1.  Voting “yes” will not raise your taxes. Many years ago, we voted as a community for a one penny per dollar sales tax known as a local option sales tax.  Over the years, we’ve used that extra penny per dollar of sales tax (paid by us and every visitor to our community) for many different things.  We built the new law enforcement center.  We financed the purchase and clearing of half the block where the Center is located.  The City is now dedicating 50% to street improvements, 25% to sewer repair and 25% for “community betterment”.

This “community betterment” fund is a segregated portion of the sales tax revenue that gives the city significant discretion in how it can be spent.  The proposal on May 4 reallocates half of the community betterment portion of the revenue, 12.5%, to the purchase of the Center for 8-9 years (the period of time the current version of the local option sales tax continues before it expires).  The other 12.5% will remain available for plugging holes in the city budget and for general community betterment. Will there be less to plug the holes and give to deserving community groups with legitimate needs?  Yes.  Will we survive?  Absolutely.  The money from our community betterment fund that is used for deserving local groups is frosting on the cake.  If you vote “yes” for the Center, there will still be “frosting”; we’ll just have to spread it a little thinner for a short period of time. Money for our basic city services will not decrease. And voting “yes” will not cost you a penny more in tax.

2.   It is an incredibly important asset to Fairfield. The cultural value of the Center to our town is immeasurable.  If you’ve been to the Center for an event, you can’t help but feel proud.  I was born and raised here.  I think my cousins around the state used to get really sick of me, as a kid, bragging about Fairfield.  I thought it was the best town in the state then, and I feel the same way about it now.  If you enjoy a good show, whether it’s drama, comedy, country, rock, or whatever, the Center can provide it.  The line-up of entertainment the Center now provides is enviable by Des Moines standards.  In the short time it’s been open, I already feel “at home” when I’m there.  It’s a place to gather as a community to relax, to laugh, to enjoy each other’s company, and maybe get to know each other a little better.

Some complain that ticket prices are too high.  The management is sensitive to that and has done its best to walk that fine line of providing the best entertainment possible at the best price.  And there have been, and will continue to be, some very fine free events.  With continued financial support, the growth of an endowment fund, the sale of season tickets, and corporate sponsorships, ticket prices should moderate more in the future.

Some complain that the City will be saddled with all of the expenses of owning the Center.  That’s not the plan. The City will lease the Center to the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, a non-profit corporation, for basically nothing initially, but with the agreement that they pay all maintenance, utilities, insurance, etc.  The City pays nothing.

Some, for reasons I’ll probably never understand, just don’t like the Center.  They claim they will never step inside the place.  But even if you never intend to step in the door and enjoy the Center, it is still in your best interests to vote yes on May 4.  The Center draws people from out of town to its fine events.  When those people buy tickets to those events, and buy gas, and stay in our hotels, and eat meals at our restaurants, and shop in our stores, they are not only stimulating our local economy, THEY ARE PAYING SALES TAX THAT INCREASES THE CITY LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX REVENUE.  THAT’S MORE MONEY FOR OUR STREETS, SEWERS AND COMMUNITY BETTERMENT!  Our local option sales tax revenue has increased 40% over the last several years. That’s happening because the Center (as well as other community cultural events) is drawing people to Fairfield to spend money.  If the Center closes, our sales tax revenues will drop.  If the Center stays open, our sales tax revenue will continue to grow.  Some people are concerned about what it may cost the city in the future to keep the Center open.  I assure you, the bigger economic concern to all of us is what it will cost the city in the future if it closes.  And voting “yes” will not cost you a penny more.

3.  It has a viable plan for financial sustainability. The Center initially struggled financially.  It was a new and unique venture.  Its planners were visionary.  They planned, and they researched, and they studied. An exciting idea of making the Center a “mecca” for musical theatre was conceived.   And they thought the Center could sustain itself by its own revenues.  And they were wrong.

What the Center has learned, and very painfully, is that it must provide the community with a broad variety of entertainment at reasonable prices.  And it must move lots of people, attending lots of different events, both in the theatre and the convention center, through its doors.

