Fair board discusses museum proposal
Tim Leeds
The Hill County Fair Board Tuesday discussed the county museum board’s consideration of moving back to a building on the fairgrounds where the museum used to be, with the manager saying he told representatives of the museum that what would be charged for the facility would be up to his board. 
“I thought they would be here tonight, ” manager Tim Solomon told the fair board during its monthly meeting. 
The board of the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum has been discussing moving the museum from the Holiday Village Mall to the building where it was housed until the mid-1990s. 
Solomon said some museum and its foundation representatives toured the old site a few weeks ago, and he discussed their idea with them. 
In the mid-1990s, the Clack Museum was moved to the Heritage Center, which the old federal courthouse and post office was called while the museum was there. 
The museum foundation paid the costs of the city of Havre purchasing the building from the federal government, then leased it from the city. 
After the museum funding foundation was unable to continue to pay all of the expenses, it turned the building back over to the city of Havre and the museum moved to the mall. 
The museum board now is considering moving back to the fairgrounds to save expenses and help its endowment grow more quickly. 
Members of the fair board did take issue with one comment at the museum board meeting Monday, reported in the Havre Daily News. Foundation Chair Elaine Morse made the comment Monday that the museum should get the use of the building free or at low rates, since it is the museum’s building. 
“She’s assuming it is still their building, ” fair board member Lynn Dolphay said. “I don’t think so. ” 
Solomon said he explained to the museum representatives during their tour that the county had paid one-half of a mill in tax revenues to the museum group for 10 years after the museum was moved to buy the building and the campground next to it. 
Solomon said he would like to see something in the building. 
“It’s an empty building, and I am supportive of putting something in there, but I told them it would be up to the board as to what would be charged, ” he said, adding that changes in the entrance to the fairgrounds could make access more difficult. 
During work on U. S. Highway 2, an entrance to the fairgrounds fairly close to the building was closed. Now the only entrance from the north is on 19th Avenue West, next to the Super 8 Hotel. 
Solomon said snow on the fairgrounds roads during the winter also would be an access issue. 
He reiterated that what would be charged to use the building would be up to the fair board, saying he told the museum representatives, “As far as what the building is worth, I don’t know. ”

The Hill County Fair Board Tuesday discussed the county museum board’s consideration of moving back to a building on the fairgrounds where the museum used to be, with the manager saying he told representatives of the museum that what would be charged for the facility would be up to his board. 

“I thought they would be here tonight, ” manager Tim Solomon told the fair board during its monthly meeting. 

The board of the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum has been discussing moving the museum from the Holiday Village Mall to the building where it was housed until the mid-1990s. 

Solomon said some museum and its foundation representatives toured the old site a few weeks ago, and he discussed their idea with them. 

In the mid-1990s, the Clack Museum was moved to the Heritage Center, which the old federal courthouse and post office was called while the museum was there. 

The museum foundation paid the costs of the city of Havre purchasing the building from the federal government, then leased it from the city. 

After the museum funding foundation was unable to continue to pay all of the expenses, it turned the building back over to the city of Havre and the museum moved to the mall. 

The museum board now is considering moving back to the fairgrounds to save expenses and help its endowment grow more quickly. 

Members of the fair board did take issue with one comment at the museum board meeting Monday, reported in the Havre Daily News. Foundation Chair Elaine Morse made the comment Monday that the museum should get the use of the building free or at low rates, since it is the museum’s building. 

“She’s assuming it is still their building, ” fair board member Lynn Dolphay said. “I don’t think so. ” 

Solomon said he explained to the museum representatives during their tour that the county had paid one-half of a mill in tax revenues to the museum group for 10 years after the museum was moved to buy the building and the campground next to it. 

Solomon said he would like to see something in the building. 

“It’s an empty building, and I am supportive of putting something in there, but I told them it would be up to the board as to what would be charged, ” he said, adding that changes in the entrance to the fairgrounds could make access more difficult. 

During work on U. S. Highway 2, an entrance to the fairgrounds fairly close to the building was closed. Now the only entrance from the north is on 19th Avenue West, next to the Super 8 Hotel. 

Solomon said snow on the fairgrounds roads during the winter also would be an access issue. 

He reiterated that what would be charged to use the building would be up to the fair board, saying he told the museum representatives, “As far as what the building is worth, I don’t know. ”