Norwalk : Council Won’t Grant Loan for Band Trip to Europe

The City Council has turned down a request for a $198,000 interest-free loan that would have allowed members of the Norwalk All-City Band to participate in music festivals in the Soviet Union and Finland this summer.

The council voted 5 to 0 Tuesday against using city reserves to pay for the nine-day trip to international music festivals in Moscow, Leningrad and Helsinki. Council members also expressed concerns for the safety and health of the 130 band members.

Lee Mitchell, band director for 17 years, pleaded with the council to loan the band the money, which the group planned to pay back during the next five years. “We only stop growing when we put a limit on ourselves,” Mitchell said. “I would never jeopardize the welfare and health of these kids.”

Rows of band members and parents, dressed in red T-shirts, sat silently throughout the band director’s oration and council discussion.

“We can’t afford to pay out that kind of money and wait five years to get it back,” Councilman Robert E. White said.

The city has about $10 million in reserves, Councilwoman Grace F. Napolitano said. City Manager Richard R. Powers predicted that the city will be facing a deficit of $3 million to $4 million by next year.