Lodging Panel Approves Three Fall Events

Activities around Prowers County are moving into the fall season as the county Lodging Tax Panel recently approved several activities set for September and October of this year.

The Panel, meeting for their August session on Tuesday, the 21^st, approved funding for the November 9^th, Farm-/- City Banquet at the Lamar Community Building, the Antelope Stampede hosted by Lamar Community College running October 5^th through the 7^th and the Colorado Tourism Study tour which will have the Lamar Welcome Center host their counterparts from Alamosa on September 24^th and 25^th.

Local singer, Rhett Uhland, from the Kiowa County region, will provide entertainment for the banquet which helps raise funds for various FFA groups. The Lamar Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual event which includes the buffet served by the FFA membership.  The Chamber pays between $3,000 to $4,000 for the FFA services.  Heather Morris, chamber office manager, Kendra Cope, chamber president and Jessica Medina, chamber board member requested $4,300 to cover advertising expenses and the panel voted to provide them with $2,000 in funding.

Cole Dorenkamp represented LCC with his request for $13,000 in funding for advertising and contract payments for livestock and personnel for the October rodeo, set for the Prowers County Fairgrounds. This is the first year of representation for Dorenkamp, replacing Fred Sherwood at the college in this and other capacities involving rodeo and equine management and instruction.  The Stampede brings in several hundred visitors and college students from Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming, most of whom use the local motels for their three day competition.  The panel voted to fund the event with a $10,000 donation.

Once a year, visits between Colorado Welcome Centers are scheduled, providing staff members with a tour of each other’s areas. This allows one welcome center to speak with first-hand knowledge to visitors about the amenities and tourist-oriented sites at the site they’ve recently visited.  This year’s visit from Alamosa will be held September 24-25^th and the full amount of the funding request, $2,360 ws approved.

The next Lodging Tax Panel meeting will be held Tuesday, September 18^th at the LCC Administration offices.

By Russ Baldwin