Fair Vote Nebraska: 'Issue isn't dead'
A petition drive aimed at keeping the Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln has failed, but leaders of the effort say the fight isn’t over.
“The issue isn’t dead as far as we’re concerned,” said Mike Donlan of FairVoteNebraska.com. “We’re not giving this thing up yet.”
The group needed to collect 60,000 petition signatures by Wednesday to put before Nebraska voters a repeal of the law that moves the fair to Grand Island.
Group leaders said Wednesday they just missed the mark. They plan to unveil their next move soon, although they declined to give details.
Said Donlan: “We’re looking at some legal options.”
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, city of Grand Island and State Fair Board, meanwhile, are acting aggressively to carry out a new state law that sends the fair west by 2010 and clears the way for UNL to convert State Fair Park into a high-profile research and development campus.
That makes for a long to-do list for each group.
Grand Island
City and fair leaders are crafting architectural plans to ensure Fonner Park is ready to host the 2010 fair.
The city also is working to raise its $8.5 million share of the $42 million it will cost to move the fair. Cindy Johnson, president of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, wouldn’t disclose how much has been raised but said the public can expect an update by the end of August.
At least $1.5 million to $2 million in private funds will be raised, Johnson said.
“‘Failure’ is not a word we’re familiar with,” she said.
Grand Island has not allowed itself to be sidetracked by FairVoteNebraska.com, Johnson said.
“But it still was a cloud. It still caused uncertainty. Now that particular hurdle has been handled, and we will continue along the path that we are on, and we will wait until the next hurdle.”
State Fair Board
Just more than five weeks from hosting the 139th Nebraska State Fair, board members are focused on putting on “the very best fair that Nebraskans have ever had,” said Barney Cosner, the fair’s executive director.
That will include family-friendly events and a concert lineup headlined by country star Miranda Lambert.
Cosner hopes this year’s fair, which starts Aug. 22, will be a welcome option for families looking to stay closer to home because of high gas prices.
“I’ll tell you, those that don’t stay close to home are going to be missing out,” he said.
Fair leaders also are brainstorming ideas for the 2009 State Fair, likely the end of the event’s run in Lincoln after more than a century.
“It’s coming fast and furious,” Cosner said.
He expressed appreciation for the support his organization has received in recent weeks, but said FairVoteNebraska.com’s efforts haven’t stalled their work.
“We’ve got so much to do in a short time, we didn’t get a chance to be distracted by other things.”
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
UNL on Friday issued a “request for information” to solicit ideas from developers on how to move forward with its proposed Innovation Campus.
If FairVoteNebraska.com’s petition drive had succeeded, UNL would have had to wait until after the Nov. 4 election to formally contract with any developer.
Now UNL expects to follow its hoped-for timeline, said Bill Nunez, director of institutional research and planning: Receive developers’ submissions by Aug. 15; invite standout developers to campus; then issue a formal request for proposals that will produce a developer for Innovation Campus.
“We believe it’s the best thing not only for Lincoln but for the state of Nebraska,” Nunez said of a research campus. “That’s been our purpose from the beginning — to create something for the state of Nebraska.”
The university must contribute $21.5 million toward moving the fair. Chancellor Harvey Perlman said last week he wouldn’t discuss financial details but said he believes NU will have no difficulty reaching that figure.
FairVoteNebraska.com
The dozen volunteers helping the group had just six weeks to gather the required signatures.
That process went well in Lancaster, Douglas, Hall and other counties but faltered in others, group spokesman Roger Yant said. To make the November ballot, the group needed valid signatures from 5 percent of registered voters in 38 counties.
In Lancaster County, volunteers collected more than the 9,700 signatures required by law. Yant didn’t have a total signature count.
“We did darn good,” he said. “We came close but we didn’t quite make the grade.”
He vowed Nebraskans will know FairVoteNebraska.com’s next move within a day or so.
