Payson Roundup

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

This town and the leaders just keep getting crazier and crazier.
The election is over so now they are going to fight over the Rodeo.
I thought once you sold something as was printed in the paper about the rights to the rodeo, it was a done deal.
Now the Alliance has pulled all sorts of little things to get it back, after having first right of refusal according to tonight's paper.

Funny we didn't hear about this before the election.

PRCA is not the only rodeo association, but hopefully they will see thru all of this and sanction the old Pro Rodeo Assc.
As I understood it the Chamber sold thier rights to the Pro Rodeo Committee after the new 'Alliance' decided they didn't want any more to do with it.

Wonder how our fearless mayor will handle this?

JohnNaughton (John Naughton) says…

How about what, Shields?
I am not, nor have I ever been, on the Alliance board.
I was on the committee representing the chamber of commerce as they were in charge of putting on the rodeo parade portion of the event. My only charge was to report the status of the parade at meetings. Quite the responsibility.
The only two people I know of that are the “Alliance” are Chuck Jackman and Meg Turlukis, according to the AZ Corporation Commission filing.

JohnNaughton (John Naughton) says…

Ms. Shields, to answer your questions:
1. If you want to know who participated on the board and committees last year, use the search button on the top of this page.
2. If you want to know who the registered directors of the Alliance are go to to the AZ. Corp. Comm. website.
3. The people you mentioned above were involved last year. I do know Cameron Davis is not currently on the board. I have no idea of the others.
4. I, like many, were on the rodeo committee. I, like many, we not on the board of the Alliance.
5. Jackman and Turlukis are, as far as I know, the Rodeo Preservation Alliance. As mentioned in the current story, Jackman and Turlukis will not comment so, I have no idea if anyone else is involved.
6. Not BS, fact.

rtnaz (Rex Hinshaw) says…

The newspaper article is accurate and complete as to what is known at this time.
This came to light only recently and the Mayor and Cameron were as suprised as we at the Payson Pro Rodeo committee. They are 100% behind us and assisting with a resolution. We are confident….There WILL be a 126th Annual Worlds Oldest Rodeo produced by the Payson Pro Rodeo Committee.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

What does the Chamber of Commerce have to say about all this?
If they signed a contract to sell the Trademark rights to the Rodeo, and were paid, isn't that a done deal?
Lets hear from John Stanton.
Isn't a Trademark all that belonged to the CofC?
Where does the town stand in all this since they own the Event Center?
Which side are they on?
Why not put all the 'contestants' on KMOG and let the public call in and get the questions answered?
So many questions and who will answer them?

rtnaz (Rex Hinshaw) says…

Dean, when I said ” they” , I was referring to the Mayor and Cameron.
When I said “we “, I was referring to the Pro Rodeo Committee.
Pat , I doubt there will be much public comment because of legal issues being handled by attorneys right now. You and Dean both know Bill Armstrong and he would be the best source of information from the Pro Rodeo Committee's side.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Because of attorneys involved in it I would not put Mr. Armstrong on the spot by asking him anything. I think the attorneys have already told everyone to keep thier mouth shut.
I believe the Chamber of Commerce is the one to straighten this mess out. Just another of my opinions.
The town has last word as they own the Event Center and I see they are working on it again today.
Wonder what fund that money comes out of?
Should have let the Reservation do thier thing with the event center and rodeo many yrs. ago when they offered. Too many control freaks in town hall since I can remember.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Amazing how fast Mr. Stanton left KMOG this morning so he wouldn't have to answer questions on the rodeo fiasco. My opinion.

DonEvans (don evans) says…

Amazing, unbelievable. People all ready to go to war and spend money over who's ego's will be in charge of a little local rodeo. All while our health care system is about to be taken over by a bunch of career politicians who won't have to sign up for it, or pay for it. How about calling some of these national political hacks offices and tell them vote no way, or their out on on their ear to the highway.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

It must interest you Don or you wouldn't be reading and posting on this thread.
If we can't clean up politics with less than ten thousand voters how do you expect to change anything in Washington?

