Ask the R-S mailbag: Garden of Lights wasn't meant to be free; here's why. Plus, old car body shop being sold
Ask the Record Searchlight is a newsroom-wide initiative to connect with you, our readers. If you wondered about something happening in town or had questions on a North State issue, please send us your questions. We'll do our best to answer.
Our mailbag handles questions while senior reporters David Benda and Michele Chandler wait to hold their next live chat, which is scheduled 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Dec. 9.
Scroll to the bottom of the story to find out how you can send us your question.
The costs to have Garden of Lights: It could be more than you think
Q: Why must I pay $20 for a ticket to see the Garden of Lights exhibit? The Redding City Council voted to divert $250,000 in transient occupancy tax revenue in each of the attraction’s first two years.
A: Turtle Bay spokesman Seth McGaha said the money has gone toward startup costs and other “infrastructure” to create the Garden of Lights. For example, Turtle Bay had to bring electricity into the park’s botanical gardens to light up the attraction.
Under the agreement, the city earmarked $500,000 in hotel taxes to help pay for the $800,000 attraction. The council voted to redirect $250,000 in fiscal year 2020-21 and 2021-22 to the Garden of Lights.
McGaha said Turtle Bay has been working toward becoming a self-sustaining entity since the city of Redding stopped subsidizing the park years ago, and the Garden of Lights is helping the park do that. The park was getting approximately $800,000 a year from the city, he said.
“Turtle Bay is a private nonprofit that charges admission into its museum and at all the fundraising events, and funding from the city was not intended to go toward the cost of admission (to the Garden of Lights).
"I know there is a lot of questions about the finances about the Garden of Lights. What I can say is it takes a tremendous amount of expenses," McGaha said, adding that ticket prices were determined by Turtle Bay's board of trustees after researching admission costs at other light shows throughout the country.
Giving the council a 2020 Garden of Lights recap last March, then Turtle Bay board chairman Randall Hempling said: “Our intent is never to come back and ask for anything,” when asked about the possibility of any future revenue requests to the city.
The Garden of Lights also received $35,000 from the Redding Chamber of Commerce’s City Identity Project. That money paid for the design work, which was done by Fromme Design. The Florida-based landscaping firm has worked with the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Balboa Park and the Oakland City Zoo.
“We are thrilled with the success of the Garden of Lights and very proud to have played a part in the creation of that community experience,” Redding Chamber of Commerce President Jake Mangas said.
And it has been a success.
The attraction brought in $1.04 million in revenue from sales of admission tickets and gift shop items last year. Hempling told the council in March that 76,700 tickets were sold in 2020.
This year, the Garden of Lights has sold 43,000 tickets since they went on sale Sept. 1, McGaha said. He added that the goal is to sell 75,000 tickets this year. Approximately 6,000 people came to the light show during its first weekend.
The Garden of Lights runs through Dec. 31. It is open Wednesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Christmas Day.
For ticket prices and availability, go to www.reddinggardenoflights.org.
Michele Chandler contributed to this answer.
What the former Artistic Body & Paint building is worth
Q: Driving by the now closed Artistic Body & Paint on North Market Street I noticed some dirt work being done, what is going on in that location?
A: After many, many years in business, Artistic Body & Paint closed.
The building, at 553 N. Market St. in Redding, is on the market. The asking price is $495,000, said Jennifer Parke of Relevant Real Estate, who is listing the building.
And that building has some history.
Parke said it was originally built as a barn for a dairy farm.
It was also was home to car dealer Elmer W. Junkans, where former Record Searchlight photographer Tom Dunlap in 2010 recounted in this paper his memories of his parents buying a new 1955 Pontiac Star Chief four-door sedan from Junkans on Redding’s Miracle Mile.
“In my eighth-grade eyes, that was some car. A stunning turquoise blue and white, it came rigged with a radio, latex foam seats, whitewall tires, sun-visor, V-8 engine and Hydramatic transmission. Mom was very excited as that car marked the end of clutches and manual gear shifts in our family cars,” Dunlap wrote.
Junkans sold the dealership in 1961 after 25 years in business, according to Dunlap.
Parke said the building has been in escrow twice, so there has been interest. But still no deal.
Stay tuned.
How to Ask the Record Searchlight
The Record Searchlight welcomes your questions. Here's how to get them to us:
Post it in the comments section of this story.
Email questions to RRSEdit@redding.com using Ask the Record Searchlight in the subject line.
On Twitter, use the hashtag #AsktheRecordSearchlight or tag the newspaper at @BreakingNews_RS.
Post a message on the Record Searchlight Facebook page.
Contact one of the journalists directly by visiting the staff directory.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Garden of Lights wasn't meant to be free. Redding car shop on sale: Ask R-S
