Lodging Panel Funds Annual Spring Car Show

Ron Cook’s request for $3,000 for advertising funds for the annual Lamar Days Car Show was approved by the Prowers County Lodging Tax Panel Tuesday afternoon, January 20.  “This will be the 20^th year we’ve held the event,” said Cook, adding, “We drew entries from four states for bikes and cars and last year was probably our best.”  He said the show will be reduced to just two days instead of the third day on Sunday with a Poker Run.  Cook added that last year’s ‘No Booze-Cruise with Cops’ on Friday night from Sonic Drive In, raised $900 for the annual July 4^th fireworks display.  “We got a lot of help from Chief Marshall Cook and the Lamar Fire and Ambulance Department on that,” he stated.  Doug Thrall, owner of the RodeWay Cow Palace Inn, invited Cook to display a couple of local vehicles in the motel’s foyer a couple of week before the annual event on May 15 and 16.

The Panel tabled action on funding the balance of the $19,000 request from the Sand and Sage Roundup Kick-Off Concert.  Late last year, the Panel approved $12,000 of the request, but withheld the remaining payment pending additional funds from the State of Colorado.  The money won’t be needed until the spring, as the confirmation of funding is required to secure the performers.

Pat Palmer said he will speak to John Sutherland, Lamar City Administrator, the welding department at Lamar Community College and officials at Dragon Enterprises about repairing the steam engine in front of the Lamar Chamber of Commerce offices.  Rusted out sections to the front of the engine were covered with polyurethane foam and a new paint job several years ago, but the paint is peeling and the expanding foam has turned orange.  LCC will use student welders to replace sheet metal over the rusted spots as part of an on-the-job training project and Palmer said Dragon employees can bend and shape the sheet metal to fit the curvature of the engine.  “John Sutherland said he might be able to have the city’s public works department contribute the metal that will be needed for the project,” Palmer stated.

How to best publicize Prowers County events to a larger, farther-away audience was discussed by Panel members.  This is a project initiated by Commissioner Wendy Buxton-Andrade during the November Lodging Panel meeting and discussed in depth during the Tuesday session.  The basic task of the Lodging Panel is to fund publicity for events in hopes of drawing visitors to the county for an overnight stay.  The farther away the visitor, the more likely they’ll spend the night.  Chris Frost, Editor of the Lamar Ledger, proposed an online advertising schedule, using his paper’s affiliate newspaper chain in Colorado.  The Panel will hold a meeting next week to explore the possibilities.

The annual election of officers was held with only one change; Jane Felter became the Panel secretary, replacing Judy Douglass who retired.  Pat Palmer remains President, Myrna DuVall as Vice-President, and Brad Semmens as Treasurer.  The Panel recognized new member, Diana Woller, whose application letter to the Panel was accepted by the Prowers County Commissioners.

By Russ Baldwin