Re: Mardi Gras Clarification.

[TEX <tex@kuoi.asui.uidaho.edu>]

Thank you, Jerry.  This was very helpful. :)

Does the MMG event have an official website?  If not, I would be willing
to donate some time in creating one for you.  Many of the questions that
have been raised in this forum could be answered easily by an informative
website.  Heck, I will even donate the webspace to host the site on.
Maybe First Step Internet or Cactus would like to become contributors and
throw in some domain hosting...  MoscowMardiGras.org appears to be
available.  Thoughts?


           Clint "Tex" Payton
       email: tex@kuoi.asui.uidaho.edu

On Mon, 4 Feb 2002, Jerry L. Schutz wrote:

> Dear Visionaries;
>
> Thanks to Vera and Ink, most of Moscow knows I am currently out of the
> country, and spending the winter in Costa Rica.  While I have been able to
> occasionally read posts to V2020, I have not had the ability nor the desire
> to weigh in on any of the topics.  However, my name has show up on this
> particular issue, so I will state my piece, and get back to the rainforest.
>
> First:  Last year, I was not an officer, I was a member.  I was VP 2 years
> ago.  I did make collections from the door sales at the various locations
> and took them to the counting site; but, I was not involved in the counting
> of money from last years event nor was I in the counting room.
>
> Second:  The Mardi Gras Ball Tickets were numbered, as I personally stamped
> 4000 of the buggers, with a numbering stamp. Only about 2000 were sold.
>
> Third: Moscow Mardi Gras is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation which files
> and annual tax return with the IRS, and I'm sure the accounting is/was/will
> be accurate.  Tim Brown is the Treasurer.
>
> Fourth:  As I was planning on being out of the country and was not going to
> be available to help plan and execute the event this year I resigned my
> position, I am not a current member, nor have I been to any meetings this
> year, so I can not nor will I comment on the current situation.
>
> I will say that from an historical view, Shelly Roderick has her nose out of
> joint for about 3 years with the Mardi Gras Committee.  After she stormed
> out of a Board Meeting and resigned her position on the committee;  because
> a vote didn't go in her favor.
>
> At that time Shelly thought that MG should put more than $4000 in FREE
> entertainment in her 3 clubs, so that she could reap the benefits of the bar
> sales. The Committee voted not to do that and only paid for Main floor and
> Ballroom entertainment, at the time The Underground was not in use regular
> use, did not have a name and CJ's management was still trying to find a
> niche for the basement space
>
> The Management of CJ's has made each of the successive MG Organizing
> Committees collective life hell, by missing deadlines,  stalling contract
> negotiations with bands, and NOT making themselves available to proof copy.
> Maybe that's why a typo got through. Even with 12 people proofreading
> mistakes happen.  It was only one year, not every year.
>
> As far as returning a $2000 check to the Beach, this was the first I had
> ever heard of it, The Beach has been approached every year I was on the
> Board and asked to participate, we always received an negative reply by the
> Management.  As far as I know in the 6 years I served, Barry neither
> directly attended nor responded, it was always his local people.
>
> I think it would be great if Mardi Gas could turn into a weekend long event;
> however, for that to happen more people need to get involved.  Quite frankly
> in 5 years there has been very little momentum for planning a bigger, better
> celebration, just keeping the event alive has been the major task.
> Recruiting Board Members and volunteers to serve has been extremely
> difficult, and the handful of members can't do more without help. It amazing
> it happens at all really.  The Parade is a good example of the lack of
> community interest (which has now been replaced by the daytime activities);
> Because we could not get groups to be in a Parade the effort that it took to
> produce was channeled into a new activity which seems to be doing well.
>
> Canceling the Parade and creating The Daytime activities were not without
> their own controversy.  Moving the daytime events to the Eastside
> Marketplace, where the weather could be controlled, was seen as taking
> something away from Downtown, however, Downtown hasn't been involved in MG
> planning for years nor did they participate in the Parade.  How many parents
> would let their kids play in the street in Downtown Moscow in a March snow
> storm?  That is why the event is now held in a climate controlled space.
>
> If you are interested in joining the committee, volunteering, or want
> information contact the current President of the Moscow Mardi Gras
> Committee, Kathy Sprague at her place of business 892-9100, I am sure your
> help will be appreciated.
>
> Regardless of whether this issue was brought up on V2020, it has always been
> the policy of the MG Board to NOT get into pissing matches in public.
> Shelly has her ax to grind and she won't be happy until she destroys the
> event and can remake it into her own personal profit center.  Now that is
> sad.
>
> Jerry L. Schutz
> San Jose, Costa Rica
> Life a Beach, and I'm loving it!
>
> ************************
> Single-mindedness is all very well in cows or baboons; in an animal claiming
> to belong to the same species as Shakespeare, it is simply
> eful.        - Aldous Huxley
> ************************
>