Opinion: Time for the city to let go of Memorial Hall

By Gina Long

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Can the city of Hutchinson afford to keep Memorial Hall when its net loss is just short of $100,000 yearly?

I pondered that today while attending and reporting on Hutch Mini-Con, an event that drew several hundred attendees and vendors, drawing from Wichita, Salina, Pratt, and Oklahoma.

Memorial Hall is the only downtown indoor space that can accommodate more than one thousand people. Today, it hosted a fan convention. On Tuesday evening, I will attend a Community Concert, during which the landmark building showcases its superb acoustics on the large stage. The building will host a regional boxing tournament in the fall and many private events, from wedding receptions to proms and fundraising galas.

The storied facility hosts many events, but not enough to even come close to breaking even.

One reason is that from June 1 through September 30, the building is unusable because it lacks air conditioning. Many existing air handlers are not working, leaving the building somewhat warm in winter except on bitterly cold days and uncomfortably warm during our increasingly longer, hotter summers and autumns.

Downtown indoor space that can accommodate more than one thousand people and has adequate parking does not exist. The state fairground has buildings appropriate for larger crowds, and the buildings for smaller groups are not laid out for a convention’s needs.

What are the options?

In 1996, Hutchinson residents voted to keep Memorial Hall open and under the city’s ownership.

It’s hard to believe, but that was thirty years ago.

Renovations, including to the restrooms and the HVAC system, would cost millions, and I don’t see much support for a tax increase, especially with new county property valuations arriving this week. Repairs to broken air handlers to improve airflow without adding air conditioning would cost less, but the facility would still be closed during the summer.

The city has considered funding the project through STAR bonds, which would not increase taxes, but the fewer than sixty events hamper state approval for a bond district.

Tearing down the storied building is also an option, and several variations exist on what to do with the property.

One suggestion is to add more park space, creating a sizeable continuous park along Avenue A from Poplar Street across Main Street to Washington Street. I like parks, but I think this is the least creative use for the space.

Another option is to tear down the hall and create an open pavilion similar to the Reno County Farmer’s Market at 2nd Avenue and Washington Street, with park space. Such a facility would be unusable in winter and uncomfortable on windy and hot days.

The most likely option is to sell the building. Unfortunately, this risks the buyer deciding on a demolition. Hopefully, an investor would remodel the interior and add air conditioning, but still offer the space at an affordable rent. It carries the additional benefit of adding the property to the tax rolls.

Contact your city councilperson and let them know what you think. The council’s contact information is on the City of Hutchinson’s website and lists phone numbers and email addresses.

The time to decide on Memorial Hall’s future is now.

By Gina Long Can the city of Hutchinson afford to keep Memorial Hall when its net loss is just short of $100,000 yearly? I pondered that today while attending and reporting on Hutch Mini-Con, an event that drew several hundred attendees and vendors, drawing from Wichita, Salina,

Opinion: Tribune ownership change great for future

By Michael Glenn

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Change can be tough for a lot of people. I know it’s tough for me. 

When Gina and I began The Hutchinson Tribune, we had no idea what publication it would become nearly two years later. 

It was an experiment. I was in the summer going into my junior year at Trinity and had become very interested in journalism in Hutchinson. I convinced Gina to go and essentially say “why not?” and begin a local news publication.

But before any of us hit the “start” button, we made a phone call. 

I picked up a Harvey County Now newspaper at the public library. That’s where Gina worked and she recommended doing some more research before committing to beginning something. So I picked up the paper and called the phone number on it. 

I don’t remember what I said exactly, but I remember he didn’t answer on the first call. In the voicemail, I recall asking him, “Why is your newspaper so much better than mine (referencing you-know-what publication) in a community twice as small?” 

He called me back and said he would be happy to meet me and talk about newspapers. I had just turned 16 at the time and was freshly on summer break, so I agreed and we set up a time to talk at Scuttlebutts here in Hutch. He said he had many connections to Hutch and was curious about a 16-year-old who was interested in print journalism.

We met and talked about newspapers, journalism and some local history for about an hour or so. I asked him if he would ever consider starting a publication here in Hutch, and he said he was too old to start from the ground up and enter a new market. 

“I’m not too old,” I thought to myself. I asked him how he would do it if he were to, anyways, and he said he would start something with very little overhead and something that could be easily expandable, like on Substack.

When I showed interest in journalism, he said he would give me an account to “Earn Your Press Pass,” a video course showing the fundamentals of journalism, meant for community members wanting to learn the field. I enjoyed the videos, and they taught me the necessities of writing, AP Style, interviewing and more. 

About five days later, on July 4, 2023, The Hutchinson Tribune was born. We used Substack as our launching platform, and the rest is history. 

That person was Joey Young, co-owner of Kansas Publishing Ventures, the company working with The Hutchinson Tribune in the future. 

As I hope you can see from the story I shared, Joey and Lindsey Young are trustworthy, invested community members who care about the quality and importance of local journalism in the community. 

Throughout the ownership change, I’d encourage you not to be worried. This may look like an outsider coming and changing what we have started, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Both Joey and Lindsey have Hutchinson ties through and through. They grew up here and both attended Hutchinson Community College. More importantly, Joey’s dad owns the coffee shop I previously mentioned.

Let me tell you this: If Joey came and destroyed the paper, he would have many angry people to hear from at his dad’s coffee shop, Scuttlebutts. That’s a pretty safe guarantee that The Tribune is in good hands.

The details of the change have not been finalized, so I can’t tell you exactly what things will look like. What I can say is that, through the next few months, everything will be business as usual. 

If you’re interested in the quality and quantity of content that Joey and Lindsey produce, check out the Harvey County Now at the Hutchinson Public Library or online here. They publish an award-winning newspaper and will produce quality, truthful and important work that will benefit all of us. 

Rather than worry about change, I encourage you to be positive. Hutchinson is going to continue to have a local newspaper, and it will improve.

As I go off to college (no, I haven’t picked one yet, but I’ll let you know when I do!), please do not think of this change as a negative thing. It is most certainly positive in all aspects, I can promise you that. 

We will continue to provide information and updates throughout the transition as they become available. If you missed the first announcement, you can read it here. 

Thank you for joining Gina and me on this crazy ride to provide local journalism to Hutchinson and Reno County. It’s going to be a lot more fun here soon. 

By Michael Glenn Change can be tough for a lot of people. I know it’s tough for me.  When Gina and I began The Hutchinson Tribune, we had no idea what publication it would become nearly two years later.  It was an experiment. I was in the summer