It's Potter, not pottery

Posted at 4:36 PM on February 11, 2010 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: MN Legislature, Tim Pawlenty

City officials in Chatfield are upset with Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his recent mischaracterization of a bonding bill project in their community.

Chatfield wants to renovate two historic buildings to house the Potter Center for the Arts. The $1 billion House bonding bill includes $7 million for the project, compared to $4.7 million in the Senate bill.

During a news conference earlier this week, Pawlenty questioned the size and the priorities of the bonding bills. He criticized House and Senate leaders for excluding a proposed expansion of the sex offender treatment facility at Moose Lake, while including several local cultural projects.

"They have money for a pottery facility in Chatfield," Pawlenty said.

The governor's spokesman Brian McClung offered a correction from the wings, clarifying that the name of the facility is Potter. It still wasn't clear if the governor got it.

"I didn't want you to think it was only pottery," Pawlenty added.

Chatfield City Clerk Joel Young tried to clear up the confusion with a letter to legislators.

"The Potter Center for the Arts was mistakenly referred to as an art and pottery project," Young wrote. "The proposed Potter Center for the Arts is an important project to all Southeast Minnesota and carries with it a multi-faceted purpose, none of which has anything to do with pottery."

Young later explained that the center is named for George Potter, a former school superintendent, who led the effort to build the historic auditorium.

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