JohnNaughton (John Naughton) says…

Ms. Shields:
Sorry, your information is not correct.
You have a list of the volunteers who helped with the 2009 rodeo.
I have no idea, see my above posts, who, if any, are still involved with the Alliance. I am not.
Suggest you contact Chuck Jackman or Meg Turlukis for a current list as they are listed with the ACC as officers of the corporation.
The answer to your question… No.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Mr. Naughton,
Was the above information correct when you posted it on April 2, 2009 at 5:08 P.M. ?

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

I think it would be nice if someone from the Alliance would come on and tell us where the money came from to put on last years rodeo and where it is coming from this year if they win this round.
I know there is money that has to be put up front. PRCA, stock contractor, specialty acts, the arena, announcer, clowns, sound systems and I am sure there are more.
Can't remember as it has been a long time since I was on the board of directors of Gilbert Promotional Corporation, that has been doing the rodeo in Gilbert since 1977 or 78.
My husband and I were charter members so we were in on it from the beginning and know what it takes to put on a rodeo. There were no paid administrators all volunteer and we worked our rears off putting on a rodeo. We had to put up temporary fences and the night before the rodeo we borrowed the high school bleachers and moved them on borrowed flat beds after the HS football games.
Are the members of the committe of the Alliance willing to work that hard or as hard as the Pro Rodeo people have been working for all these years?

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Dean,
Since the town owns the event center seems they would step forward and say something.
This isn't just a C of C and rodeo committees thing. There are more than them involved from what you read in the paper. Pro Rodeo, Preservation Alliance, stock contractors, Cof C, PRCA, Cowboy hall of Fame, the Town. The biggie, WHO is putting up the money for the rodeo and the attorneys?
Evans says he has his finger on the top of everything, maybe he would step forward and tell his story about it.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Heard some rumors he paid PRCA but don't know for a fact.
Someone had to put in a big chunk of money up front for a stock contractor, announcer and everything else contracted for. They don't usually sign a contract with out some money up front.
Maybe the town was guaranteeing the money???

JohnNaughton (John Naughton) says…

Mrs. Randall:
Last April someone must have asked who the was on the Alliance board of directors and the committee members. I guess I answered the question and, obviously, Ms. Shields copied my response. If copied correctly, and it looks like it was, that April 2009 post was correct. However, it has nothing to do with the present. Once again, I am no longer on the committee. As for the others, the only person I'm certain about is Cameron Davis, he is no longer on the board. As for the rest, I just don't know. Again, Chuck Jackman and Meg Turlukis are the only two names on the ACC corporation filing. If they have formed a board of directors and a working committee, I don't know who's on it.
The Alliance will not talk to us and their Phoenix attorneys will not return phone calls. One reason is the fact that they have filed suit against the Pro Rodeo Committee. It is a public record and was filed in the Superior Court of Arizona, Gila County.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Thank you Mr. Naughton,
Seems anymore if you have a $ you can file a lawsuit.
I think everyone is going to lose in this one. Both committes, the town, the history etc.
If not for politicians and attorneys we would have a perfect world. (:

JohnNaughton (John Naughton) says…

Mrs. Randall, you are 100% correct.
It is truly a sad state of affairs when the community is hurt like this. There will be no winners.
The Alliance did make money last year and we can only assume that nest egg is gone to their Phoenix attorneys.
Unfortunately, the Pro Rodeo Committee will have to spend it's dollars responding.

JohnNaughton (John Naughton) says…

Wait!
Did I say that? It must have been a typo… can I take it back?
Jeez, I'm in trouble now!
Semper Fi, Mrs Randall.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Hey out there,
Mr. Naughton and I finally agree on something 100%. See his post. (:

I think the Pro Rodeo Committee would rather continue with thier scholarships, breast cancer funds and other good things they do than fight with someone that was never elected pres. of the Pro Rodeo Group. .
Who or what organization has the Alliance helped?

Pro Rodeo will still have thier spring rodeo.

Ruby_Finney (Ruby Finney) says…

Pat and Mr. Naughton,

I am so proud of both of you and hereby award you each a gold star ! By golly, we can all get along.

Pat, you didn't tell me what color the houses are.

John, the blueberries are fully leafed out, but it has to stop raining long enough for them to bloom and pollinate.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Thanks Ruby,
We deserve one. (:

I think he has finally figured out part of what I say is because of my warped mind.

They are still a shade of green.

rtnaz (Rex Hinshaw) says…

Alright Pat and John….is this an April Fools joke ?

