Got this from Bob Doran’s reggae blog.
This press release came Monday Afternoon, Jan. 29:
Hello,
Please note that this year’s Reggae on the River festival will take place on August 3rd, 4th, and 5th at French’s Camp in Piercy, California. Any rumors you may have heard to the contrary are false.
The Mateel Community Center and its board of directors, together with the new production company 2b1 Multimedia, look forward to another excellent year at Reggae on the River® 2007. A major shout out of thanks and recognition goes out to all of our supporters who come from all walks of life. Reggae on the River® is more than a destination. It is a cultural idea.
In The Spirit of Unity. Peace.
Yvonne Hendrix
Press Coordinator
Reggae on the RiverWhat seemed significant was the location — “at French’s Camp” — not on the Dimmick Ranch.
Bob’s comments are in italic, and I agree, the wording is significant. Not sure what it means in the big picture, but maybe they’re just deciding to let Tom off the hook and work with somebody who wants to work with them. The drama continues.
Update: I’m hearing on the grapevine that the wording of the post was in error. Developing.
23 comments
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January 30, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Fred
Isn’t Piercy in Mendocino County? If so, I would think ROR is no longer a Humboldt event.
January 30, 2007 at 3:54 pm
steve s
Believe it or not, Piercy, as a US Post Office designation, is in Mendocino County and so are most of it’s residents. There is also a “Piercy” used as a Humboldt County reference – go to the HC Assessor’s office and you will see that.
Also, the SHUSD, (school district) regards anything south of Benbow that requires the use of the “Piercy” school bus, “Piercy”. That includes Cooks Valley, (where French’s Camp really is), and the area called Twin Trees, just north of Richardson Grove.
Does that help clear up the mystery?
Much of the infrastructure from the old ROTR French’s Camp site on the east side of the river, The Bowl, as it is often referred to, was moved to Dimmick’s Ranch right after 2005′s ROTR which is on the west side of the river. Both are in Humboldt County, but Bowman’s Campground, now part of the ROTR complex, is in Mendo County.
Still there Fred?
There are no bridges in across to the FC Bowl now, and won’t be until the winter season is over. I believe Army Corps of Engineers,(all conservatives,BTW,see above thread), have to give the go ahead before that can happen.Or at least some agency has to.
So if they actually plan on moving the event back to French’s Camp, they can’t begin reconstruction until June or so at the earliest. Not counting the expense of doing so. Wasn’t that part of the reason given for the MCC’s low net on last year’s event?
So, the press release only muddies the mystery deeper.
What else is new!
January 30, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Anonymous
The infrastructure at Frenches Camp was old, used up and rickety at it’s best. IF the concert goes forward, all new gear would be very helpful and if it doesn’t then the Dimmick Ranch will be the big winner.
January 30, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Fred
steve s wrote, “Does that help clear up the mystery?”.
Indeed! I’ve actually never been really sure of just where Piercy is, despite how many times I’ve driven thru the area over the past year.
I used to think it was in Humboldt, years ago, especially when an LP member from Piercy showed up on the Humboldt County membership list. I contacted him for one reason or another back then and he was the one who told me he was in Medocino County.
January 30, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Cristina Bauss
My understanding is that the press release is intended to clarify that French’s Camp WILL still be a part of Reggae 2007 (as a camping facility), NOT that it’s substituting for the Dimmick Ranch (as the location of the concert bowl).
January 30, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Anonymous
Actually, It’s both. The Mendocino/Humboldt County Line runs through the southern end of the ROTR venue.
January 30, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Anonymous
If you are lucky enough to have “Google Earth” You will find the Reggea site dead center of the Mendocino / Humbolt county line. Center in all directions. The bridge last year is shown on my version.
January 30, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Anonymous
new reggae slogan:
Its more than a destination. Its a drug fest!
January 31, 2007 at 1:48 am
Anonymous
Hi Eric, that was sent out yesterday to clarify a statement heard on a Mendocino radio station.
Cristina Bauss’s statement is accurate: My understanding is that the press release is intended to clarify that French’s Camp WILL still be a part of Reggae 2007 (as a camping facility), NOT that it’s substituting for the Dimmick Ranch (as the location of the concert bowl).
Yvonne Hendrix
January 31, 2007 at 2:08 am
Fred
What a mess. Maybe we ought to drop the whole ROR thing?
January 31, 2007 at 4:46 am
kitteekat
After hearing tonight’s news, situation sounds even more chaotic.
