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Earlier Maple Festival tapped for next year

By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.

While remaking history last week, the Geauga County Maple Festival board chose to show a spirit of cooperation.

The board, which had discussed changing the traditional starting date for the festival for 2010, agreed to accommodate Chardon schools by making the change earlier.

The festival board voted by an overwhelming margin to move the start of the festival to the last Thursday in April next year. Only two of the approximately 20 board members who voted opposed the move.

The change in plans came as members heard from Chardon School Superintendent Joseph Bergant II, who spoke of the festival's effect on students.

He said the district must plan each year to hold state-mandated testing of third- through eighth-grade students around the April 20 date. Because the festival creates excitement for students, which often leads to late nights out, the dates could affect the scores on the testing, he said. "From a teaching perspective, it's not good for the kids to be out late."

For better or worse, Mr. Bergant said, the school district often is judged by the test scores. It has gained a good reputation because of its eight consecutive years of being rated excellent for those scores, he said.

Board President William Dufur said that made a difference in the decision. "We're hear to work together as a community," he said.

The talk of moving the starting date began this year after inclement weather affected festival attendance. Successive losing years in terms of draw and money forced the festival's hand.

Moving the festival to later in the year, rather than the traditional weekend following the Easter holiday was seen as an opportunity to get better weather and a more profitable festival.

"The chance of better weather is at least 60 percent," board member Carol Thornton said. "The sooner we change it, the better off we'll be."

Although tradition will be changed, committee member Sara Brougher said, it may be necessary for the survival of the festival. "We have to be a titch selfish to make money," she said.

Committee member Gary Dysert said those who provide the rides at the festival would like to see the change. "All vendors are trying to make money, and better weather helps that," he said.

Even the sponsors are in favor, said Jen Freeman, board secretary.

But some members said the change would destroy the whole meaning of the festival. Committee member Steve Novak, who voted against the change, said it could delay the festival into May, which is outside the traditional maple-production season. "May is not maple-sap time," he said. "The whole theme is gone."

Even with the later starting date, there is no guarantee the weather will be better, Mr. Novak said. "Weather is a crap shoot."

But Chardon Police Chief Timothy McKenna said the festival has changed with the times in the past. He said he remembered when there wasn't a single ride at the festival. They were only brought in later to help the festival survive financially, he said.

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