A Kind Of Reckoning

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Simple Question ..Simple Answer":

Do we even know how much THEY are making by leasing space in OUR park to outside vendors while fencing residents out?

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A condition in 2011 of receiving $5,000. "Platinum Sponsorship " from town coffers was  a financial statement to be submitted  when the affair was concluded and funds tallied. It took several months. 

The statement eventually  submitted showed revenue of $150,000.   $6,000 was donated to charity and $5,000 was in hand.

The event therefore cost $139,000. It seems everybody got paid 
except of course for all the " hundreds" of  volunteers who donated their time for nothing

In the first year, the St Kitts woman informed staff ,the town had to rent port-a-potties for  children using the water park. The understanding was jazz festival patrons  had exclusive use of the public toilets.


I learned there were sixty-nine e-mails in a short space of time giving staff various directions. . 

One went from the town's legal department to the organizer  informing her public  toilets  had to remain accessible to the public. 

The Leisure Services Director  arranged for Market patrons to have access to picnic tables within the baseball field..

The security  fence was manned by  guards.Market patrons wishing to use the toilets were directed to walk around the perimeter of the park to  the opposite side  to gain access to  washrooms.

Market patrons enjoying a coffee and a brekfast sandwich at the  picnic tables provided for that purpose were ordered out in mid bite by the Festival organiser.

It seemed  the organizer had the determined impression the park belonged entirely to  the jazz festival  for three days. 

Yet no fee was paid for the park.  The user fee for the band shell was waived.

It's likely the  "platinum sponsorship" money  paid for the five foot high chain link fence to keep people out of their park and allow $5.admission to be charged to each  entrant.


It was that year,the former Mayor and Council held a little celebration with a cake and honored  the St Kitts woman  with an award for Most Valuable Volunteer during a Council meeting.


It was also the last year the Rotary Club operated the beer garden
and the Optimist Club the food stand during the festival. 


I heard   proceeds were expected to be handed over to the festival organizer. They did not volunteer services last year.


It was a bit  like the food drive at the market. People were encouraged to buy fresh produce at the market and  contribute it to the food bank. 


The festival organizer was said to have had the brilliant idea people   should hand  cash over  instead  for food to be purchased at the supermarket for the food bank.