Kimmer (Kim Chittick) says…

Ya know, I moved to Payson in 1994, just before the August Rodeo. For a diehard city gal, that rodeo was an eye popper!! To me it seemed like a “real” rodeo, like you read about in books. I was volunteering at the Chamber of Commerce as I thought it would be a good, quick way to meet people and get the “pulse” of the town; NOT because I wanted to change it. I offered to work the CofC booth, but my volunteer stint ended shortly before the rodeo, hence my volunteer shift at the rodeo never came to fruition. One thing I can state, the Payson Chamber of Commerce most certainly doesn't (okay, perhaps I should say didn't) live up to the mission of making newcomers feel welcome. The actions of some of the poeple that I interacted with at the CofC office were amazing. I felt that because I wasn't 97 years old and hadn't lived in Payson since the days of Adam and Eve, and wasn't one of the founding daughters, my efforts were not worth diddly. Two people that made me feel welcome were Al and Nancy Ayers; they both truly loved Payson and the rodeo.
I loved the rodeo, even when it was at Rumsey Park, with the dust and the heat and no covering overhead. I probably shouldn't be commenting on this issue as I don't know most of the politics. What I do know is that it seems to me certain people are trying to make the August Doin's a big city type production, rather than continuing in the “old west style” of the “World's Oldest Continuous Rodeo”. I miss the parade being on Beeline Highway, and the “kangaroo jail” being pulled around town “arresting” people, and the beard contest, and the salon girl floozies.
I guess it is what you might call “progress”, but some things feel more like “regress”. Too many ego's involved.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Kim,
I would bet the way you and other people are treated at the C of C was not by people that were raised here.
I have been in there a few times since I moved back to Payson after being gone for about 42 years and like you I could not believe how rude and misinformed the 'newcomers' were that worked there.
The rodeos are not like they were years ago. The first ones I went to were across from the east end of the golf course (60yrs ago) then north of town on the east side of the highway then to Rumsey which was a great place for it. And then the fatal move to the south end of town.
There was covering over one set of seats at Rumsey and great shade trees. You could park your car on the South side of the arena and not have to get out.
The rodeos were all bigger, better and more fun. They didn't have big sponsors back then. It was a home town thing. No one got paid and no big EGOS to get in the way.
The rodeos started at 1:00 pm and sometimes didn't finish until after 5:00, then there was slack time the next morning because there were so many contestants. That part was free.
Now they start at 1:00 and over by 3:00 and most of it is novelty shows, not much competition by the contestants.
Oh for the good old rodeos.

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Dean,
According to the archives, you know that little search space on the top right hand side above. (:
It says, the rodeo will begin in its new location this weekend. Aug. 14, 2000.

Shovelhead (Mike McLaughlin) says…

“The Alliance did make money last year and we can only assume that nest egg is gone to their Phoenix attorneys.'

Why weren't they loyal and hire a local attorney? :(

Kimmer (Kim Chittick) says…

Pat, you are absolutely correct about my treatment at the CofC. And, Dean, thanks for the article. I do recognize some of the people, but even that was a few years after my inauspicious welcome to town. Dennis Fendler was late 90's I think. I may be wrong, but don't let it get out!! ;)~

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Shovelhead,
The Alliance got most of the thier money from the Cowboy Hall of Fame dinner at the Casino if I remember it right. Don't want to look it up. It was put on by another group if you would read every word instead of speed reading.
I believe Cameron Davis was quoted as saying they took in Ten Thousand dollars at the rodeo and it costs about $160.000 to put it all together. He didn't learn the same math I did if he thinks they made money.

Shovelhead (Mike McLaughlin) says…

I didn't speed read anything.
My question was why didn't the alliance hire a local attorney?

This quote came from Mr. Naughton's post of 1 April 2010 at 10:35 a.m in this very string.
“The Alliance did make money last year and we can only assume that nest egg is gone to their Phoenix attorneys.'

Remember be loyal buy local?
Just wonderin …

patrandall (Pat Randall) says…

Excuse me Shovelhead,
Depending on who is really behind all this mess, where the money is coming from, and if you are “puttin on the dog” naturally you would go out of town for high profile attorneys.
I like that slogan. Be loyal buy local, how much does the town buy local? How much does the Chamber of Commerce buy local?