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  Carrie Rengers  

Chamber takes new tack for speaker

After considering the usual politicians, news anchors, generals and even comedians, the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce decided on a slightly unusual choice for this year's annual dinner:

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Chamber president and chief executive Bryan Derreberry says he and the selection committee "probably scratched our heads just a little bit longer" on this year's decision.

But it wasn't because of what happened last year when the Chamber had to cancel former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who didn't prove a popular choice, and bring in former White House spokesman Tony Snow instead.

Derreberry says that it's more "that it's time to present a new speaker with a new type of viewpoint."

Other recent speakers include former President Bush, Rudy Giuliani, and James Carville and Mary Matalin.

Kearns Goodwin is a frequent television commentator, especially on PBS, and last week eulogized NBC'sTim Russert at his memorial.

She also has written a number of books, including "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," which will be the focus of her Wichita talk.

"She is really going to concentrate on talking about the Lincoln election and the Lincoln presidency," Derreberry says.

He says there will be time for questions after Kearns Goodwin's talk.

"We just thought, you know, she's a neat mix because she's going to be able to talk about her knowledge and understanding of the presidential office and truly what that person needs to be able to do to lead," he says.

She will speak Nov. 11, a week after the presidential election.

Although Kearns Goodwin is well known, Derreberry realizes she's not necessarily a household name.

"We'll probably have to do a little more promotional effort on who she is," he says.

"We're going to look at how we outreach to lots of different audiences."

That includes targeting students at college campuses.

Derreberry doesn't seem to mind the extra effort to keep from "doing the same things again and again and again."

The waiting game

Arena construction is well under way, but there's still nothing happening nearby at the former Spaghetti Works building.

In 2004, the Blue Beacon family of companies in Salina bought the 1894 building, which has been home to a number of businesses, with plans to put a hotel there.

In 2006, senior director of real estate David Boos said the company was waiting to see how the arena developed before moving ahead with plans.

And now that it is?

"You know, we have been discussing that internally a lot lately," Boos says.

One possibility is that Blue Beacon might sell the building.

"We've got more projects in the pipeline than we'll probably be able to do in the next three years," Boos says.

No one foresaw that when the company bought the building.

"You can't always predict what good opportunities are going to come along," Boos says of other projects.

"It's not that it's not a good project," he says of the Spaghetti Works space. "We think it's going to be a very good hotel site."

Boos thinks there are other potential uses for the building as well.

"It was a wise investment," he says. "It's not the kind of thing where we'll sell at all costs."

The company may not even sell. There's still a chance the hotel will happen.

"If we have it two years from now, that may be just fine."

Presson conference?

When Chris Presson recently resigned as president of Wichita Pro Sports, the popular speculation was that he would be the new manager of the downtown arena.

It sounds like that's what SMG will announce Monday. The firm, which will run the Intrust Bank Arena, is naming the general manager at an 11 a.m. press conference.

Presson didn't return a call for comment.

Wichita Pro Sports runs the Wingnuts baseball team and Thunder hockey team, which Presson took over as general manager in 2005. He earned generally high marks while there for helping the team become more professional and better off financially.

You don't say

"You can call me Sam. I work for you guys."

--Sen. Sam Brownback in a meeting with the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce staff Friday where chief executive Bryan Derreberry initially addressed him as "Senator"

Got a hot tip or quirky story? Call Carrie Rengers at 316-268-6340 or e-mail crengers@wichitaeagle.com.