Group Organizes Event To Bring Attention To Bandstand.

Barb Sunstrum Lindenmayer with Jeanne and John Porter at Saturday's #ThisPlaceMatters event.

Barb Sunstrum Lindenmayer with Jeanne and John Porter at Saturday’s #ThisPlaceMatters event.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The conversation around town the past month has been the comment made by Roger Brooks at his visits about moving the Oskaloosa Bandstand.

During an April press conference, Oskaloosa News asked the Brand Leadership Team about the future of the bandstand, and if it would be moved.

Oskaloosa Main Street President Josh Buckingham stated, “I guess I can take that one. Conceptually, Roger had some general ideas but, as far as that goes, that’s kind of where it is for now. The bandstand will remain. I don’t think anyone on the committee wants it to disappear.”

At that same press conference, Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Schrock talked about utilizing the space. “It could probably be better. That’s the thing right now. The band is limited and, as you have taken pictures and seen, the space isn’t as functional as it could be. And I think that was part of the discussion, is how do you make this so you aren’t working around every piece of the square. If you’ve noticed Art On The Square, if you notice RAGBRAI, Friday After Five, you just have to pigeon hole everything in. The square’s not really designed to function as a true gathering place, without people ruining the grass or falling into the hedges.”

Schrock went on to say, “So we treat it a lot like a museum. It’s good for pictures, it’s great for photos, it’s great for memories, but I think the idea we’re trying to create is where you can have more than just that. Again, nothing is decided. We’re having conversations. People are interested, and we want to keep talking about those ideas.”

During this same time-frame, area residents who were concerned about the future of the Oskaloosa Bandstand and the Square started a Facebook page titled, “Save the Osky Bandstand & Square”.

On May 19th, a press release from Andy Clark, President/CEO of C.L. Barnhouse Co., was published, citing the support for leaving the Bandstand as it is. “We believe that the beautiful City Park and Bandstand is one of our town’s most impressive assets. We want everyone to understand that we are opposed to the idea of moving the bandstand from its present position,” Clark said in his editorial.

On Friday afternoon, a press release from the Brand Leadership Team reconfirmed the earlier comment from Buckingham. “The Brand Leadership Team (BLT) clarifies that the downtown revitalization efforts will not include moving the bandstand.”

On Saturday, the “Save the Osky Bandstand & Square” held a ‘This Place Matters’ event at the bandstand.

Barb Sunstrum Lindenmayer is one of the administrators for the Facebook page. She said that the page was made “for those who did not want the Bandstand moved or the square materially altered”.

Lindenmayer said, “It was never stated that the fear was removal.”

The object of the event was to have those interested in sharing their love for the icon to stop by the square and have their picture taken with the bandstand, while holding a sign that said, ‘This Place Matters’.

Lindenmayer’s family owned the Sunstrum store in Oskaloosa and her uncle, John Porter, was owner of Hawkeye Lumber for over 60 years.

For her, the Bandstand and the Square are special.

Lindenmayer said she appreciated the press release from the Brand Leadership Team that stated the Bandstand would remain.

Lindenmayer said that she did wish more had been able to make it, but was happy with the turnout, considering the short notice for the event and it being a holiday weekend.

“Maybe the press release kept people from here,” said Lindenmayer. “Maybe they thought the main concern was over.”

“We want to preserve the Bandstand in the center and the Square as much as possible,” said Lindenmayer. She believes that the setting is what helps make the Bandstand and Square what it is.

Lindenmayer said that if something were to be added to the square, “I think you need to be careful about what that is”.

Lindenmayer hopes that in the future there will be good communication.

Lindenmayer says that she doens’t want to be a “stick in the mud or stand in the way of all the hard work people have put forth in the effort to improve Osky.”

The action plan from the Brand Leadership Team is slated to be available in July of this year.

Posted by on May 25 2015. Filed under Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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