Othello delays decision for festival

OTHELLO - Othello delayed a decision to have the new recreation director help the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival.

The move came as the festival committee added a second request for the city to help provide services to the festival. The request came after the council agreed to maintain the festival's mailing list.

Festival Chair Dixie Fultz asked if the new parks and recreation director the city plans to hire could help prepare curriculum write-ups and contact potential speakers.

"I've heard concerns that people believe the crane festival would like to see the city take it over and run it, and I certainly want to quash those rumors," she said. "We are not interested in giving up what we do."

The person who arranged for speakers for the first 12 years of the festival isn't able to do it any longer, Fultz said; adding the US Fish and Wildlife employee donated hundreds of hours to the project during the years.

"To find someone who can donate that amount of time to a project is extremely difficult," she said. "We struggled with it last year, fortunately the city jumped in and helped us out. We are struggling again with it this year. We will accomplish it, but we still do not have our brochure put together and this is getting into the latter part of January."

Rather than see the portion of organizing the festival returned to the city, Fultz requested the help organizing the event be added to the recreation director's job description.

"I'm not sure if we want them to do it as much as help with it and maybe we find some ways that several people could do it, but they could be the center correlation person to make sure that everybody is doing what they need to do," she said.

Fultz plans to find other groups which could help with contacting potential speakers and tour leaders, she said, pointing to the Chamber of Commerce. The committee offered to pay $1,000 for the help from the city.

"We struggled with it last year. We are struggling with it this year, but we will accomplish it this year," she said. "I guarantee it. There will be a crane festival this year ... What we're looking at is for next year if we can have someone that can help do what (the city) did, which is contact speakers and ask them, 'If they're willing to speak on Saturday. Do they need a hotel room? Do they need any meals? Do they need travel?' To be able to get them here, and are they capable of doing some kind of tour."

Councilmember Charles Garcia was concerned the new director is likely starting in a new community and would be overwhelmed by the project.

"You have to be real careful with that for the first year," he said. "To say that it couldn't be a helpful hand ... I think it could be, but for the first year if you're expecting much out of it, it's going to be a disappointment ... They're going to have to be established in their position and what they're doing on a day-to-day basis."

City Administrator Ehman Sheldon said the city is six to eight weeks away from doing interviews and hiring someone.

Mayor Tim Wilson suggested the city wait until a person is hired for the position.

"It would be nice to get that person on board and see what their skills and potential are because we have no idea," he said. "I would rather see you come back in August ... Then we know what we have for an individual."

Fultz said not putting it in the job description was fine, but the assistance from the community is necessary for next year's festival.