Festival committee reports significant turn around in ’09

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

Officials from the Nautical Festival Committee attended the Nov. 10 Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners? meeting to not only thank them for their support of the 2009 festival, but to present a financial report, whose numbers show a huge turn around from disconcerting red ink to money in the bank. Committee president Dennis Downie and treasurer Dick Bennett told board members of the $35,000 turn around.

Earlier this year, when the committee asked and received a $3,000 donation from the county board for advertising, the festival committee promised to bring back a financial statement of the expenses incurred. Downie said the organization went into the 2009 festival with a $21,000 debt, which went back two to three years. The committee sought a $25,000 loan to pay off its bills and start 2009 with a clean slate.

THE FESTIVAL was so successful, Downie said the loan was paid off and $13,704 was put in their coffers. “We?re current on everything and I think we have enough seed money to carry us through to the next festival, but we won?t have anything in the bank,” said Downie. “We?re still going to need more help, but, in one more year, we should be fine. We?ve got the people in place right now, we?ve got the system in place.” Bennett added, “Without the cooperation of the county board of commissioners and the community this would have been impossible. We had more than $30,000 in sponsors and $6,000 or $7,000 advertising.

” With $800 a month in expenses, scholarship funds set aside for the Nautical Festival Queen’s pageant, arts and crafts set up money and an insurance payment coming, by June they’ll probably have a zero balance. “WE LEARNED a lot,” said Downie. “We were all green to this. We worked our tails off, but there are

ways we can tweak it for next year to make it even better.” “With the help you had, congratulations on what you did,” said commissioner Mike Darga, whose main constituents live in Rogers City.

Bennett said, ?We?ll work as hard this year as we did last year. Without your support, and the startup money you gave us, we couldn?t have done it. I want you to know that. I think we?ve brought more people into town than you?ve seen in a long time.? Downie commended the Presque Isle County Historical Museum for the activities they planned to make the ’09 festival as successful as it was.

“I think it was money well invested,” said commissioner Bob Schell. “You did a great job.”

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