Though the Austin Coca-Cola Bottling Company is changing hands, its contracts will still be honored by the new owners, Midwest Coke.

The list of contracts includes a $50,000 contribution for equipment at Riverside Arena and Packer Arena and the Austin City Council will discuss the revised agreement at tonight's council meeting.

According to Dennis Maschka, director of Austin Park, Recreation and Forestry Department, the contribution will be used to fund two new scoreboards and a message center for Riverside Arena and a message center for Packer Arena. The equipment has already been purchased and the scoreboards and message center were installed at Riverside Arena last week.

The council also will discuss the yearly exchange of services between the city and the Mower County Fair. Fair secretary Ken Trom says the fair will need booths, curtains and rods from Riverside Arena for use in the Plager Building, use of the city's showmobile, use of the city's water flusher and a pumper truck for fire protection. In exchange, Trom says the fair board will allow the city to use the fairgrounds for leaf collection during three or four weekends this fall, and the board also will allow the city use the Galloway Pit for snow dumping this winter.

Also at tonight's meeting, Denyse Hompe will be presented to the council as the winner of the 2002 Freedom Fest in the Heartland Art Award and Amy Morgan will be presented as the newest member of the Austin Police Department.

Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com