THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604160139
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Despite concerns raised by two of its members, Smithfield's Town Council recently voted to invest $3,000 in this spring's Olden Days festival.
Over the past four years, the three-day festival held each Memorial Day weekend has evolved into a major tourism event for the town. Past festivals have drawn an estimated 10,000 visitors into Smithfield's historic downtown area, tourism director Diane Howard said.
The event was started by the Spirit of Smithfield, a nonprofit group working to promote the town and to complement its annual winter project, Christmas in Smithfield. Earlier this spring, when that group announced it had to relinquish the reins of Olden Days to another sponsor, the Isle of Wight Tourism Bureau stepped forward.
It will cost the tourism department approximately $5,000 to pay the festival's advance costs, said tourism board member Judy Hare. She went before the council in March and asked the town for the one-time $3,000 allocation to help fund these expenses.
She said local businesses are being asked to chip in the remaining $2,000 and that start-up costs of future Olden Days will be covered by money brought in at this festival.
The council's finance committee recommended passing the motion. But Mayor James Chapman voted against it, saying he feels the council should consider a smaller donation of $1,500.
Although Councilman Al Rogers voted in favor of the motion, he initially suggested making the money a loan to be repaid over two or three years.
Olden Days would have been severely handicapped if the town had not allocated the entire $3,000, Howard said.
``The tourism department is certainly not in the financial position to pick up the slack,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: NEW TOWN PHONE NUMBERS
The town now has new business and fax telephone numbers, 365-4200
and 365-0215, respectively.
A receptionist will handle calls directed to the town manager or
his staff, including the treasurer and public utilities'
departments.
The town dispatcher will continue handling police calls. As in
the past, nonemergency callers to the police department can continue
dialing 357-3247, and emergency callers still can use the county's
911 telephone line.
KEYWORDS: TOURISM SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL by CNB