Tempers flare at council over rodeo routes, seats

The bleachers moved from rodeo arena to the mud bog area.

Changes in plans for traffic flow and the sudden lack of bleachers for the upcoming Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo, triggered a tempestuous meeting of the city council last week.

Rodeo committee members, with support from concerned citizens and Chamber of Commerce members came to the council hoping that the city council would help with the concerns.

At issue was a change in the previous plan for traffic flow to the rodeo proposed by city Parks and Recreation Director Stan Franks, and the decision by Franks to move the bleachers recently from the rodeo grounds to the mud bog area. The rodeo committee had planned on sending traffic straight down Marathon Way, turning right into the parking area, but Franks wanted the traffic rerouted, splitting at the Y where traffic enters the park and sending traffic around the park behind the arena chutes and catch pens to the parking area.

Franks was concerned that the rodeo committee plan would wind up jeopardizing the city's agreement with Marathon Cheese to keep Optimist Park open.

Mike Pope, rodeo committee president, and Todd McCurry, vice-president, told the council that they had spoken with Parks and Recreation and officials at the Marathon Cheese Factory about the traffic pattern at Optimist park.

McCurry said the traffic flow changes proposed by Franks posed "a real safety concern for the contestants, spectators and livestock."

Franks said they had spent a lot of time discussing the subject.

"We gave our word to Marathon Cheese to have a one way in and out. Why risk Optimist Park for one event and lose the park?" he asked council.

Franks pointed out that the city had made an agreement with Marathon Cheese in October 2005 to improve the road, maintain the park and make other adjustments to Optimist Park, according to the Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the company.

"Improvements to the road and traffic adjustments were made. Why upset Marathon because a group doesn't want to follow Parks and Recreation traffic rules and jeopardize the park," said Franks.

McCurry said that he didn't want to have any bickering or upset anyone.

As long as Marathon Cheese doesn't have any problems with events held at Optimist Part, they will not ask the city to move Optimist Park out of its current location, which is possible under the agreement with the city that brought the company to Mountain Home.

Marathon Cheese has not disagreed with the rodeo running the traffic pattern the same way as last year, according to an e-mail from Jay Phillips, the Marathon Cheese plant manager.

Pope and McCurry presented the city council members with a full color pamphlet outlining the Rodeo ground layout.

They both said that their main concern was if traffic was to go the way Parks and Recreation wants it to flow, it could definitely affect both the spectators, livestock and competitors.

"This is really a big safety issue for us, and we don't want to cause any problems with the city or Parks and Recreation, we just want some solution to how we all can work this out.

"We have cooperated since the very beginning of promoting the rodeo. We did all the necessary steps, just like last year, and didn't feel that traffic or seating would be an issue," said Pope.

The rodeo committee had attended a council meeting in April and had received approval to run the rodeo as it had in the past.

"I didn't see any problems or know that we were going to have any until I received a personal call from Franks," Pope said.

According to Pope, the phone conversation was about the bleachers, with Franks allegedly contending they did not belong to the rodeo arena (they were purchased by the city for the mud bog events), and then Pope said Franks changed the subject to tell him the traffic pattern was going to be changed.

Two days following the phone conversation, the rodeo committee was at Optimist Park preparing some of the grounds for the rodeo when Pope realized that the bleachers had been moved and cemented in at the mud bog area.

"That was when I knew there was a big problem. I wanted to attend a Park and Recreation meeting to see if this could be resolved. I noticed that no meeting was going to be held in May, it wasn't until Monday, June 8, that these issues were going to be addressed and it was a big 360-degree turn from what the city council said from April to now," said Pope.

With the initial approval of the council, Pope said, the rodeo committee had not foreseen the events that unfolded at the heated meeting on Monday.

With tempers flaring, both the rodeo committee and Franks went head to head.

Franks was adamant that Optimist Park as well as all city parks should follow a motion he had proposed, and to which council had agreed, for following designated entrances and exits, which at Optimist Park meant using the loop around the outside of the park to the parking area.

