WEDNESDAY
S I N C E
JULY 23, 2014
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Vol. 119, Issue 113
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
City doles out big bucks for Bull-a-Rama Event’s future in jeopardy after $25,000 loss at April event BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
The city might boot the bull next year after an annual event had fewer tickets sales and cost Trail about $25,000 to run this year. The Kootenay Chrysler Bull-a-Rama saw about a 10 per cent decrease in tickets sales over the 2013 show, and less people attending the Saturday night dance meant a 32 per cent decline in liquor sales during the April 26 event in the Trail Memorial Centre. Overall, the expenses totalling almost $84,000 were on target but additional overhead such as ambulance services and overnight security at the Trail Horseman’s Society Grounds had the organizing committee bucking up an extra $6,800. The 13-year event isn’t officially shelved by the city, but was a topic of discussion at Monday’s governance meeting when council agreed to review the Bull-a-Rama committee’s re-shuffling proposal, however, the decision to again back the event will rest in the hands of Trail’s new council post the Nov. 15 civic election. “The committee is obviously looking at this and recognizes that there were several other functions going on and we did lose some sponsors,” said Coun. Eleanor Gattafoni Robinson on behalf of the event’s committee. “But the remaining ones are still very supportive and we are investigating other avenues so we can go down this path together and bring back a report to council in the next couple of months.” The Bull-a-Rama was already on shaky legs in February when Trail council debated sponsoring the event that, since 2008, has cost the city about $91,000. At that time, city staff recommended that council consider removing the event from the 2015 operating budget, unless an outside promoter or organizer stepped in to take over the financial exposure. “This year’s cost revenue over expenses... doesn’t include our direct staff time and actual cost associated with the city, rental and the like,” noted David Perehudoff, Trail’s chief administrative officer. The current financial summary in conjunction with the previous resolution, suggests council forward the matter immediately to the committee for commentary about how the event could be reorganized to limit the city’s loss going forward, he added.
LIZ BEVAN PHOTO
Debra Barembruch, owner at Amore's Ristorante in Trail, poses with her plaque at the top of the set of the covered stairs she sponsored and spends her time volunteering to pick up litter and keep the stairs clean. Barembruch is one of a group of Trail residents who have taken on the task of adopting one of the famous Trail covered staircases. The goal is to promote pride in the community.
Sponsors care for iconic stairs Groups and businesses sign up to maintain covered stairways BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
With over two kilometres of steps spread out over 63 sets of covered stairways in Trail, upkeep is a huge job and community members have stepped up to pitch in make sure an iconic part of the city stays clean and pristine. Communities in Bloom (CiB) has started program where community members can sign up to sponsor a flight of stairs and get cleaning. Dan Haley, local business owner and stair sponsor, says it's all about maintaining pride in the community. “It is important that they are clean, but the most important thing from our
perspective is that we are showing the community that we care and the community is important to us,” he said while hanging plaques recognizing sponsors. “You have to keep it clean to get people to respect (the stairs). Generally, if it is clean when you get there, you are going to keep it clean.” Haley also has a personal connection to the covered stairs throughout the city. He has been running up them for as long as he can remember. “They have always been important to me because in the old days, I would run up those stairs, frontwards, backwards, sideways, all over,” he said, adding that his whole family used and appreciated the stairs. “My father ran up the stairs, my brothers and sister ran up those stairs and I just love the days in my memories going back and I think it is very impor-
tant to keep them clean.” Lana Rodlie, of the CiB committee, says the idea of sponsored stairs came about a few years ago, but it wasn't until CiB judges came to Trail and mentioned the garbage on the stairs that the program got into full swing. “One of our committee members suggested it years ago that maybe we should have a program like this, but it sort of got lost in the shuffle of everything that we do,” she said. “It really got started because (CiB) judges had pointed it out several times. When you come into Trail from Castlegar, down the hill, you look across and you see stairs. If there is any garbage there, it is very visible. There was garbage all over the hillside and one of the judges said that this was one of our problem areas.” See MAINTENANCE, Page 3
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