WHERE, OH WHERE IS DADDY WARBUCKS WHEN YA NEED HIM?
It ‘s no secret that since the day Vicky Chepulis and John Marks retired from Trollwood’s Performing Arts School, things have never been quite the same.
Perhaps what the secret has been is how much things have changed and why they changed so drastically.
Since before Chepulis’ and Marks departure, Trollwood not only changed its location, but the board president, as well as the number of board members, the administrative personnel who first took over for what was then known as “Future Builders,” (now known as “Bluestem”) and, of course, the now going-on-three-year “interim director” of Trollwood itself, Kathy Anderson (since Gale Benson was fired).
And none of this answers the sixty-four dollar question of what happened to all those heavy-duty, rolling-in-green donors who seem to have evaporated as suddenly as a prairie morning fog?
DID THE LOCATION CHANGE CLOSE THE POCKET BOOKS?
To be honest, the last time I paid any close attention to what was happening with Trollwood’s move into Moorhead, Steve Wurzer was president of Future Builders, the non-profit group controlling the fundraising for TPAS. Future Builders was a group formed in 1998 to raise money for TPAS to be moved, after the 1997 flood made it impossible for TPAS to stay in their north Broadway location, sitting on the edge of the Red River in Fargo. And apparently there was nowhere else for them to locate with the “necessary” scenery as a backdrop for the must-have amphitheater.
Along came Minnesota Morrie to the rescue with $5.5 million bonding dollars and the announcement that a new plan to move the Fargo School District’s Trollwood Performing Arts Program over to Moorhead was made in July of 2006. The original site chosen was MB Johnson Park, in North Moorhead—straight out on 11th Street. Someone must have not liked that idea, or a contractor got brain gas and decided that south Moorhead, right along the river (yes, that would be the same river we’ve been fighting for the last three years!) straight west on 50th Avenue. Never mind that houses had been removed from the very same area due to flooding, and the only golf course available to younger-than-average golfers who usually got dropped off or rode their bikes would be removed forever. Moorhead was now home to Trollwood’s Performing Art School. Many felt this to be a major coupe for Moorhead.
The original campaign goal announced by Brad Schlossman was $16.25 million dollars, of which $11.2 million had already been raised for “phase 1.” Phase one included (according to TPAS online website history) the land acquisition and infrastructure, construction of the new facilities, equipment and furnishings, and the annual operating costs for the next five years.
However, the TPAS website tells it a tad differently, giving the total as $18 million, with the $5.5 million from the Minnesota Bonding bill included in that amount. It also states that the $5.5 must go directly to Moorhead.
Another $5.5 million was raised as a match for the Minnesota state bonding funds through FutureBuilders. They had to raise this in order to receive the Minnesota bonding funds. After that, another $3.5 million in more private donations through FutureBuilders was raised to pay off the remaining project debts not covered by the bonding money or matching funds.
BLURRY NUMBERS and TIME LINES
After Chepulis and Marks resigned in 2010, the goals for fund- raising and the time line goals of raising those funds get very blurry. I read the Forum’s accounting last week and I’ve also read The Arts Partnership application on line. And I’ve got some questions regarding both, because there appears to be information that simply does not add up.
At one time it was announced that FutureBuilders was planning on selling the name for the entire facility and hoped to gain around $4 million for the naming rights. Well, the name did change to BlueStem, didn’t it? So who bought the naming rights and for how much, and where did the money go?
The Alex Stern Family Foundation and Bill and Jane Marcil donated over a million dollars at one time, or so it has been reported. Was that part of the FutureBuilders fund-raising, or was that in addition to the FutureBuilders donations?
In 2008, the Fargo School District backed two different loans totaling $6.5 million dollars so that all of the construction could be completed. Is this why they are now taking control of what happens to BlueStem?
Has the bonding money loaned from the state of Minnesota been completely paid back? No, my understanding is that it has not. Which means in the event that the Fargo School District defaults (and who knows? Maybe Measure 2—North Dakota rescinding its property taxes could easily make it happen), Moorhead will automatically inherit a new concert venue south of town!
IT’S REALITY TIME…NOT WHO WANTS TO BE QUEEN OF THE PROM
Does it seem to anyone else that the entire fiasco is exactly that—a fiasco?
The drama over Sue Wiger trying her level best to raise money to SAVE Bluestem versus Ms. Anderson’s whining about having her staff intimidated or getting their feelings hurt seems a lot like junior high antics. Does she not get the fact that without revenue being raised by Wiger there is every likelihood that there will no longer be a TPAS?
Having an arts program is great, and I applaud all who have endeavored to keep it going. But obviously, all those “someones” who once dove into their pockets for the loose change they felt like giving are no longer around, or have found new pet projects to give to. The taxpayers of Fargo are not going to want or even be able to afford to support Bluestem and TPAS through their tax dollars. So where, pray tell, does the TPAS “half” of this equation actually believe they are going to raise $300,000 minimum every six months without bringing in concerts or weddings or anything a lot more entertaining to far more people than they previously have with one play by non-professionals? Seriously? Because if they actually have a plan, now would probably be a really good time to let the rest of us in on it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN STRAND —Oh my! 57 is looking pretty good!!
AND A SPECIAL HAPPY B-DAY TO KEN NORMAN AND JUDGE TOM DAVIS!
(I only hope to live to be your age!)
For all questions and comments to Soo’s column please email: sooasheim@aol.com for editorial letters please send them via email to Soo or to Tammy at tfinney@ncppub.com and remember to include your name and city you live in so that we can verify them.