Community members and businesses affected by the 2004 Veishea disturbances are mostly unaware of recommendations made by the 2004 Task Force on Assuring Successful Veishea and Other Student/Community Celebrations, despite the release of the task force’s final report on Tuesday.

“I haven’t had a chance to read it yet,” said Tom Zmolek, owner of People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way.

The April 18 riots resulted in an estimated $100,000 of damage to the city, the university and businesses in the Campustown area. The task force was formed in response to these criminal acts and released its final report more than six months after its first meeting.

“I’ve read some of the stuff, but I have not read their final report yet,” said Joe Paulson, an Ames property owner. “I haven’t had a chance to.”

Paulson, a member of the Commission on Improving Relations Among ISU Students, the University, the City of Ames and the Ames Community, said he has been focusing on his commission’s report and said it is fortunate that his fellow commission members could agree on key issues.

“It was too bad that the task force couldn’t come to some consensus where everybody would be happy to sign,” Paulson said. The three student members of the Veishea task force refused to sign in general agreement with the final report, saying the task force did not fully investigate certain issues and did not include enough input from students.

Tim Reger, interim manager of Copyworks, 105 Welch Ave., said he hasn’t read the report and disagrees with ISU President Gregory Geoffroy’s decision to cancel Veishea in 2005.

“I’d really like to see Veishea stay, and it’s too bad they decided to cancel it this year,” Reger said. “I don’t think it is Veishea itself that has caused these problems.”

The report listed four recommendations to either change or cancel Veishea. It also gave seven general recommendations and three others to seriously consider regardless of the decision.

Geoffroy is expected to meet with Government of the Student Body President Sophia Magill and Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco before deciding the future of Veishea.