Nebraska Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission
Meeting Minutes
April 20, 2006
Mahoney State Park: Peter Kiewit Lodge, Little Bluestem & Cottonwood Rooms
Commissioners in attendance: Hull, Johnson, Moulton, Ruth, Slader, Stokes, Wehrbein, and Williams.
Staff in attendance: Emanuel, Swenson and Bastemeyer.
Special Guests/Advisors in attendance: Bat Shunantona, Vic Gutman, Randy Yates, Matthew “Sitting Bear” Jones, and Erv Friesen.
Commissioners not in attendance: Hornbaker, Mitchell, gaiashkibos, R. Smith, and M. Smith.
A quorum was satisfied.
Chairman Ron Hull called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m.
Hull asked a motion to approve the minutes from the March 2006 meeting. Ruth moved to approve the minutes and Wehrbein seconded. Unanimous voice approval.
Chairman Report:
Hull welcomed everyone. He stated that the meeting agenda will be changed. Mr. Vic Gutman would start the meeting with an update on the Omaha event planning.
Vic Gutman handed the commissioners, staff, and guests hard copies of Omaha “program plan” and budget information, which outlined the partnering institutions and the programming at each venue. For the school field trip day on Friday, September 8, two venues have been secured, the Joslyn and the IMAX Theater at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The day will be broken into morning and afternoon sessions. Schools will be invited to attend the programming at the Joslyn or the IMAX, not both. A strategy will need to be determined which schools will go where and when. WAITT Media has agreed to be a radio sponsor, but do not have a T.V. sponsor yet. Brule is not included in the budget. To include Brule for the pops concert, the commission would need to raise an additional $10,000 to $15,000. Without Brule, the amount needed to be raised is approximately $55 – 60,000.00
Hull stated that each commissioner might be asked to make phone calls in order to raise the remaining money.
Slader asked if the commission could start soliciting for donations, “free will donations” for the symphony concert.
It was suggested that a solicitation be placed on our website.
Bastemeyer stated that she would talk to Bob Pawloski on putting this on the commission’s website.
Johnson asked if there would be a tribute to veterans at our events? Hal Sterns mentioned to her last month that Montana recognized military veterans at their commemorative events.
Chairman’s Report continued:
Hull stated that the commission would be losing two commissioners. Dr. Rudi Mitchell and Leroy Stokes do not wish to be reappointed to the commission. Hull expressed that he would like Stokes and Dr. Mitchell to reconsider their decision. Slader has provided Hull with the names of four Native Americans. Bastemeyer passed those names onto the Governor’s office.
Hull thanked the National Park Service and Dick Williams for granting the commission $50,000.00 for educational programming and the Peter Kiewit Foundation for also awarding the commission $50,000.00 for the Symphony concert.
Hull stated that he has talked with Jennifer Barliment, Executive Director of the Omaha Symphony, about having Chief Standing Bear’s speech narrated by a Native American at some point during the concert.
Hull reminded the commission about the First Annual Chief Standing Bear Breakfast on May 12, 2006, 7 a.m. at the Lincoln Embassy Suites. Please let Kim know if you can attend. The commission is sponsoring a table.
Finally, Hull mentioned that Ernie Ricehill’s contract was sent on Friday, April 14, 2006.
Ruth expressed that it is important to note in the Native American Artist Application that the art shipping expense is the artist’s liability.
Swenson agreed and stated that a document similar to a “hold harmless clause” should be drafted. This document should also require the artist to assign a dollar amount to the application.
Ruth suggested that Mary Ethel or Ernie check with the Nebraska Arts Council to inquire if they have a similar document/form that we can use as an example.
Hull invited Erv Friesen, Acting Director of the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark (MRB L&C) Visitor Center in Nebraska City, to update the commission on the event planning in Nebraska City.
