Sunday, May 21, 2006
BRIAN WALKER The Kentucky Standard
Public encouraged to submit more ideas
It was the quality no quantity that made the meeting work.
The turnout of 13 people Thursday night for the first public discussion of sports marketing and tourism was more than organizers had expected. Attendees came armed with ideas for a variety of attractions, but the best part was that each carried a genuine enthusiasm, organizers said.
“This is great. To see these folks come in here and talk about what they’d like to see here and to have them commit to help is wonderful,” Bardstown / Nelson County Tourist and Convention Commission Chairman Nicky Rapier said.
The tourism board decided during numerous discussions through the years there was an untapped market of alternative sports, regional events and tournaments that could and should be held in Nelson County.
The board recently took action and hired Steve Small, a retired Western Kentucky University women’s basketball coach, to work as a part-time sports marketing director for the county.
Small introduced himself to the audience at the Fiscal County Meeting Room in the old courthouse with a 10-minute talk about his beliefs and dreams for Nelson County.
He touted the success of plans he helped implement in Bowling Green such as the disc golf explosion, a karate tournament and the popularity of soapbox racing.
Small said he wants to ensure locals get their desires met first even though bringing folks from outside Nelson County here to enjoy the area and to eat in the restaurants and stay in the hotels is important.
“We have got to make sure people that live and work in Bardstown and Nelson County have the recreation and sporting events and things they want first before we worry about everybody else,” he said. “If there is a local market, we will tap into those people and expand it from there.”
Bardstown Parks Department Director Donna Pascal said she was at the meeting to support the efforts of the tourism board and to offer any expertise she could.
Several members of the Bardstown Boaters Club, local disc golf duffers and Mike Hammons, owner of Horizon Hoppers Adventure Services, a local canoe and outdoors operation, were there to ask questions and seek advice on how to push each of the sports they enjoy.
Disc golf combines tossing a Frisbee-like disc into wire baskets, generally mounted on poles on a course. Many rules of standard golf apply in play.
“I’d like to see what it would take to get a white water park set up on Beech Fork River,” said Spalding Hurst of the Bardstown boaters. “There is a great location we have in mind and I know it would draw in kayakers and boaters from all over the place because there isn’t anything like this here close.”
After some group discussion, Hurst and others explained they must travel great distances to do some aspects of their sport and this would become a destination site for boaters or all types.
Rapier said he knows there is currently talk of how to better utilize the river for a water source for Nelson County. Plans are underway to build a new dam, making this the ideal time for the boaters’ wishes to be worked into the project, he said.
“I want you guys to help us do some homework on the logistics and how to help get something like this done in Bardstown,” Rapier said.
Dawn Ballard, Vice President of Tourism Expansion and Marketing for the commission, said she would arrange a more one-on-one meeting with the boaters so in-depth discussion on the topic could take place.
A trio of disc golf players from the area said the closest courses are in Elizabethtown and Radcliff. Those who want to play will drive great distances for a good course, they said.
Small, who said from the outset of his time on the job he supports the game, intends to see a course up and running by year’s end.
“I have been working on trails and different types of things that could be useful in construction of a disc golf course,” Hammons said. The golfers volunteered labor and knowledge too.
That type of cooperation is what it will take to make the work Small and others are doing pay off, Rapier said.
“I’m excited about this,” he said. “We had a nice turnout for a first meeting and there is going to be plenty to follow up on from tonight.”
For more information, call Ballard at 348-4877, Ext. 114 or log onto www.bardstownboaters.com, www.discgolf.com, www.horizonhoppers.com, www.kycanoe.com or www.visitbardstown.com.
Brian Walker can be reached at 348-9003, Ext. 114 or bwalker@kystandard.com.
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