Posted by DuWayne Hendrickson on Dec 5 2008 10:12AM - I happen to agree that we should fund a new grandstand, I even propose building 2....These are the changes I would make on this NDSF Grandstand issue. These changes would be a positive move for North Dakota, and after people reveiw what I have stated, would possibly say this is a better idea for North Dakota. I believe that many of our legislators will see the positive and support my idea.

First off, my idea does involve building a new NDSF facility in Bismarck. This broadens our horizons for economic impact $s for our state, as well as being a center point for a 5 state area and Canadian provinces. I hope that someone from the legislature, either thru these talk forums or thru my phone calls will see the benefit of building this new facilty. IT is a win win situation for North Dakota. The idea brought forth by Gov Hoeven in the last legislative session and now supports the same grandstand funding in this session, has many reasons why it should not be built at the present location. We have to look at all opportunities available to us. The Governor proposing 17 million $ for a new grandstand that has minimal use ( 9 days by the NDSF and 24 days by Nodak Race Club) showed that he was willing to upgrade. All I am proposing is an upgrade that will be a positive for North Dakota. We cannot afford to spend $17 million on a new grandstand just to have something that looks good but goes unused. There are many parameters set by the NDSF board that also make this an unfeasible project.

Anyway about the project that I would propose for North Dakota consists of many different opportunities for citizens of North Dakota and also creates opportunities bring in many from the outlying regions.... I mentioned that I proposed building 2 grandstands and that I did. One for the new 1/4 mile dragstrip and one for the new 7/8ths mile paved oval track. Although these would be the premier paartsa of a new NDSF facilty I also propose an indoor facilty large enough to hold arena football games, rodeo events and even indoor racing events in the winter, such as the Chile Bowl held in Tulsa each winter. Also included in this scenario is a new NDSF conventions center and new outbuildings,a horse racing facility and a proving gounds for ND employees that drive any type of vehicle, wether it be car, snowplow or motorgrader. THis would be a multi-purpose facilty and state of the art.that will better the NDSF and the State of North Dakota. All of these amentities will give us the opportunities to bring in a variety of events, from NHRA drag racing to NASCAR truck and nationwide series racing, ARCA. more professional rodeo events. With a premier facilty we would have endless possibilties

ALthough I have proposed this facilty for years now is the time to proceed. Hopefully the Bismarck media will finally get behind the idea of building a facility that would give them the major portion of a 500 million $ economic impact. THe NDSF in Minot has been good, I have been attending it for many of my 51 years. But North Dakota has to have vision to see into the future.JUst the revenue from state sales tax $ from the 500 million $ economic impact would pay for it in 6 years. THe economic impact of the NDSF in Minot is 62 million $. The NDSF in Minot is not in a postion to expand due to location and is not in the location that it needs to be to better promote itself.

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Posted by duwayneh on Dec 12 2008 2:37PM - I have to add a coupe more comments that I forgot. First off, this article calls the Grandstand the mainstay of the NDSF. I peronally would say that the NDSF center or the Flickertail Gardens are the mainstay as they are rented out far more thanthe grandstands, and to a variety of organizations or people. Only the NDSF grandstands are only rentd to one party. In the last 15 years their has only been 1 renter of the grandstands and in the last 20 yers their has been only 2 renters. Do we really need to spend 17 million bucks for that. Also there is a possibility of federal funds to be used on this facility, which will reduce our cost.

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Posted by duwayneh on Dec 12 2008 3:22PM - I have to add a couple more comments that I forgot. First off, this article calls the Grandstand the mainstay of the NDSF. I personally would say that the NDSF center or the Flickertail Gardens are the mainstay as they are rented out far more than the grandstands, and to a variety of organizations or people. Only the NDSF grandstands are only rented to one party. In the last 15 years their has only been 1 renter of the grandstands and in the last 20 yers their has been only 2 renters other than Nodak Race Club. Do we really need to spend 17 million bucks for one renter. If Nodak Race Club wants exclusive rights to a racetrack, build your own. THis one belongs to the people. Also there is a possibility of federal funds to be used on this facility that I have proposed,which will reduce our cost.

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Posted by duwayneh on Dec 29 2008 1:28PM - Although I have had a fair response on this from people who knew how to contact me, I have not had some of the individuals I had hoped would respond. Here is my email address if you as ND citizens or legislators would like to see a new multi purpose facilty built in ND with a new restreucturing of the NDSF and make it a state entity. Although sometimes changes are difficult to make they do have to be be made for the betterment of our state. Now is the best time to do this. We can do so much better with a facilty that will benifit ND from all parts of the US. SInce I cannot get any media coverage, except for here , to promote this idea I need emails from the pubic on their suggestions that I can take to the legislature when they are talking about spending 17 million on a grandstand I can promote a new facilty along with documentation from citizens and legislators. Email me at duwayneh@ndak.net Other than the fact that tht this would do good for ND, I do need to know if you as citizens would be for or against this..If you have any further questions also put them in your email, as I will answer you. Thanks DuWayne Hendrickson And it sure is hard to find this comment box open. Why is that?

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Posted by duwayneh on Jan 5 2009 4:37PM - To all legislators. You will be asked to fund 17 million $s for a new grandstand that was proposed by Gov Hoeven. Just ask yourself this. If you were a banker and asked to make a loan on a 17 million $ apt building that you only rented out a few apts for only a few months. Would the banker give you the loan. I still havnt figured out why a Governor with banking experience would even suggest such an idea. Even if it is your hometown it has to make fiscal sense for it to be passed. We can do better....

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Posted by duwayneh on Jan 6 2009 9:57AM - Just another comment. If you go back over the last 4 years and read about articles I have wrote about moving the NDSF to Bismarck there has been no response by any Minot, Ward County or state elected official. WHy is that. For one thing they do not want this brought up as they all did wrong. I sometimes wonder if their is a pay to play scenario going on with the NDSF and some state elected officials, or else Minot does not care what happens. Minot definitly does not care about economic impact money or else there is more to this story.

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