By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

The Corbin Tourism Commission will give $15,000 for a Native American powwow this summer after three of five voting commission members approved the measure.

The three-day competition powwow will be held at St. John’s Park on College Street and will include a kid’s day with demonstrations for school children, story tellers, authentic craft vendors and Native American dancers and musicians, with $22,150 paid out during the competition.

The commission’s vote stipulates that the Corbin Main Street Program will manage and be accountable for spending the $15,000.

The powwow is scheduled for Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29-31, and organizers are hoping to secure a total of $37,000 to fund the event. Some of that money will be through entrance fees.

“If we have as much as $25,000 when the powwow opens, we’re in good shape,” said organizer Ken Phillips.

Before voting against funding the powwow, commission member Wes Tipton said he was concerned about the parking available for the thousands of people Phillips predicted would attend the event.

“My concern is paying $15,000 for a three-day event out there, because I don’t think there’s enough parking,” Tipton said.

Phillips said he felt he could park about 1,000 cars near the event grounds with permission to use adjacent business parking lots. Main Street Manager Sharae Myers, who spoke in support of the project, said the powwow would likely have more available parking than Nibroc, to which the tourism commission contributes $25,000 annually.

Commission member Sudhir Patel also expressed concern over the timing of the event. He said his hotel is already packed over Labor Day weekend and questioned whether the powwow would have an economic impact on a weekend that already brings in tourists.

But commission member Suzie Razmus said the event would impact other types of businesses. She said holiday visitors come to Laurel Lake and Cumberland Falls, “but are they really in the city limits of Corbin? I don’t think so. Here’s an opportunity to bring them downtown. Given our financial situation, I think we need to give it a chance.”

Later in the meeting, accountant Kyle Perkins reported that the commission’s net income for April 2008 was $11,700 — about $5,000 over the projected budget. For the fiscal year to date, the tourism commission has taken in $34,000 more in net income than originally budgeted. Perkins said the surplus comes from increased revenues in restaurant and transient room taxes, and a decrease in event sponsorships compared to budget.

“To me, this is a new experience, an educational opportunity,” added commission member Nick Greiwe about the powwow. “For at least one year, I’m in because it’s new and it’s different and we’re doing a combination of tourism and an educational experience.”

The measure passed with Razmus, Greiwe and Betty Comer approving, Tipton voting against and Patel abstaining.

The board also elected officers, with Razmus elected vice chair, Patel elected secretary, and Comer elected treasurer. The election means that Razmus will likely become the board’s chairperson when Steve McBurney’s term is expired.

Also during the meeting, Myers requested funding for flower planters along Main Street, but the board made no decision Monday. Myers also told the board that she had applied for a $50,000 grant through PRIDE and Keep America Beautiful to purchase trash cans and cigarette urns for downtown, and the Main Street Design Committee is working on a fundraiser to purchase downtown benches.

In other business:

• Herman Adams with Web site service provider Tier 3 said tourism’s new Web site at www.corbinky

tourism.com is up and running.

• The commission purchased a projector from Hamlin & Kersey for the Corbin Civic Center.

• The commission voted to allow Greiwe and Patel to find and purchase a second residential-grade freezer for the civic center.

• The commission denied a request for funding for the Corbin Middle School Science Olympiad team because it did not fall within state laws concerning tourism funding.



Samantha Swindler can be reached at sswindler@thetimestribune.com