Enough is enough.  It is time to set the record straight and clear the air a bit on a few points.  Arts Council members are not able to respond bluntly to some of the misleading or false things being posted.  I do not wish to offend but nor will I mince words over what is simply wrong.  Ain’t no politician.

Facts:

* Attendance was higher overall this year than ever in history.  Every night was full.  I was there.  I saw it.  Most nights the entertainers played long because of wonderful crowds.  Response has been almost totally positive, but there are always a few complaints and criticisms.  Most are constructive and made with a genuine desire to improve the event.  They are valued.  The absolute best are from folks who are willing to volunteer time and effort to make things better.  That said, there are also always a FEW habitual complainers that never offer positive critique or offer to be a part of the solution.  Too easy to just gripe.

* In case someone hasn’t noticed, money is tight everywhere.  It is not a proper use of scarce donor money to spend $5,000+ on fireworks when the town does the same thing again the very next week.  No one dropped the ball.  The Arts Council made a responsible, prudent, and necessary decision.  A few complained and even cussed innocent volunteers as if they were unjustly deprived of a constitutional right to see free fireworks.  Selfish jerks.  The solution is simple.  If someone wants fireworks bad enough, fine, just donate the money and designate it for fireworks.  They’ll put their name on the stage and recognize their generosity.  No problem.

* The event is proud of its vendors and many have been there several years.  Their food is excellent and prices reasonable.  Attendees should be eager to support a free festival by buying a little vendor food.

* Chautauqua is a family event and will remain so.  They had more police, firemen, uniformed and undercover officers than ever before.  Plenty of arrests were made.  If someone saw alcohol being consumed in the park why didn’t they just tell an officer?  There was a NO TOLERANCE policy and it was posted.  Again, too easy to just gripe!

* Majority feedback was that entertainment overall was the best in many years.  Plus, they did it with a far smaller budget!  Each night appeals to a different demographic.  Few will enjoy all types of entertainment from Blue Grass to Rock to Gospel to Children’s acts.  If someone knows of a particular entertainer they would like to see and thinks it may fit in their tight budget just send the Arts Council an email and make a positive suggestion.  Easy.  By the way, selecting, scheduling, and managing the entertainment within a tight budget is one of the toughest and most thankless jobs of the festival.  If someone has the skill and wants to help, the line forms on the right.

* And oh yes, let us not leave out poor little Ms. Beth.  Tsk, tsk, it is a shame the truth is known by so many.  Sour grapes indeed.  You publicly misrepresented yourself, your authority, and your previous employer.  You intentionally misled others and diverted hundreds of dollars from the Chautauqua Festival for your own benefit without authorization.  You are unpredictable, damaging and self destructive.  You don’t control your mouth and burn every bridge you cross – just like you are here with your cry-baby misleading rants.  It is a laugh to say you left your last job because of “embarrassment”.  You got caught.  Plain and simple.  The truth is known and you should leave well enough alone – especially in a public arena like the internet.

Positive suggestions and ways to improve are always welcome.  Thank you!  But, as with most things, the very FEW who complain the most bitterly never contribute money, effort or time.  This is a FREE festival - not a town or county event.  They support Chautauqua in many ways, but this is not a government event.  Donors and Volunteers only.  Where else can you go in the region and get a week of free entertainment in such a beautiful park setting?

Volunteers and donors give of themselves because of their selfless desire to contribute and be part of a worthy cause.  Many work hard for 30-40 hours a week gearing up to the festival.  Many work throughout the year doing their best to raise money a few hundred dollars at a time here and there.  God Bless ‘em.  The Arts Council is always looking for good people.  Volunteer and join an excellent group of dedicated people working for an excellent cause. ;-)

You know, it takes a real coward to publish a bunch of crap that has no basis in reality, and then not even put their name on it.

I never once diverted funds from the festival, misrepresented myself or my company, or in any way was detrimental to the festival. I volunteered my time and my company’s help to support the festival, and when my proposal was accepted and I began doing my job, some committee members became threatened because I was out there working my butt off to give the festival as much coverage and help as possible. I sold advertising, not festival sponsorship, and not once did I ever take money intended for donation to the festival and put it toward advertising or for my personal profit. To say so is a lie, and slander. In all honesty, before the festival even started, it had proved to be such a pain to deal with, I decided along with my manager to concentrate on other things. The committee was just too scattered and unreliable to deal with. At one point, my manager told the head of the committee, when he called whining, wanting something else, to just ‘kiss his a$$‘.

I left my employer because I was diagnosed with Shingles. If you’d like, I’ll send my medical bills your way…oh wait, you’re anonymous, you just get on here and lie and call people names!

Funny, I’m so many horrible things, and I’ve burned so many bridges, yet I have had several job offers even in this recession from those I’ve worked with before, and who know me well. If you don’t like me, fine, I don’t know you and really don’t care to know you. Obviously you are a bitter person without the guts to say things to anyone’s face…and you can’t take it that the festival was a flop this year.

I didn’t start this thread. I merely added my information to it. Everything I have said I can back up. Can you?
Didn’t think so.
LOL
God Hates Cowards
Beth Farmer

Beth… Give it up .........you lost.  One would think that you were a expert on putting togather a Festival (ops I don’t think so)  Your last post said you could back everthing you said up.  Well,  I have bad NEWS,  after checking on a few things you were wrong again.  Some people never change.  I was looking at your messages and trying to figure out if you had ever made any contributions to the Festival and I do not think you made mention of that.  So Miss Know It All are you a supporter or just someone who comes and expects everything to be your way and FREE and then let everyone know what a terriable job they did.  Hope to see you next year at the park.  Maybe you could volunteer picking up trash.

I don’t know who you think you are, obviously you are just some vindictive freak, but please keep my name out of your posts and don’t publish any more lies regarding my business dealings around the festival. Every advertising campaign I sold around the festival promoted events, acts and solicited donations to the Festival itself.
I sold sponsorships that encouraged people to come to the park, announced the daily schedule of events, and I did everything with the consent and knowledge of my employer. I did not volunteer my time at the park, no, because by the time the festival came around I was sick of it all. I worked for months on promotions, and got nothing in return.
Now, you can keep up this issue, or you can concentrate on hopefully taking the criticism you recieved in these posts and making next year’s festival much better.
Oh, and I do have experience in putting events together. It takes organization, skill, money, and time. I’ve organized (with the help of my colleagues) golf tournaments for charilty, fishing tournaments, fairs, festivals, and promotional events for clients.
Please quit with the immature behavior. Grow up and find something else to do. Chautauqua is over, deal with it.
Beth Farmer