Aug 14, 2009 5:24 am US/Central
Gary Paid Joe Jackson To Come To Son's Memorial
Unclear If City Of Gary Has Paid Bill
GARY, Ind. (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
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Joe Jackson (File)
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Joe Jackson and an Illinois-based musical group charged the city of Gary, Ind., $5,000 to attend
a memorial last month for Jackson's son, the late pop star Michael Jackson, records released Thursday show.
It isn't clear if Gary has paid the bill yet, but a claim form released by City Hall indicates the money will be split between Jackson, Marshall Thompson and the Chi-Lites, which list an address in Midlothian, Ill.
Overall, the preliminary account of the cost of a hometown memorial for Michael Jackson at the U.S. Steel Yard baseball stadium indicates the costs exceeded income by about $3,000.
City spokeswoman LaLosa Burns, though, said those figures could change as bills and donations continue to arrive. Mayor Rudy Clay, meanwhile, is confident Gary will profit from the event once all the donations are counted.
"It turned out beautiful and great and we're not using taxpayers' money," Clay said, "so we should be given a blue ribbon for prudence."
The claim form for Joe Jackson, Thompson and the Chi-Lites doesn't indicate if the money was meant to pay travel expenses.
However, City Hall also released in-kind donation records that show $200 in meals, $3,000 in limousine services and $1,800 in hotel rooms were donated to the city. Gary officials have said previously that those donations were meant for the "celebrity guests" at the memorial.
Overall, records show the city accepted $1,900 in peddlers' licenses and $4,745 in donations. Aside from the $5,000 payment to Joe Jackson, Thompson and the Chi-Lites, the city paid $736 to All-in-One Rental, $460 to Corsair Graphics, $1,500 to Mr. Quick Print Inc. and $2,000 to Po' Boy Productions Inc.
Commitment letters from potential donors also indicate Chase Bank intends to donate $100 and Fifth Third Bank intends to donate $600. Neither appears on the list of donations deposited at City Hall. If received, the donations could lower the cost to about $2,300.
A donation worth $500 promised by Peoples Bank was deposited in the city's accounts but records show the donation was canceled. It was unclear why the payment was voided.
Other in-kind donations made to the city include a granite memorial to Michael Jackson that now stands at the U.S. Steel Yard and 10 volunteers from Best Buy who worked at the memorial.
A New York City developer visited Gary this week to pitch the idea of a museum honoring Michael Jackson. Richard Coles of Emmes Group wants to build a museum at the Village Shopping Center. His company owns the property and claims to have the money needed for the project.
Clay, meanwhile, said his priority continues to be downtown. City officials say they are working with representatives of Jackson's parents on the project.
A MySpace page claiming to belong to Marshall Thompson and the Chi-Lites, meanwhile, is promoting an Aug. 22 birthday party for Joe Jackson in Tinley Park, Ill.
According to the Web site, cash raised at the event will be used to build a Jackson cultural center in Gary.
--Post-Tribune, via the STNG Wire
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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