And that’s what it’s done.  Go to www.FairfieldCenterinfo.com and study what has happened at the Center in the last year.  Business and revenue has increased dramatically and responsibly.  Study the new business plan that now accepts that part of the Center’s budget will have to be raised each year through community charitable support (like every other civic center in Iowa).    Read about how they’re doing that now and will continue to do it in the future.

Is it possible they may fail?  Yes.  Is it possible I may not wake tomorrow morning?  Yes.  But I’m going to bed tonight intent on waking up and taking on tomorrow as best I can.  The Center is doing the same thing.  There’s a new attitude.  They are now succeeding.  And they are approaching everyday with a new commitment to quality and future success.  Things are now working where they didn’t when the Center first opened.  This is not the time to give up and close it down.  This is the time to pull together as a community and keep it open.  And voting “yes” won’t cost you a penny more.

4.  We need to protect our investment. Some say city government shouldn’t get involved with the civic center.  We’re already involved.  By majority public vote, we previously redirected local option sales tax revenue to purchase half of the block where the Center is located (the City already owned the other half) and demolish the existing buildings so the Center could be built.  Thus, we have already invested approximately $1.4 million into the Center.  Voting “yes” means we own the property, protect our investment, and control the ultimate destiny of the property, regardless of whether the civic center organization succeeds or fails in the future.  Voting “no” means we lose our investment and any local control over what will occupy that property in the future.

Also consider that the City is not being called upon to shoulder this responsibility alone.  To retire all long-term debt and accrued short-term payables, the Center needs $1,600,000.00.  The City will contribute $650,000.00.  Private contributions of $950,000.00, that have already been raised and are in the bank, will make up the difference.  The City will therefore receive significant private charitable support to help protect our investment.  This is a facility that cost approximately $10,000,000.00 to build.  The City has invested approximately $1.4 million so far.  For another $650,000.00 we can own it, debt-free.  Even if the Center ultimately fails, the City will own a valuable piece of property that, in all likelihood, will cover the City’s full investment.

The smart choice is to protect our investment.  And, voting “yes” won’t cost you a penny more.

To conclude, I understand we may not all agree on the Center.  I respect those whose opinions may differ from mine.  In an ideal world, we wouldn’t be voting on May 4 for the City of Fairfield to purchase the Center.  But we don’t live in an ideal world.  The right thing, and the smart thing, for Fairfield’s long-term future, is to vote yes on May 4.  And, it won’t cost you a penny more.

Fairfield Arts and Convention Center board member Mark H. Cohen and Executive Director Rustin Lippincott will host a public meeting at the FACC on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Cohen and Lippincott will update the community on the Center’s fundraising efforts and programming, and answer any and all questions relating to the FACC public/private partnership proposal before City of Fairfield voters May 4.

The proposal calls for the City of Fairfield to raise $650,000 by bonding toward a percentage of future Local Option Sales Tax collections. The $650,000 would be met with $950,000 in donations raised by the FACC to purchase the Convention Center, place ownership of it in City of Fairfield hands and retire its debts.

The Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Fairfield Economic Development Association, Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, and 1st Friday’s Art Walk have all announced their endorsement of the proposal.

The FACC and its board of directors encourage everyone in the community to attend this event so they can have all of the facts before the election.

“I can’t imagine voting on such an important issue put before the community without having all of the facts” commented Lippincott. “That’s why I want to allow the voting public to have the opportunity to have their questions answered and concerns addressed.”

If attendees are interested in learning more before the event, they can visit www.FairfieldCenterInfo.com. It contains an abbreviated version of the FACC business plan, plain language explanations of what a yes or no vote will mean to the community, and many additional facts and commentary about the FACC and its impact on the community.

As reported in the Fairfield Ledger yesterday, the President may visit Ottumwa next week. Well, this just in from the Mpnews.net… (thank you Annalisa Miller!)

Obama may visit Mt. Pleasant next week

by Erik Owomoyela
Published:
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 1:07 PM CDT
White House officials are looking at a possible stop in Mt. Pleasant to host President Obama as part of a tri-state tour planned for next week.

According to the White House Office of Media Affairs, the president will visit Iowa, Missouri and Illinois on April 27 and 28 as part of his “White House to Main Street” tour, to discuss jobs and the economy with rural families and businesses.