The council agreed to delay implementing the new traffic plan until after the rodeo, because of the late date at which the changes had been proposed, but the rodeo committee was informed that those changes would be in effect for any future rodeo.

Franks also said at the council meeting that the bleachers that were at the rodeo grounds had been moved to the mud bog arena and nothing could be done to move them back.

However, according to Pope, back in April when the subject of the road came up via the personal phone call from Franks, the explanation given to why those bleachers were removed was that they were bought for the mud bogs and not for other events, and that people break them and water pipes get broken at the rodeo arena site.

"We moved them and now they are cemented in and they cannot be moved," Franks said at the meeting.

Because of that the rodeo committee began scrambling to find suitable seating for the expected crowd of 3,000 or more. The PRCA, which has sanctioned the rodeo and brings in top rodeo performers to appear at the event, has minimum standards for seating, and Pope fears the rodeo could be lost if adequate seating isn't obtained.

"Parks and Recreation offered us these small wooden bleachers, that are barely taller than a picnic table for the rodeo," said Pope.

According to Pope, the wooden bleachers by no means could meet the seating requirements for the rodeo and that the viewing of the rodeo from those seats would be difficult.

"Now don't get me wrong," Pope said, "Parks and Recreation has done a great job with Optimist Park. All the cowboys love it, in fact they have said how much they appreciate the grassy area for them to lay out with their families.

"In fact the rodeo grounds has been nominated twice for 'Small Rodeo Park of the Year' on the Wilderness Circuit.

"We want to ensure that everyone enjoys themselves, can see the rodeo and we appreciated having the big bleachers to accommodate everyone."

Council members agreed on Monday that the seating was definitely an issue and they offered help in any way they could.

Mayor Rist said he would call officials at the airbase to see if they could help with some bleachers.

"In the past we couldn't get bleachers from the base and thanks to Mayor Rist we have two large bleachers like the ones that were moved that can accommodate everyone," said Pope in an interview two days after the council meeting.

But since the council also had approved the motion from Parks and Recreation in regard to the traffic flow at parks, the future of the rodeo remains uncertain.

The rodeo committee has contacted its insurance company to see what it would be liable for if any injuries happen as a result of the change in traffic flow, if the city decides to implement the plan proposed by Franks.

"It seems it's Stan Franks' way or no way. We want to make sure that the rodeo can continue here in Mountain Home and that the safety of the livestock, competitors, and community are safe should this motion pass," Pope said.

"We never wanted any problems, and we are proud of the city and the community.

"As a non-profit organization we are very happy to support the city and give donations and scholarships out to the community," said Pope.

Franks could not be reached for follow-up comments.

Optimist Park Arena will host the fourth annual Daniel Dopps Memorial Dodge PRCA Rodeo beginning on Friday, June 26, and continuing Saturday, June 27, starting at 7:30 p.m. both nights.

The rodeo is an annual event to honor the memory of 19-year-old Daniel Dopps, who died from injuries sustained at a PRCA rodeo in August 2005.

The Daniel Dopps Memorial PRCA is a non-profit event, with proceeds garnered during the rodeo going toward local charities and youth organizations in the community.

At 7 p.m., prior to both Friday and Saturday's events, children ages 6-12 will take part in a calf scramble while children five years old and under will take part in a goat tail event. The rodeo will hold sign-ups for both events at 6:45 p.m. The children who retrieve ribbons will receive monetary prizes for their efforts. For all the children who compete in the pre-show events, they will be given bandanas full of candy.

On Saturday, the rodeo will hold "Pink Shirt" night. As partners with the Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign, the rodeo would like everyone at the rodeo to wear pink to signify their support for cancer research.

This year's rodeo will feature Slash T Pro Rodeo Company as the stock contractor and events such as saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, barrel racing, bull riding and open barrel racing, an event that will feature several women barrel racers competing for cash prizes.

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