Humboldt County High School Rodeo Club President Savannah Montero (18), and club members, Chris Gleason (15), Shaylee Robertson (16), Kyle Kemp (15), and Julianne Montero (12) came before Winnemucca Convention and Visitors' Authority (WCVA) to request help to put on the upcoming High School Rodeo. They were granted $6,000.
The group estimated the total expense for putting on the high school-junior high school rodeo at $30,200.
Montero said this spring's rodeo will have over 200 contestants, many of whom will travel with family members to Winnemucca for two days of rodeo competition.
WCVA will be "paid back" for the $6,000 grant with rent of RV spaces and horse stalls at the Winnemucca Events Complex during the rodeo.
Montero said High School Rodeo is alive and well in the county, with 23 active high school and junior high school members, some of whom competed well enough this past year to have the opportunity to represent Nevada at the National High School Rodeo in Wyoming.
For the past three years, WCVA has granted $5,000 to assist the club in putting on the rodeo. Their request this year was for $7,500. WCVA board members asked how much the county had granted ($6,000), and determined they'd like to match that amount. Montero said that would be "gratefully accepted." The money will be used for advertising, prizes, entertainment and for local contestants to go to Nationals competition.
In other action, the WCVA approved $5,000 in cooperative funding for a County Fiscal Officer Association Conference to be held in Winnemucca this fall. The event attracts 100 to 125 people.
Humboldt County Recorder Mary Ann Hammond said Humboldt County hosted the conference in June of 2001 and past members and vendors who attended still talk of Winnemucca as being one of their favorite places to hold the conference.
The event brings revenue into the community in the form of money spent at restaurants, gas stations and other local business. WCVA gets back its investment in room taxes paid by the guests.
• WCVA approved a West Hall and kitchen facilities grant of $750 for the third annual Cultural Diversity Dinner put on by Frontier Community Coalition. Money raised from the event helps pay for Community Coalition activities to support youth, community, and law enforcement. The date for this year's dinner is April 26.
• American Red Cross' Real Heroes Banquet received a facilities grant of $700. The Sept. 6 banquet honors local heroes being recognized for responding to emergencies, providing humanitarian services, or going above and beyond the call of duty.
• Joe Dendary, Winnemucca Golf Course Pro-in-training, requested cooperative funding for Spring and Fall Pro Am golf tournaments. WCVA provided $5,000 in 2012 and $7500 in 2013 to support the tournaments. The request for $7500 this year was granted. As with other grants, WCVA gets the money back in room taxes, and the visitors bring money into the community.
• Disappointed mule Races fans talked with the board about ways to reinstate the event, which was canceled for 2014 due to a perceived lack of interest. The event had been declining in both participation and spectators, and WCVA made the tough decision before the end of last year to cancel 2014's races. WCVA board members were very interested in trying to find a way to make the event work for 2015 if there was truly a proven support base and asked for volunteer help and planning assistance from those who came to protest this year's cancellation.
• Architect Bob Hooft talked with the board, at WCVA Director Kim Peterson's request. Peterson wanted Hooft's help on several projects including restrooms at both the east and west halls of the convention center.
In addition, Hooft commented on a tour he had taken of the east hall and said it seemed to him some of the wasted space there could be recouped with some fairly inexpensive improvements.
• The outside of both convention center buildings and the possibilities for a future visitors center were also part of the discussion, as was the future of the two-level east hall parking lot (the bottom level hasn't been used for years). "We have a proposal from a tectonic design group to inspect the parking lot and give their opinion and recommendations," said Petersen. WCVA approved $1,740 for the inspection and recommendations.
Contact Joyce Sheen at j.sheen@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
