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Ms. Joannie Wingfield spoke during the citizen's comments section of the May 21st Commission Meeting, asking for help in turning the building she currently occupies into a performance center. What follows is the full transcript of what she had to say.
"My name is Joannie Wingfield. I was told this was a good place to come to kind of start with my search. I am a business owner. I own the school of music right up here on 441 across the street from Hitchcock's. We have lived in the area for 8 years, and I have been in business there four years in June. Recently I acquired the other side of that building, which I believe Mr. Henry Moore has owned since 1949. There have been a lot of businesses there, and there is a lot of history in that building."
"I am renting it right now, but my dream is to turn it into some sort of performance center, a place where we can have people come in. I have already got Bo Diddley scheduled, and a concert pianist coming. I have been looking, and the reason I'm here, is that I have been looking for grants. When you start that search you are told that there are a lot of cultural grants and a lot of aid… We have a hundred and twelve children right now in our program in the school of music. We teach piano and violin and voice and guitar. We go out and perform a lot. We came and did the festival of music in downtown Alachua recently. We went over to the [Recreation Center] last Friday and sang for the historical society. I have a lot of students who love to do things. I come from an area where there was a lot of cultural activity. In the schools there was a string program, and they had a lot of access to music."
"You know, recently they have come out with all the scientific reports that learning music as young children helps every part of their learning. We have been brought many children who were supposed to have been A.D.D., many problems with attention, and the music skills really help them through that."
"So, as a point of information I am looking for help with refurbishing this building, right now I am just renting it out of my own pocket, and to see if that's even a possibility, it may not be, I don't know."
"If there are any private funds, if we want to do it as a kind of Alachua cultural center, the building is very old and needs some work. The other side, four years ago I just borrowed a bunch of money and went and redid the building myself for my business. "
"If you don't go let the need be known, then people don't know. That is my dream. That is what I am working toward. If there is anybody that has any information I would sure be interested in finding out." | 
