Tourism reps step up to support Barkley

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 26, 2002

[07/26/02]Five people working in Vicksburg’s tourism industry told members of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau board Thursday that Executive Director Lenore Barkley and the other members of the paid staff are doing a good job.

The comments and show of support followed a special meeting July 17 at which the board asked Barkley to come up with a new operational plan by the board’s regular meeting in August. The session brought to the surface rumblings that the board feels the agency is not aggressive enough in how its nearly $1 million budget is spent to promote tourism.

“There was a good deal of support from the tourism industry that I believe will help strengthen the industry,” Barkley said.

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She also responded to the challenge the board’s demand for a new operation plan offered.

“My staff and I plan to exceed the challenge that has been given to us,” she said.

When the five representatives of the tourism industry began speaking, it soon became apparent they had the impression Barkley’s job, and possibly those of other staff members, were in jeopardy

Prefacing his comments by saying he was speaking for himself, Gordon Cotton, director and curator of the Old Court House Museum Eva W. Davis Memorial, gave strong support to Barkley and the VCVB staff.

“Over our many years I have had the pleasure of working with Lenore Barkley, I cannot imagine a more professional person.”

He said he could not imagine how much worse the visitation situation would be without Barkley.

“I just want to give my support for Lenore and the programs she has brought to us,” Cotton said.

Harry Sharp, owner of the Duff Green Mansion and Duff’s Tavern and Grille, said he was speaking for the Board of the Vicksburg Main Street Program.

“We would like to commend the board and (Barkley) for the many outstanding things they do, particularly the information map (Visitors Guide) and the travel writers and things of that nature. I don’t know how they could be improved on,” he said.

“I still want to give support to (Barkley and the VCVB staff) because every time I’ve asked for any information or any help they have bent over backwards to do it,” said Lamar Roberts of the Gray and Blue Naval Museum.

He said he realized in down trends, people become upset and could make drastic decisions that don’t get anything accomplished.

“We need to look at what we’re doing and not jump just for the sake of jumping,” he said.

Also speaking in support of Barkley and the VCVB staff were Warner Byrum, owner of Battlefield Inn, and Margaret Gilmer, manager of Vicksburg Factory Outlets.

As the meeting came to a close, Eric Biedenharn, chairman of the board, said he wanted to clear some things up.

“I don’t think we meant to say that what the staff was doing was wrong,” he said.

“If we want to grow our market … we’ve got to do the basics and do things that no one else is doing,” Biedenharn said.

“I have been accused of being after (Barkley’s) job and another organization has been accused of wanting the bureau’s money. None of that is true. What we are after is to grow Vicksburg’s tourism,” he said.

Biedenharn also said that if Vicksburg continues to do the basics just as other towns do, it will never reach the potential it has in tourism. To do that will take creative approaches, he said.

In other business, the board:

Heard a report from Biedenharn on the proposed leasing of a lot adjacent to the VCVB’s office to the city for a park. He said he talked to Nancy Thomas of the city’s Legal Department and told her he felt the city needed to deal with a problem with plaster or cement on the wall of a building on the other side of the lot. He said he told Thomas he feared a liability situation if the park is developed and some of that plaster fell on someone.

Heard a report on the scenic drive to and from the Vicksburg National Military Park and Interstate 20 to bring more visitors to downtown. Biedenharn said the delay in receiving the marker signs is due to slow delivery from an outside company to the local firm that ordered the signs.

Heard a report from Barkley on the check received in July from the State Tax Commission. She said the gross amount was $63,091.49, which is up $3,243.50 over July of last year. She said the net after the tax commission’s fee and fee adjustment to make up for back fees the commission neglected to collect amounted to $58,278.67. The money represents the special, 1 percent sales tax added to hotel rooms and restaurant and lounge tabs during May.