Whatever action the group takes, allies are unlikely to get the issue on the ballot: Any group seeking to repeal legislation via referendum must follow the petition drive process, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.
“The issue isn’t dead as far as we’re concerned,” said Mike Donlan of FairVoteNebraska.com. “We’re not giving this thing up yet.”
The group needed to collect 60,000 petition signatures by Wednesday to put before Nebraska voters a repeal of the law that moves the fair to Grand Island.
Group leaders said Wednesday they just missed the mark. They plan to unveil their next move soon, although they declined to give details.
Said Donlan: “We’re looking at some legal options.”
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, city of Grand Island and State Fair Board, meanwhile, are acting aggressively to carry out a new state law that sends the fair west by 2010 and clears the way for UNL to convert State Fair Park into a high-profile research and development campus.
That makes for a long to-do list for each group.
Grand Island
City and fair leaders are crafting architectural plans to ensure Fonner Park is ready to host the 2010 fair.
The city also is working to raise its $8.5 million share of the $42 million it will cost to move the fair. Cindy Johnson, president of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, wouldn’t disclose how much has been raised but said the public can expect an update by the end of August.
At least $1.5 million to $2 million in private funds will be raised, Johnson said.
“‘Failure’ is not a word we’re familiar with,” she said.
Grand Island has not allowed itself to be sidetracked by FairVoteNebraska.com, Johnson said.
“But it still was a cloud. It still caused uncertainty. Now that particular hurdle has been handled, and we will continue along the path that we are on, and we will wait until the next hurdle.”
State Fair Board
Just more than five weeks from hosting the 139th Nebraska State Fair, board members are focused on putting on “the very best fair that Nebraskans have ever had,” said Barney Cosner, the fair’s executive director.
That will include family-friendly events and a concert lineup headlined by country star Miranda Lambert.
Cosner hopes this year’s fair, which starts Aug. 22, will be a welcome option for families looking to stay closer to home because of high gas prices.
“I’ll tell you, those that don’t stay close to home are going to be missing out,” he said.
Fair leaders also are brainstorming ideas for the 2009 State Fair, likely the end of the event’s run in Lincoln after more than a century.
“It’s coming fast and furious,” Cosner said.
He expressed appreciation for the support his organization has received in recent weeks, but said FairVoteNebraska.com’s efforts haven’t stalled their work.
“We’ve got so much to do in a short time, we didn’t get a chance to be distracted by other things.”
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
UNL on Friday issued a “request for information” to solicit ideas from developers on how to move forward with its proposed Innovation Campus.
If FairVoteNebraska.com’s petition drive had succeeded, UNL would have had to wait until after the Nov. 4 election to formally contract with any developer.
Now UNL expects to follow its hoped-for timeline, said Bill Nunez, director of institutional research and planning: Receive developers’ submissions by Aug. 15; invite standout developers to campus; then issue a formal request for proposals that will produce a developer for Innovation Campus.
“We believe it’s the best thing not only for Lincoln but for the state of Nebraska,” Nunez said of a research campus. “That’s been our purpose from the beginning — to create something for the state of Nebraska.”
The university must contribute $21.5 million toward moving the fair. Chancellor Harvey Perlman said last week he wouldn’t discuss financial details but said he believes NU will have no difficulty reaching that figure.
FairVoteNebraska.com
The dozen volunteers helping the group had just six weeks to gather the required signatures.
That process went well in Lancaster, Douglas, Hall and other counties but faltered in others, group spokesman Roger Yant said. To make the November ballot, the group needed valid signatures from 5 percent of registered voters in 38 counties.
In Lancaster County, volunteers collected more than the 9,700 signatures required by law. Yant didn’t have a total signature count.
“We did darn good,” he said. “We came close but we didn’t quite make the grade.”
He vowed Nebraskans will know FairVoteNebraska.com’s next move within a day or so.
Whatever action the group takes, allies are unlikely to get the issue on the ballot: Any group seeking to repeal legislation via referendum must follow the petition drive process, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.
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