subsidizing the merchants on Main Street.''
Councilman John Johnston and Vice Mayor Rocky Schrader said they thought the festival would generate traffic elsewhere in town. Johnston also said he believed the town has an obligation to support the festival this year, although in future years there should be an annual program of festivals and how much the town will support each one.
``Right now I think we're locked into it. I don't know if we're locked into it for $2,900,'' Johnston said. The Finance Committee reached no consensus on an amount.
The committee recommended that festival supporters approach Pulaski County for a contribution. The town's participation will be discussed at the Sept. 6 council meeting.
Town Parks and Recreation Director Dave Hart said the idea of moving the festival to Main Street was to give it a different look from Depot Day, a town-supported festival held June 11 around the dedication of a renovated train station and now slated to become an annual event.
Much of the responsibility for Count Pulaski Day had fallen to Hart's department but, because it now will be responsible for the annual Depot Day, Hart had told the Pulaski Business Alliance that others would have to shoulder the major responsibilities for Count Pulaski Day.
Members of the alliance agreed to do so, although Mayor Andy Graham later criticized the town for declining a leadership role in Count Pulaski Day. Graham was out of town Thursday and not at the Finance Committee meeting.
by CNB