ssttarar--nneewwss goodland The Goodland Star-News/Friday, August 20, 2004 3 New location expands car business By Kathryn Gurfinkel indoor showroom also allows cus- Although John is 72 years old and The Goodland Star-News tomers to shop regardless of the semi-retired, he still plays an impor- Jay Herl hopes his new show- weather. tant role in the dealership. room, which boasts space for nearly “We’ve always wanted to have a “He’s still involved,” Herl said. 150 new and used vehicles, will place where we could store (the “He still sells stuff.” make it easy and convenient for cars) inside,” Herl said. Along with the new building and people to shop for cars. The showroom area extends to the parts and services office, Herl Herl, owner of Herl Chevrolet- the outside, where the parking lot is owns J’s Inc., a sister corporation Buick, said he moved his sales op- lined with roughly 200 more cars that does car washing and auto leas- eration across the street from Wal- and light trucks. ing in downtown Goodland. He also Mart on K-27 to raise the Herl said part of the reason to owns Herl’s Quality Auto, a used dealership’s visibility and make it move the business was to expand car lot in Burlington, Colo., and his more convenient for his customers. his inventory. He said they have al- brother Jon owns J & N Cattle Co., “It’s a higher traffic area,” he said. ways tried to keep between 80 and a cattle and horse operation. Last week, Herl’s sales operation 100 new cars on hand, but the old The work on the new building moved into the south end of the old location had limited space. took four or five months to com- Gibson’s building, where Herl has Although the sales operation plete. Herl said he did indoor reno- built a 17,000-square-foot indoor have been moved, Herl said they vations while Chuck Wilkens, the showroom. will keep the parts, service and ac- building’s owner, fixed up the out- The well lighted, square space counting parts of the business at the side. has that new car smell on the inside. old location on Main. “We took care of everything in- The walls are painted white and new “That’s our original roots,” he side,” he said. “He did everything gray carpet and tile line the floors. said. “It will definitely stay.” outside.” New cars are lined up, displaying The dealership is a family busi- Herl said he plans to have a grand their sparkling rims, shiny metal ness, opened by Herl’s father John reopening for the new location exteriors and information sheets on May 1, 1960 and later passed on sometime this fall. Until then, he pasted in the windows. to Herl. He said he was born and said, he welcomes customers to Herl said the interior can hold 35 raised in Goodland, where he still check out the new location during The parking lot of the new Herl Chevrolet-Buick dealership across the street from Wal-Mart on K-27 to 40 cars at one time, a feature he lives with his wife Jo, 16-year-old a promotion to clear out the 2004 is packed with cars ready to sell. Jay Herl, owner of the dealership, said they will do all of the sales in likes because it keeps some of the son Jase, 11-year-old daughter models of cars in anticipation of the the new building and keep parts and services at the downtown location. cars out of the elements. He said an Jade, and 18-year-old niece Kelsey. 2005 models. Photo by Kathryn Gurfinkel/The Goodland Star-News Letter asks visitor’s board to review expenses By Kathryn Gurfinkel portant and useful for the board’s and the visitor’s bureau should be and travel expenses for July of the within her budget. Neill went on to say that some of The Goodland Star-News goal of bringing tourists to Good- no different. past four years and July of 1993, “I think this is a total shame,” said the board members who collect the At a meeting Tuesday, Sherman land. Siruta said she would like to “I think the acutal bills should be highlighting the budget allowance board member Evelyn DeVol. taxes at their hotels do not stay for County Convention and Visitors see the actual charges before ap- included,” she said. and the year-to-date spending on Siruta said she sent the private the entire meeting. When Siruta left Bureau Board Chairman Dale Neill proving a credit card bill. Since the transient guest tax on both items. letter to Neill and to the county com- the meeting for a doctor’s appoint- replied to a compalint from board “Really,” she said. “I was saying motel rooms is paid by the public, For the past three years, the num- missioners out of concern, but never ment, he commented that members member Judy Siruta about travel that if there is a $2,000 credit card Siruta wrote, there should be “pub- bers show that spending has come expected it to become public. who are not able to stay for a full spending by bureau manager bill, we should see the charges.” lic accountability.” in below the allotted amount for “I didn’t want it public,” she said. meeting should be removed from Donna Price. Actual expenses for all trips this “I’m not saying anything illegal auto and travel. Last year as of July, “It was a private letter. I do not want the board. In a letter sent to the board and to year were below $1,000, however. is going on,” she said. “I never said $969 of the $4,000 auto and travel to cause any trouble.” The board agreed, though, to Sherman County commissioners, In the letter Siruta suggested that it; I never meant it.” expenses budget had been spent. Price declined to comment, say- change meeting times from 9 a.m. Siruta argued that all travel should Price fill out expense reports and Copies of the letter were given to This year so far, $986 has been spent ing she thought the board should to 2 p.m. to accommodate more be approved in advance by the present them at monthly meetings. the board and to clear up the record from a budget allowance of $2,750. have gone into a closed session members. board. She argued that employees of other on Price’s spending, Neill said, he Board members agreed not to Tuesday to discuss the letter. She The group will meet at the Buf- She suggested the board decide tax-supported boards are required asked for copies of financial re- address the letter formally and to said she didn’t want to embarrass falo Inn Restaurant at 2 p.m. Tues- what travel by the manager is im- to fill out itemized expense reports ports. The reports outlined the auto allow Price to continue travel the board or any of the members. day, Sept. 21. Realtors support economic effort Visitor’s Bureau By Tom Betz Harrison of Homeland Realty. I have no problem if people want to Co. “We need to shop and keep the The Goodland Star-News “I have no problem with Carolyn look.” money here. I think the comment Goodland real estate agents came driving people by and look at prop- “We are blossoming with about eBay should not have been places hunting ad to a meeting of the Sherman County erties. If they want to see a property, change,” said Donna Swager, said as it was reported in the news- Economic Development Council she always calls and lets me handle Chamber of Commerce president paper.” By Kathryn Gurfinkel Drew Rohlman, manager of Tuesday and expressed support for that. and manager of Wheat Ridge Acres. Applegate said she wanted to The Goodland Star-News the Howard Johnson’s hotel, said the way the office staff is handling “I do not agree with her being “There seem to be people who want apologize for calling the man in The Sherman County Conven- by reaching a high-scale market, real estate contacts. turned into the state last year. to defend territorial things and Salina a Realtor. She said he is not tion and Visitors Bureau is taking the magazine would grasp a seg- The meeting ended with the real “I had the listing for the New Trail people who do not want to do things a Realtor, but rather an Internet ad- aim at hunters with an ad in ment of the population that estate brokers and council members truck stop, and she bent over back- to improve the community. vertiser. Cabela’s Outfitter Journal maga- Goodland is not addressing. pledging to work together and com- wards to help send people to me. I “We have decided at the Cham- “The reason it seemed like a good zine. The ad will come out in the municate better in the future. had leads from that I would not have ber that if you have an issue, you idea,” Applegate said, “was the Tuesday, bureau board mem- magazine’s November/Decem- Council Chairman John Garcia had, even though it was a local have to bring it to the board where people from Moreland, who had bers voted to sign up for the $900 ber issue that would hit news- welcomed the Realtors, saying they group who ended up buying it. it can be discussed.” advertised their school, said they full-color, quarter-page ad to try stands in October.