TMCnet News

Fair board considers foundation for veterans museum [Daily Pilot, Costa Mesa, Calif.]
[October 24, 2014]

Fair board considers foundation for veterans museum [Daily Pilot, Costa Mesa, Calif.]


(Daily Pilot (Costa Mesa, CA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 24--Orange County Fair Board directors Thursday debated whether to create a foundation to support a planned veterans museum, with one director contending that such a move could bring back memories of the failed fairgrounds sale a few years ago.



Director Barbara Bagneris, who was appointed to the board in March, said she worried that a foundation would remind the public of the hostility that began in 2009, when some board members created their own nonprofit organization with the goal of buying the 150-acre, state-owned property in Costa Mesa. The move was a response to then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to sell state properties as a way to help California's then-ailing budget.

Critics were suspicious of the move, calling it an illegal violation of the public's trust and "insider dealing" of public property.


"How quickly do we forget where we just came from?" Bagneris said, arguing that the board's goals may be accomplished using the foundation that already helps Centennial Farm, which is on the fairgrounds.

In February, the board took initial steps toward creating the veterans museum foundation, though the process has not been finalized.

Directors Nick Berardino, a Marine veteran, and Gerardo Mouet disagreed with Bagneris, contending that the veterans museum would be better served if a separate, dedicated nonprofit foundation helped make it a reality. The directors also contended that a veterans museum foundation would be nothing like the earlier nonprofit formed to buy the fairgrounds.

Plans call for the museum to be next to Centennial Farm and possibly inside the Memorial Gardens Building, a World War II-era Army barracks that was saved from demolition last year.

The building has since been temporarily relocated.

Mouet cited his professional experience working with foundations that aid the Santa Ana Zoo and Santa Ana public libraries. He contended that just as some people love animals and some love books, people who want to see the creation of a veterans museum will be equally dedicated.

Bagneris' sentiment echoed what Director Ali Jahangiri expressed in February.

Jahangiri, who is no longer on the board, dissented on that vote, saying the foundation created during the fairgrounds sale attempt "got sticky [and] it got dragged on for years and years. Let's not complicate things, increase legal bills and [create] this nonprofit organization." * New fairgrounds CEO The Fair Board also spent several hours Thursday interviewing candidates for the position of fairgrounds chief executive.

Board Chairman Stan Tkaczyk announced that the organization will be prepared to make a decision by its next meeting, scheduled for Nov. 20.

Doug Lofstrom, who had been retired, has been filling in as CEO since April 2013. Lofstrom replaced Jerome Hoban, when left Orange County for another fairgrounds job in Northern California.

___ (c)2014 the Daily Pilot (Costa Mesa, Calif.) Visit the Daily Pilot (Costa Mesa, Calif.) at www.dailypilot.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]