Council should consider bigger picture

Dear Editor:

The theme of the December 27 City Council discussion about the Parks and Rec Committee and the preservation or demolishing  of the Fairground’s grandstands seems to be spiraling down to a silo view of Waitsburg events and continuing program of work.

We have an event, Waitsburg Celebration Days, that has been successfully implemented and been a benefit to promoting Waitsburg and Waitsburg businesses that seems to be overlooked in a determination to save the grandstands. 

Waitsburg Celebration Days is utilized as a promotional tool year round for the benefit of Waitsburg. Waitsburg nonprofits have come together since 2010 to plan, profit, and execute a citywide event that encompasses downtown, our park, and our Fairgrounds. From Friday evening’s Sunset Historic ATV event and the Bonfire, Brats and Brews to Saturday’s Parade, Brewfest, Auto Show, Carnival, ATV Poker Run, Burgers Band and Brews and to Sunday’s Cowboy Church, Soapbox Derby and Duck Race, the efforts of the multitude of volunteers who contribute to the event organized by the Celebration Days Committee is a unqualified success.

In addition, there are many other annual events, concentric to the Waitsburg fairgrounds, that are happening every year, successfully bringing visitors to our town. The success of these events happens without need or benefit of grandstands.

There is much happening in Waitsburg.  If we overlook what all of us have accomplished, we denigrate the sparkle we have in our community of clean and walkable streets, hard working business owners, and community members and organizations that work to benefit and promote Waitsburg.

The underlying message I seemed to hear tonight was more of a direction of one view of promoting Waitsburg events rather than a plan to link arms with community organizations who are already completing that mission.

Commercial Club, your Chamber of Commerce, encourages the Waitsburg City Council to continue to look at a broad based view of Waitsburg; we are fueled by the efforts of many of our citizens and community organizations deserving of recognition and our support.

Waitsburg Commercial Club Executive Board

Waitsburg