[Southsider2k12]

For those who have followed the story of the Gary South Shore Airshow, the news has taken a local twist. The background is that Gary decided that they could no longer afford to host the show. Because of that, the head of the Lake County tourism board Speros Batistatos (their organization is formally known as the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority) started trying to find another local spot for the show to be at. Batistatos has basically been at war with the Regions other Tourism groups as he has been pushing an agenda that involved these groups being united into one body (under his leadership of course). As a result of Porter and LaPorte county having no interest in this plan, Batistatos has been seen publicly sniping at his peers in the media.

Now with all of that in mind, finally it was decided that the Air Show was going to move to Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County. This ignited a whole other controversy, as the Mayor of Hammond publicly called out Batistatos over spending Lake County funds to promote an event that was now in another county.

The Post Tribune wrote up an article which quoted Batistatos as saying that he tried to offer the event to Michigan City, but "Michigan City didn’t return his phone calls". That stopped me in my tracks. Michigan City LOVES this kind of events. Between hosting the Powerboat races in August, hosting the Drum and Bugle show, the Pop Warner Championships at Ames Field, and the NSA softball tournaments at Patriot Park, we host a LOT of national events in Michigan City. To me this quote didn't sound right at all. Guess what folks, it wasn't right, and I got a hold of the other side of the story.

I contacted the Mayor's Office and the head of the LaPorte County Convention & Visitors Bureau Jack Arnett for the local angle. It turns out that Speros Batistatos wasn't telling the whole truth when he said that we didn't "call back". According to both sources, Speros Batistatos showed up at City Hall unannounced and demanded an instant meeting with the Mayor. The City did have concerns over how costs like overtime for Police and Fire would be compensated. Batistatos was told that he would have to partner with the LCCVB, which he refused to do. Going as far as to say "he was never going to cooperate or work with the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau". The LCCVB is the center party to all of the other major events that take place here, and is the only organization locally that has the structure and ability to put on an event the size and complexity of the Air Show. From what I understand, the conversation wasn't at all respectful, contained plenty of PG 13 language, and was followed up with an email from Batistatos containing much of the same.

So essentially Michigan City missed out on hosting another national event, all because of one mans grudge.

[Southsider2k12]

FYI, here is the last article from the Post Trib

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/23995938-537/...taking-off.html

[mcstumper]

Oh, well. Can't win them all. Better to miss this opportunity than to kowtow to a megalomaniac.

We just need to keep promoting our fair city's natural gifts and our excellence in providing hospitality. We then just pick and choose the right opportunities as they come along.

[Southsider2k12]

The Post Trib picked up the story

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/davich/2...respectful.html

Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer wants nothing to do with the South Shore Air Show as long as Speros Batistatos is behind it.

“I quit responding to Speros when the conversation became unprofessional and disrespectful to me and my colleagues in LaPorte County,” Meer told me last week after reading my column on the contentious relocation of the air show.

In that column, I wrote about the recent announcement from Batistatos, CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, that the popular air show would be relocated from Gary and its Lake Michigan shoreline to Fair Oaks Farms in Newton County.

Batistatos told me, in a nutshell, that Gary can’t afford to host the air show any longer, both Whiting and Hammond are not allowed to host it due to federal aviation restrictions, and Michigan City didn’t return his phone calls.

“For the record, Michigan City did return his calls but I’m not going to let someone like him disrespect my community and our county’s visitor’s bureau,” Meer told me. “I was in communication with Speros on numerous occasions and he was very rude and disrespectful, even using some profanity in regards to our visitor’s bureau.”

Meer also noted that he sides with Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. in regard to not using one county’s innkeeper’s tax dollars for use in another county – in this case the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority using Lake County’s dollars in Newton County.

[MeMe1965]

The Post Trib picked up the story

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/davich/2...respectful.html

Its no "secret" that Speros wants to be the king of NWI. It appears that in January 2013, HB1365 was introduced (& I am assuming it passed). This bill goes into effect January 2014. In essence it states that the Lake County CVB can promote events that are outside Lake County and that Lake County towns / cities will NO LONGER receive a portion of the bed tax – plus the CVB no longer has to submit their budget to the Lake County Auditor for review:

http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2013/P.../HB1365.001.pdf

and

http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2013/IN/IN1365.1.html

guess his pathetic dream will finally come true!

[BeldenStNewbie]

According to this article from the Northwest Indiana Times, Speros and the SSCVA no longer are involved with the air show -- which will be returning to Gary this year.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/ga...c8e0f53e7f.html

Where will Speros stick his nose next?