So far, the White House has released few details, and Mayor Steve Brimhall said the city had not been officially notified as of Wednesday morning. But Police Chief Terry Sammons said Secret Service personnel had contacted him about a possible visit to the city.

“There’s a possibility Mt. Pleasant could be a stop,” he said. “They’re going to get with us later, if that’s the case.”

If Obama does visit, it will be his first to Mt. Pleasant since January 2008, when he held a rally at Mt. Pleasant Community High School days before his victory in the Iowa caucuses.

For more, see our April 21 print edition.

After the Destination ImagiNation competition in Ames, six Maharishi School teams were selected to represent Iowa at the global competition in Knoxville, Tennessee the week of May 24. All ten of the Maharishi School teams placed first, second or third out of the 90 teams attending.  The Secondary Level girls’ team also received a Renaissance award for outstanding creativity and engineering, the first such award given in the state for the past 3 years. One Secondary Level boy’s team created a weight-bearing structure out of newspaper and glue, weighing only 56 grams, which held 550 pounds before they ran out of weights.

The Destination ImagiNation Global competition brings together 16,000 students and adult volunteers from across all states and more than 38 countries for teams to showcase their solutions.

According to the Destination ImagiNation website, the program, “is an exhilarating activity in which students work in teams to solve mind-bending Challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments. Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together, and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the Challenges. Participants gain more than just basic knowledge and skills – they learn to unleash their imaginations and take unique approaches to problem solving.”

Maharishi School state champion teams are:

Sadistic Pigeons,” Secondary Level, managed by Maricela Stackland: Eric Caplan, Ryan Stakland, Holden Ketterhagen, Dominic Borg, Sky Nite.

“Cats R Dogs,” Secondary Level, managed by Dan Walker and Mark Wilkins: Toby Walker, Toby James, James Francis, Laser Nite.

“The Defenstrators,” Middle Level, managed by Anita Travis: Leanna Miller, Avery Travis, Kadie Roberts, Phoebe Haerr.

“Cleanup on Aisle Four,” Middle Level, managed by Noel Nite: Alexander Hauptman, Solaris Nite, Mickey DeAngelis, Nathaniel Zhu, Surya Sawheny, Vinit Sunagur.

“TerriGood,” Middle Level, managed by Diana Makeig and Cherri Schroeder: Tomas Bousquet, Dimitri Makeig, Donovan Schroeder, David Wadsworth, Giovanni Cingire, Doga Ozesmi.

“Terrible Tasting Takoyaki,” Elementary Level, managed by Pam Temple, Teah Benkoczy: Chrissy Corazza, Makayli Kahil, Jivani Rodriquez, Beatrice Winn, Loreena Hansen, Devi Norton, Hermala Gebremariam.

Second place teams are:

“No Idea,” Secondary Level, managed by Mark Wilkins, Cathy Wadsworth: Coco Clark, Penelope Makeig, Pandy Wadsworth, Paavani Kar, Sophia Blitz. This team also won the Rennaissance award.

“The Team That Wasn’t… Or Was It?” Middle Level, managed by Sue Huggins: Jaya Meuhlman, Dia Huggins, Jacqueline Leete, Anna Unger.

Third place teams are:

“Swiss Cheese Bandits,” Elementary Level, managed by Danielle Hauptman: Tabitha Thornton, Emma Hauptman, Bella Unger, Amanda Valentine, Dayna Price, Cecilia Faircrest, Melat Gebremariam.

“DInamites,” Elementary Level, managed by Julia Zhu and Mark Wilkins: Caleb Mullenneaux, Dante Cingire, Saleem Burks, Daniel Zhu, Philip Weiner, Abdullah Akber.

These students have been working together for months, without adult help, a stipulation of the DI guidelines, to create solutions to a range of challenges. They have integrated engineering and construction, robotics, story-telling, puppetry, acting, history and science to produce unique solutions.

Mark Wilkins, who has organized the DI program at Maharishi School for five years, said, “These kids are amazing.  Over the years I have watched a large variety of kids learn to work together and appreciate each other as they take on the challenge of problem solving.  Their creativity and passion has been a constant inspiration to me.  I see kids go from seeing things as a problems to seeing things as a challenge.  Because at Global Finals I see children from all over the world  learning to work in teams and and solve challenges, it has given me faith that the world will be a better place.”