January 31, 2007 at 5:29 am
Anonymous
do tell, what was on the news?
January 31, 2007 at 5:31 am
Anonymous
Figured out what to do with the unity banner – invert the u and the n and then cross the i.
January 31, 2007 at 6:21 am
Anonymous
2B1 , Get someone who can write a coherent sentence in English.This is embarassing to witness. Please hire COMPETENT people to get the message out. This is not a time for On the Job Training,
Thanks A Friend
January 31, 2007 at 8:28 am
Anonymous
To “A Friend”
All the competent ones quit.
January 31, 2007 at 8:39 am
Anonymous
this (weak communication skills) is not a NEW problem. But, I agree with you in a way 12:28…the core of talent has been depleted. Now the ship is adrift and the soul, alone.
January 31, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Anonymous
Some of the soft-core of talent has chosen to leave the production team.
Some of them left after the show last year swearing they were soooo done.
I take serious umbrage with the statement that the competent ones quit.
Town Patrol, tshirt coordinator, some first year replacement coordinators who just got their jobs last year, people who retired years ago, well paid employees of People Productions, anyone who cares to think that they are more important than the event itself, should really be looking at their contributions.
The soul is not alone. The ship is definitely not adrift. It is being tossed about on the waves of rumor and half truths, but it has a captain and it is aquiring a competent crew.
Maybe PP should have given in on some demands, made their employer some much needed money, and acted more like they were carrying a responsibilty to the community instead of to themselves and their personal supporters. Then this mess might not have developed.
It amazes me that those who are throwing stones haven’t decided to build with them instead of hurl them.
Attacking the wording of a positive sounding press release doesn’t serve anyone.
Be a part of the solution. Or let those who choose to be, proceed without all this obstacle placing.
Unity is more than a word. It is nessesary.
January 31, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Anonymous
“Reggae on the River® is more than a destination. It is a cultural idea” IS a sentence that appears on the back of the DVD cover. It has been used for the past couple of years closing several ROTR press releases. It IS a catch phrase for Reggae on the River that many of you have embraced up until now.
Why?
January 31, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Anonymous
I agree 9:40, WHY?
It that the most creative we can be?
Why have we blindly embraced such a pointless slogan?
I still fail to see what it is we are trying to say. What is the ‘cultural idea’ of ROR?
I can think of a few…the cultural ideas (realities) of classism, capitalism, consuming, and now corruption, and the ever popular power grab. That is just so beautiful.
You may say “be a part of the solution” as much as you want, but history has shown how that plays out. Those that invested much conviction and energy to ‘positive solutions” were gifted with roadblocks, resistance, and ugly confrontational exchanges.
The ‘solutions’ historically always rested in what People Productions wants/needs.
Wrestling back this event, and all the catch phrases and slogans that accompany it, is now the right, and responsibility of the MCC, and 2b1. May clear heads prevail.
I agree with 10:21:00 PM, you need someone who can phrase our press like the pro’s we need to be.
That is not an attack on the wording of ‘positive’ press release. Face it, the words we use carry power. Lets choose someone who can choose words that appeal, and MAKE SENSE, to a broad audience.
We aren’t backstage hanging with the italites! …not yet anyway.
How about we save the ‘big up’s’ and ‘shout outs’ for the mainstage?!?!
..and think of a really cool NEW slogan like: Reggae on the River, more than a destination. It’s great way for a few people to make ton$ of ca$h!!
lol, just joking…
January 31, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Anonymous
What makes you think you are so much more qualified than ROTR’s publicist of the past four years?
I happen to know her personally. Her background in publicity is quite extensive.
She was the publicist for Music For Little People and Earthbeat! Records, and through that affiliation worked with various Warner Bros. label’s. She was the label publicist for Sweet Honey In The Rock, Shadowfax, Taj Mahal, Ladysmith Black Mambozo plus many others. Her mentor was Jim Deerhawk, a very skilled writer.
She is also the publicist for Earthdance and has been for the past three years.
Before you attack maybe you should check credentials.
January 31, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Anonymous
Asking that a publicist use proper english and write coherent sentences is constructive criticism not an attack on her credentials.
This is a critical job because communicating clearly in a time of polarization is crucial to the sucess of RotR. The confusion that arose about the meaning of this news release is a case in point.
February 1, 2007 at 5:22 am
Anonymous
So all that’s going on with this, right now, is part of “culture”?
February 2, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Anonymous
Asking that a publicist use proper english and write coherent sentences is constructive criticism not an attack on her credentials.
ditto from i too