Mr. Friesen handed the commissioners a schedule of events for Saturday, September 16 along with a proposed budget. Currently the events planned for Nebraska City are one-hour excursion rides on the Spirit of Brownville, a brunch with a program by Amy Mossett hosted by the MRB L&C Chapter, a program by Dr. Gary Moulton at the visitor center in the afternoon, and the day will end with a three hour dinner cruise on the Spirit for Brownville. The dinner cruise will start in Nebraska City and end in Brownville. A trolley will meet the passengers in Brownville and drive them back to Nebraska City. There will be a $25/person charge to attend the dinner cruise.
Swenson asked Friesen if an association with the Arbor Lodge could be integrated into the day’s events this will be discussed further as planning progresses.
Executive Director Report:
Swenson thanked Dick Williams and the National Park Service Challenge Cost Share for awarding Ponca with $10,000.00 for their Lewis & Clark activities August 30 - September 3, 2006. On behalf of the Game & Parks Commission, Swenson also thanked the Lewis & Clark Commission for awarding Ponca $15,000.00. The Game & Parks will utilize a portion of the Lewis & Clark Commission money to subsidize park permit costs in relation to the Corps II exhibit.
Swenson updated the commission on the events planned in Ponca. Jeff Fields, Swenson and Michael Smith will meet on Monday, April 24 to discuss the History Conference at Ponca on August 30 – September 1. Swenson will provide the commission with a proposed budget at the next commission meeting.
Swenson mentioned that Bastemeyer is writing a grant to the History Channel: Save Our History Grant. The grant program is designed to encourage collaboration between history organizations and schools or youth groups. The History Channel offers grants of up to $10,000 to support unique educational community preservation projects. The deadline to submit the grant is June 2, 2006. Grant recipients will be announced on July 14, 2006.
Swenson provided a copy of an email request from Laurie Larsen of the Shannon Trail. The Nebraska Shannon Trail was awarded the opportunity to give a presentation at the 2006 National Extension Tourism Conference in Vermont. Larsen is requesting funding from the Nebraska Lewis & Clark Commission to send herself and Shirley Kehne to the conference. The conference costs $500 per person, $240 for hotel rooms, plus a plane tickets.
The consensus of the commission was not to honor this expense request. The commission has not paid other organizations to attend conferences; no precedent set. It was suggested that Larsen go to local Chambers to ask for the funding.
Finally, Swenson stated that John Slader has been asked to attend the Missouri Lewis & Clark Legacies Workshop on April 26-27 in Jefferson City, MO. Dick Williams made a motion to spend money to send Slader to Missouri for the Legacy Workshop. Wehrbein seconded. Roll call vote was taken. All commissioners present, expect Slader who abstained, approved the motion.
Coordinator Update:
Bastemeyer asked the commission to decide what percentage of the school bus transportation the commission will subsidize for the field trip day on September 8. The commission decided that they would subsidize 30% or no more than $100.00 per school for transportation costs to and from Omaha.
Bastemeyer was also asked to draft an agreement letters between the commission and Ponca & Nebraska City that identifies our partnership and financial commitment to those two entities.
Roundtable Discussion:
Ruth asked the commission if the Oklahoma Historical Society was contacted about bringing the historical document (letter from President Thomas Jefferson) back to Nebraska for our farewell events. The commission responded that there has not been any contact made. Bat Shunatona stated that he knew people at the museum and he could inquire if it would be possible to have the documents brought back to Nebraska.
Slader stated that there is a video that shows the restoration of the documents that could be played at one of the venues in Omaha on September 9.
Moulton stated that he would be willing to have one of his original historical documents displayed.
Ruth also asked if Fort Atkinson was planning to have any Lewis & Clark activities. Slader stated that they currently were not planning anything of major scope. The commission asked Slader to talk to the local people about having something to coincide with our farewell events. He stated he would talk to them and get back to us.
Matt Jones was asked by Hull how the commission could get the Otoe-Missouria tribe more involved in our September events. Jones stated that he could talk to he elders council and invite them to come. They could possibly do an educational program for the Omaha event.
The meeting adjourned at 11:04 a.m.