This Organ restoration and dedication event will recognize Fairfield resident, John Connet for his efforts.

The historic Parsons College Barhydt Chapel’s pipe organ has been restored and relocated to the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center and will be dedicated on Sunday, April 25th at 7 p.m. in the Sondheim Theater.

The evening will honor John Connet for his years of volunteer efforts refurbishing the pipe organ, formally naming of “The John Connet Organ Lofts,” recognized by a plaque on the halls entering the theater.

John and Coralee Dey will also be recognized for their contributions, support and naming of the organ. Pianist Werner Elmker and organist Steve Berg will perform demonstrating the organ’s capabilities.

The event will conclude with Rustin Lippincott, Fairfield Arts and Convention Center Executive Director will unveil the 2010 – 2011 Artist Series, the Center’s presenting performances.

A reception will follow in the Center’s Atrium concluding the event. The organ dedication and season unveiling is free and open to the public.

The organ’s restoration is due to the expertise and commitment of John Connet. John was an electrical engineer at Bell Labs in Chicago prior to moving to Fairfield in 1996. He first shared his talent with the Fairfield community before, repairing the Jefferson County Courthouse clock, which had stood timeless for several years.

John took on the repair and maintenance of the Barhydt Chapel organ, a 21 rank, 1800 pipe 3 manual Moller organ that was first installed in 1966. When the dismantling process began, John removed the various pipes, some weighing more than 60 pounds and measuring 16 feet, spending more than 200 hours wrapping the pipes in tissue and boxing each item for storage. Organ pieces were stored throughout Fairfield until the restoration began.

John began the task of reconditioning and modernizing the instrument with a computerized system in the console. He spent more than 100 hours rebuilding the keyboard electronics replacing fibers. As the Convention Center construction began, John was instrumental in the pipe chest design.

The organ is valued at $640,000 in its location at the Center. Estimates for professional refurbishing efforts to its current condition would have been $250,000. Current costs associated with restoration efforts are $50,000 and the more than 2000 hours John has donated to the project. John has used his personal savings to purchase items critical to completing the project.  The Center will reimburse John as organ donations continue.

John and Coralee Dey have demonstrated continual support through financial contributions to various components of the Center. Coralee, an original FACC board member was involved in the building design, with an emphasis on dance and theater elements. John and Coralee together have helped raise funds for the sprung dance floor and wooden arm rests for the theater seats. They were the first and currently the largest contributor to the Barhydt Pipe Organ fund. The Board of Directors have bestowed the naming rights of the pipe organ to the Deys.  Donations will continue to be accepted to cover costs of this project.

For more information on the Barhydt Chapel organ dedication and the Center’s Artist Series unveiling, visit FairfieldACC.com or call 641-472-2828

Fairfield 1^stFridays Art Walk All Things Italian Street Festival has been named as one of just 25 destination in Iowa  as a 2010 “Must See Event” and a “Silver Ticket Cash Stop” by the Iowa Lottery and the Iowa Tourism Office.

Each Iowa Event and Silver Ticket Cash Stop is an attraction that’s uniquely Iowa, offering its own blend of regional flavor, entertainment and culture.

“We’re excited to be chosen by Iowa Tourism and the Lottery,” said Rustin Lippincott, Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We know the advertising power of the Lottery, along with promotional efforts of the Tourism office, will bring many more Iowans to see all the hard work our group has done to market our area.”

In addition, All Things Italian Street Festival and every other “Silver Ticket Cash Stop” will give visitors the chance to win cash totaling $1,000, just by entering a non-winning Iowa Lottery “Silver Ticket” instant-scratch ticket at the Friday night art and food festival.

The Silver Ticket game celebrates the Iowa Lottery’s 25^th anniversary and gives players the chance to win up to $25,000 instantly.

“Our goal is to partner with 25 great events in Iowa and give people a bonus reason to attend with the $1,000 “Silver Ticket Cash Stop” contest,” explains Nancy Landess, Manager of the Iowa Tourism Office.

Details about the 25 events chosen, including the Fairfield 1^st Fridays Art Walk All Things Italian Street Festival and valuable discounts to other Iowa attractions can be seen on the State’s website. For more information on the All Things Italian Street Festival, click here.