Green Music Center :: News Clip

PLACE TO PLAY: GREEN MUSIC CENTER TAKES ANOTHER CRITICAL STEP FORWARD

Published on January 28, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat

PAGE: B4

Don Green, a telecom entrepreneur, and Ruben Arminana, president of Sonoma State University, have at least one trait in common: tenacity.

For eight years these two men have pursued the common goal of building a state-of-the-art music center adjacent to the SSU campus.

Other people might have given up when faced with challenges in fundraising during the high-tech slump and with concert hall construction bids that were more than 35 percent over budget.

Green and Arminana didn't. Instead, the two men (along with other contributors and SSU staff) worked harder. They found additional donors. They lobbied elected officials for state and federal dollars to help bridge the funding gap. On Wednesday, they persuaded the California State University trustees to allow the SSU foundation to sell $12.7 million in tax-exempt notes. In essence, the notes will allow construction to begin while donors pay off their pledges.

As a result, Green says that ``We would expect they'll be starting to drive piles in the ground at the end of this spring.'' And, in the near future the community will benefit from a music center that rivals any in the country. Thank heaven for tenacity.