By DAVE SCHULTZ
The Ossian Parks Board made two decisions Monday night, one for the short term and one for the long term.
On the short term, the board agreed to turn its alcoholic beverage concession for the 2023 concert season at Archbold-Wilson Park to Horizon Events, an organization that pledged to use the money to support community events in the town — particularly, the town’s summer fireworks show and a haunted house at Halloween
The long-term decision was to support a request from Kody Kumfer of the Ossian Revitalization organization to get three entities — the Ossian town council, the parks board, and Ossian Revitalization — into a joint planning meeting to be sure they’re all going in the same direction.
Jeff Osborn and John Zoucha of Horizon Events, an organization that has its 501(c)3 status intact, were present to make their case for serving beer and wine — but no hard liquor — during the concert series.
Some parks board members wanted to consider other potential vendors, but eventually it was the fact that Horizon Events would put the money it raised back into the town that made the difference.
“We think we might be able to help with some of the issues you have coming up with the summer concert series,” Osborn said. “We’re looking for ways to raise funds for fireworks.”
And to answer a concern expressed by parks board members earlier in the meeting, Osborn said, “We’ve got people who will work those events.”
The four board members present — Jay Esparza, Gary Guenin, Tim Rohr, and Jared Kurtz (Ben Jones was absent) — all voted in favor of allowing Horizon Events to handle the concession.
Esparza said he had other vendors who had approached him for the alcohol concession, and he said it would be “fair to speak to everyone.” Kurtz, in particular, thought the pledge by Osborn and Zoucha to use their proceeds to benefit the town gave them an advantage. That thought carried the day.
Kumfer’s approach to the parks board was a simple one. Rather than the parks board and the town council and the Revitalization organization going in different directions, he thought it would be beneficial to have a roundtable discussion with members of all three organizations present.
Kumfer’s request met with approval from Esparza, Guenin, Rohr, and Kurtz. Stephanie Tucker, the town council’s liaison to the parks board, also participated in the discussion and appeared amenable to the request.
In other business:
• Guenin has been appointed to the Wells County Tourism Commission.
• Guenin also said he had been “beating the bushes” and a total of $4.760 has been raised to date to support the 2023 concert series.
• Kurtz reported that the summer baseball and softball programs have 253 children involved in them.
daves@news-banner.com
