Lodging Panel Funds New Events

An Old Cowboys’ Reunion, aerobatics exhibition and a Mr. and Miss Fall Festival Pageant were funded by the Prowers County Lodging Tax Panel during their monthly meeting August 19.

Anne Marie Crampton from Lamar Community College and Alvin Jones explained the concept of the college’s plans for an Old Cowboys’ Reunion to coincide with the LCC Antelope Stampede Rodeo, set for October 3-5 this fall.  Jones explained that a lot of LCC alumni would attend a gathering of former LCC ag/equine students, including Horse Training Management, Livestock Judging Teams, the Saddle & Sirloin Club and other groups from the history of the college.  “We have about 60 years of alums that would be interested in attending, just to meet and greet and relive some of the times we spent at the college,” he explained.    Crampton, LCC Foundation Executive Director, told the panel this would be a first venture, but the college is exploring a timetable for future reunions, “perhaps every other year or every five years, depending on how well attended they become.  We can adjust the schedule to meet the needs, but we see our core participants coming from the 1980s at this point.”  She added that the event would also serve as a means of developing a more accurate alumni list to the college could develop more activities for former students.  The Lodging Panel approved $4,000 towards marketing and advertising the event.

Pix from 2013 Air Show

Cameron Rogers, a member of the Lamar Airport Board, and Chana Reed, explained a proposal to add to the number of attractions for this year’s Lamar Fly-In at the Lamar Municipal Airport, scheduled for September 20.  Fly-Ins have been held off and on over the past 25 years at the airport.  Rogers said last year’s event drew from 500-600 people for the one day display of airplanes.   Reed said this year’s event will coincide with the Red Star aviation training event in which the distinctive YAK aircraft will be displayed for several days, from September 17 – 21. Rogers explained that this will also provide an opportunity to showcase some of the upgrades at the airport, including the development of additional hangars, landing areas and lighting systems.  The event is always free to the public and at times meals have been provided as well as contests and prizes, computer flight simulators and displays of radio controlled model airplanes.  The airport board, working with the Lamar Chamber, hopes to hire an aerobatic performer during the noon hour.  Several years ago, the Lamar Airport was voted best in state for a small scale, commercial airport, by pilots across Colorado.  $2,000 was awarded for marketing, advertising and posters which will be displayed at regional airports in Colorado and Kansas.

This year’s Fall Festival in Lamar will be held Friday, September 12 and will coincide with the Third Annual, First Responders 9/11 Tribute, set for that Friday and Saturday.  Diana Woller is organizing a Miss and Mister Fall Festival Pageant for Friday evening, from 5pm to 8pm and requested funding to help promote the event which will be held in the downtown Lamar area.  The Miss Southeast Colorado Pageants, held back in the 1980s and 1990s were the last time contests of this nature were promoted in Lamar.  Woller said the organizers hope to attract additional crowds to the Fall Festival that day.  The pageant will be open to voting from the audience as well as out-of-state judges who will oversee about 40 contestants.  There will be eight age divisions for girls up to 19 years and four for boys up to 8 years.  “We have kind of a hard time getting boys older than that to participate,” she said.  Judging categories include Most Beautiful, Best Personality, Best Dressed, People’s Choice Award and King and Queen.  There are entry fees which will be used to defray pageant expenses.  Entry forms are available online at www.lamarpageant.com.  The Lodging Panel approved Woller’s request of $2,050 for marketing expenses.

By Russ Baldwin