Cindy DiFazio - Staff Writer

The Osgood Merchants Association promised a spring Jazz & Beyond show, and it intends to deliver. At a February 20 meeting, committee members Tom Greene, Geneen Ostendorf, Gayla Crowell, and Will and Adrienne Vincent followed through on their directive to come up with a cohesive plan. Will Vincent, an enthusiastic Osgood booster, began, “We have a date, April 28, where something has to happen.”

Vincent recently sat out in front of his business, DiGiovonni’s Coffeehouse, 24-hours a day for several days, in an attempt to raise funds for the event. He was up to $1,200 in about a week before he came in from the cold due to circumstances beyond his control.

Although many people were skeptical about Vincent’s method, it is hard to dismiss what he accomplished. The $1,200 he raised will cover the cost of a 19-piece jazz band for the April event, and the publicity he garnered didn’t hurt.

Still, there is much left to do in a relatively short amount of time. Ostendorf reported on insurance quotes for the $1,000,000 liability policy needed for use of the Jac-Cen-Del school building; Greene presented information on tee-shirts to be sold at the event; Crowell shared ideas for decorating the stage area; and Adrienne Vincent offered food and beverage options.

By the end of the 2+ hour session, much had been accomplished. A budget was decided and members of the committee accepted various duties.

Some local musicians have tentatively agreed to perform, and committee members hope to host a fund-raising dance in the next few weeks.

This will be the first time that Osgood will attempt to bring jazz to Ripley County. Greene commented, “It’s going to be a very interesting thing.”

Still needed are volunteers to work on the day of the show and, of course, more money. To offer your assistance, you can call DiGiovonni’s at 689-6435.