The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-09-14
Joint Meeting of Commercial,
Rotary & Kiwanis Clubs
Decide to Purchase Fair
Grounds.

Brookings will realize the ambition
thusiastic meeting held last evening
by a large group of representative
business men, members Of the Com
mercial club, the Rotary club and the
Kiwanis club. The outstanding result
of the meeting will be the purchase
of the fair grounds and its conversion
into a city park, a tourist camp, a
play ground and an athletic field and
track for the BrOOkings high school.
The meeting was held upon the invita-
ton of the Commercial club and Geo.
p. Sexauer, president of the club, pre-
sided at the meeting.
Never before in the history of
Brookings. has such a meeting been
held before and the enthusiasm ex-
pressed for the future growth and pros
perity of B~rookings was an inspira-
ton to all who were present. Each
man felt the occasion to be historical
and that this meeting was but a be-
ginning in great accomplishments for
tiIO VI kiS Inv
pursuit Of the Almighty Dollar was
laid aside and the goal of every one
present was to make a bigger, better
Brookings.
Supper was served by the Y. w. c.
4. Cafeteria in the G. A. r. hall where
the meeting was held. Singing was
interspersed with eating until the last
of the meal was served. Lawrence Oh
son sang two solos, which were re-
ceived with great applause and caused
the chairman to remark that when it
came to singers, Brookings could COM
pete with Minneapolis, or any other
city in the Northwest.
/. j. Bibby was the first speaker
called upon and his topic was Hobo
day. He outlined the plans that had
been made for the entertainment of
the crowds and named the committees
in charge. The tiremen will serve a
barbecue. The churches will be asked
to serve lunches at noon and all of
the restaurants and eating places will
be prevailed upon to enlarge their
capacity. Another committee will
work out plans for a rest room down
town to take are of the hundreds of
women and children who will be in
town that day. Last year the crowd
here on Hobo day was estimated at
5000 but this year it will undoubted-
ly be 10000.
Tho mnntinO thpn t1lrnpH itC at
tentiOn to the matter Of the tourist
park and athletic field. G.. j. Flittie
being chairman of that committee
made a short explanation of the plan
and need for something to be don and
then called upon Attorney Philo Hall
to present a practicable plan for hand
ling the matter. In a clear, plain
business like way, Mr.. Hall, pointed
out all Of the phases of the case, show
ing the great need and showing all of
the objections. After presenting the
problems, he offered the solution.
Since there was no question that
Brookings needed a tourist park, an
athletic field, and a city park, and since
there was no other possible place to
locate a park except on the west side
of the city, the fair grounds being only
three blocks from Main street offered
the only site that could meet the con
ditions. Since the people of Brook
ings voted against purchasing the fair
grounds at a special election recently
and would oppose any increase in tax
es, Mr.. Hall suggested that the bust
ness men purchase the fair grounds
with their own notes and hold it in
trust for the city until they felt
financially able to purchase it out
right. The city in return agree to pay
the interest on the debt. amounting to
about $500 a year and also to spend
$2,4O0 in improvements and upkeep
each year. The city commissioners
have expressed their approval of such
a plan and are in favor Of appropriate
ing $4,000 a year for park purposes.
Other towns smaller than Brookings
appropriate larger sums than that
each year for park purposes.
After he had outlined the plan, Mr..
I1dil Cdiieu LOT Il vote Oh lHe Seutl-
ment of those present on the PROPOSE.
ton. and unanimous approval was
given. The need of an athletic park
for the high school was Their discussed
by F. w. Heintz, a member of the
board of education, and Supt. S. w,
Johnson Of the city schools. Mr..
Heintz stated that it was mo longer
possible to impose on the college for
the use Of their athletic field and that
the city schools must provide their
W field. The fair grounds are al.
ready suited to this purpose and If Mr.,
Halls plan was carried out, he felt
that the board Of education would be
justified in appropriating the sum of
$500 a year toward the maintenance
and payment of interest.
Supt johnson stated that the high