Municipal Auditorium

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03fc8c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id245.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oral Histories Of Ottawa"><B><IMG SRC="0410b120.png" border=0 width="11" height="18" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>   </B><A HREF="ottawa_bus_line.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa Bus Line"><B><IMG SRC="0420b120.png" border=0 width="11" height="18" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>     </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="18" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="18"><B>  </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa High School Class of 57"><B><IMG SRC="04312120.png" border=0 width="18" height="18" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="77" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 30 WIDTH="71"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="30" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="71" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Ottawa Herald Article contributed by Morgan Williams</B></I></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=94 BGCOLOR="#FF3300" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0403c5e1dvmwlb.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Ottawa High School Class of '57</B></FONT><B>     |    </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa High School Class of 57"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa History In Postcards">Ottawa History In Postcards</A>   |   <A HREF="id278.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa 1896">Ottawa 1896</A>   |   <A HREF="id176.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa Business">Ottawa Business</A>   |   <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flood of 51">Flood of '51</A>   |   <A HREF="id166.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="50s Memories">50's Memories</A>   |   <A HREF="id114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lions Band">Lion's Band</A>   |   <A HREF="id205.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Barbershop Chorus">Barbershop Chorus</A>   |   <A HREF="id250.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Christmas Houses">Christmas Houses</A>   |   <A HREF="id181.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa Tornado 1957">Ottawa Tornado 1957</A>   |   <A HREF="id206.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Forest Park">Forest Park</A>   |   <A HREF="id221.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="City Park">City Park</A>   |   <A HREF="id283.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Franklin County Ottawa History">Franklin County & Ottawa History</A>   |   <A HREF="id245.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oral Histories Of Ottawa">Oral Histories Of Ottawa</A>   |   <B>Municipal Auditorium</B>   |   <A HREF="ottawa_bus_line.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa Bus Line">Ottawa Bus Line</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=386 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Municipal Auditorium</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>OTTAWA MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM'S FUTURE IN QUESTION </B></div> <div> <B>Attendance, revenue varied over the years</B></div> <bR> <div> By Jodie Krafft, Herald Staff Writer</div> <div> The Ottawa Herald, Ottawa, Kansas, Sat, July 2, 2005</div> <bR> <div> Through the years, attendance, revenue and expense numbers for the Ottawa Municipal Auditorium continually have fluctuated. In recent years, however, certain numbers are causing concern among city officials and those involved with the auditorium.</div> <bR> <div> The City of Ottawa, auditorium staff, and representatives from other community organizations will meet Wednesday to discuss the auditorium and its future.</div> <bR> <div> Weldon Padgett, city manager, said in a letter notifying groups about the meeting that the point of the meeting was to gage the degree of support within the community, raise awareness about costs related to the auditorium and share other information that could aid the City in its future decisions.</div> <bR> <div> In the 2002 calendar year, the auditorium made $1,413. That number jumped to $17,830 in 2003, but the auditorium lost $16,778 in 2004.</div> <bR> <div> Padgett said he couldn't say whether the acts coming to town were not popular with the community or that the auditorium simply is paying more for the acts that what it receives in show revenues. In the 2003-2004 season, total expenses for shows at the auditorium were $56,833, but the show income only totaled $51,347. Padgett said expenses include the artists' fees and advertising. It does not include salaries, equipment costs or maintenance to the building.</div> <bR> <div> In the 2002-2003 season, the auditorium lost considerably less with its shows: total expenses were $47,884 and show income was $46,177.  Padgett said a “season” is similar to an academic year with fall and spring portions. There isn't a lot of activity in the summer, he said. Expense and show income figures for the 2004-2005 season were not available because numbers from the events for Cowboy Days still are being compiled.</div> <bR> <div> Attendance numbers also have suffered.</div> <bR> <div> Shonda Stitt, administrative manager at the auditorium, said an average of 500 to 600 people attend shows at the auditorium. She said attendance depends on the artist, the time of year and other factors.</div> <bR> <div> Total attendance for the 2004, 2003 and 2002 calendar years were 6,065 people, 5,457 people and 5,835 people, respectively.</div> <bR> <div> Padgett said that although the auditorium had more than 6,000 in attendance in 2004, elementary school children attending Youth Matinee shows made up about half of that number.</div> <bR> <div> He said students are taken to the shows during the school day and either pay a small amount to attend or grants are available to cover the costs. He acknowledged that the children's programs were good and worthwhile, but he said he thought those numbers shouldn't be part of the total attendance figures.</div> <bR> <div> “If you took those kids out of the equation, the actual public's attendance is extremely low compared to what we're putting into it,” Padgett said.  He said rental numbers for the facility are increasing, which was one of the city's goals. In the 2004-2005 season the auditorium had 110 days with some activity compared to 51 days with some activity in the 2001-2002 season.</div> <bR> <div> “Getting people in the door was a big deal,” Padgett said. He said such issues as attendance and what to do with the auditorium are not new.  “What do people want?” he said, noting that the previous director, Dick Smith, voiced similar concerns about the auditorium. Shonda Stitt, administrative manager at the auditorium, said figuring out what the public wants is an ongoing issue.</div> <bR> <div> “They say one thing and you try to cater to that one thing, and they don't show up,” Stitt said. “It's really hard to put shows together that you think the community wants to see.” Stitt said she thought one remedy for the situation would be to better advertise about the auditorium and its programs. “It's just a matter of getting the word out that we're here- that we do have quality entertainment at affordable prices,” she said.  “They just need to take us up on that.”</div> <bR> <div> Padgett said the community needed to come together and share ideas on what could be done to improve the situation, either by utilizing the existing auditorium or by closing or changing it in some way. Wednesday's meeting will begin at 5:15 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, 101 S. Hickory St., and is open to the public. </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>