Newsmakers, August 14, 2014

Air Date:
Heard On Newsmakers

La Crosse Public Library Funding; Pete Seeger

Featured in this Show

  • La Crosse Public Library Funding

    A rosier budget projection for the city of La Crosse in 2015 means the La Crosse Public Library will be able to avoid unpopular programming cuts for the second straight year.

    The most recent budget projection done last week anticipates lesser charges for health insurance benefits and more property tax revenue because of better than expected construction in the city in 2014, especially in the manufacturing sector.

    That could allow the La Crosse Public Library to avoid service cuts and even potential closure of its two branches. The Southside branch in particular had been targeted for closing by the La Crosse Public Library Board each of the past two years.

    City officials see the reprieve as temporary and insist there is still a lot of hard work ahead to come up with a permanent solution to the library’s financial woes.

    One in five library patrons is not a resident of the city of La Crosse, and the library board is not allowed by state law to assess a user-fee on those patrons to raise additional revenue.

    One possible solution involves reaching out to the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors to supplement the city’s library budget in future years. La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat is planning to meet with County Board Chair Tara Johnson in the near future to request $219,000 in 2015 to help offset the costs of out-of-city library users.

    “It’s an inequity that we are facing in reality. In essence if you’re using services, you should have to pay something for the services. That’s what the request is all about,” the mayor said.

    The La Crosse Public Library does collect annual fees from state of Minnesota residents as part of an agreement between the states, and getting some support from La Crosse County to help pay for other Wisconsin users could be a start to solving the ongoing library funding issues.

    “For a long-term solution, I think county participation is absolutely essential,” according to Library Board President Tom Sleik. “Hopefully, that is the most immediate area that we want to focus on.”

    Mayor Kabat doesn’t see county help as the only solution. The La Crosse Public Library is a lot more expensive than comparable and even larger libraries in Wisconsin on a per resident basis. Kabat says addressing that inequity is a common theme he’s heard among city taxpayers.

  • Pete Seeger

    La Crosse’s annual Great River Folk Festival is just a week away — this year’s festival opens on Friday, Aug. 22, and continues through Sunday, Aug. 24 — three days of concerts, music workshops, arts, and other exhibitions showcasing original music, crafts and related folk arts. The festival features guest artists as well as regional musicians and crafters, and has been for nearly 40 years.

    Somewhat coincidentally, Newsmakers this year is recognizing its 40th anniversary year and as we were combing through the archives, we rediscovered a 1977 “Newsmakers” show with the late Pete Seeger. He met with members of the La Crosse media on the occasion of his appearance at that year’s Great River Traditional Music and Crafts Festival.

    The late Pete Seeger’s influences on folk music and its stories come to life through the music of many contemporary folk and acoustic musicians and songwriters — and you’ll have a chance to experience their music and more at this year’s Great River Folk Festival, next week, Aug. 22 through Aug. 24 — this year, at an all-new venue. For the first time in its 39-year history, this year’s festival will be held on the banks of the Mississippi in La Crosse’s Riverside Park.

    A wide variety of national and regional musicians will present several mainstage concerts and workshops, plus there will be exhibits of arts, crafts, storytelling, dance, food and more. Among this year’s featured musicians are Tim O’Brien and Darrel Scott, Claudia Schmidt, Sally Rogers, Colin O’Brian, David Wilcox, Patchouli, bluesman Mike Munson, and entrants in the annual songwriting contest.

Episode Credits

  • John Gaddo Host
  • John Davis Producer
  • Sara Sullivan Guest
  • Tom Sleik Guest
  • Pete Seeger Guest
  • John Davis Interviewer

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