Reggae: Past, Present and Future

This note showed up in my mailbox Thursday just before midnight. Sender: Paul Bassis
It's the official public statement from the Reggae coordinators Eric mentioned recently.
The illustration is a photo by Kim taken at that fateful November Mateel meeting. (Kim, I hope you don't mind.)

Bob,

I wanted to let you know that I will be back on Thank Jah tomorrow. It may
already be Friday by the time you read this.

Below is an ad that is being placed in the North Coast Journal, the Redwood
Times and the Independent for next week's publication. Possibly your editor
has already brought this to your attention.

The statement conveyed in the ad is signed by and represents the views of an
overwhelming majority of the core of Reggae on the River's primary staff
("the coordinators"). These individuals, are the people who have
collectively made up the team of essential leadership, the backbone of
Reggae on the River, that have built and long executed Humboldt County's
first and only large-scale, world class music festival.

[note: paragraph deleted here, for reasons I will explain below.]

The bottom line for me...I am standing up with the backbone...taking a
principled stance aimed to expose a conspiracy of bad faith, backroom
dealings and deception that has lead to this surreal mess. (in case there
is any question in your mind, yes, I am specifically using the term "bad
faith" in the context of contract law) Light is just now beginning to be
shed on what really transpired. Two plus two is going to add up to four.
There are no co-winky-dinks.

May the truth prevail.

PB






VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE

The recent unilateral decision by the Mateel Community Center Board to
outsource Reggae on the River 2007 to a San Francisco based production
company 2b1 Multimedia, leaves us alarmed and concerned for the SAFETY,
SECURITY, and FUTURE of the festival and our community.

As Community Center members and Reggae coordinators we were afforded no
input in this decision. Neutral community elders, who publicly offered to
help address this crisis during the MCC membership meeting, were rudely
dismissed when they followed up by attending the next board meeting.

Research into the newly hired production company, 2b1 Multimedia, owned by
Boots Hughston, reveals they have no experience producing a festival the
size and scope of Reggae on the River, nor a festival in a rural community
with delicate and unique special needs, such as ours.

For twenty-three years, Carol Bruno and a core production staff have
demonstrated effective and successful local management of what has become a
world-class event. The war of words being waged against Carol, her former
business partner, her family and associates, is shocking and beneath the
dignity of a conscious community.

The Mateel Community Center is owned by the community. The board members
are elected by us and, entrusted to make sound financial and ethical
decisions in the best interests of both the center, and the community.
These considerations, as well as the MCC Board’s refusal to participate in
the second phase of mediation recommended by the mediation team, compounded
by MCC’s bad faith negotiations on a new agreement with Carol Bruno and
People Productions, compel us to express an emphatic NO CONFIDENCE in the
MCC board, and its Executive Director.

We the undersigned are members, founders and coordinators of Reggae on the
River and the Mateel Community Center, the House that Reggae Built.
Regretfully, we cannot and will not contribute to the production of ROTR
2007 under the current circumstances.

Robert Adams: Backstage runner 8 years
Kevin Arnoul: Bonded, Licensed Site Electrician 13 years
Paul Bassis: Sponsor Coordinator/On–Site Trouble Shooter/former People
Partner 20 years
Dorje Bond: On Site Shelter design and provider 22 years
John Bruno: Event Site Manager 23 years
Sherrie Bybee: Staff/Backstage Security 18 years
Tulah Carter: Immigration 10 years
Jason Cave: Kidlandia Coordinator 4 years
Joe Chavez: Backstage Security/Vehicles 11 years
Paula Coy: Site Grounds Team 15 years
Monica Coyne: Food Vendor Coordinator 5 years
Andrew Dillon: Site Mgmt. Team/Recycling 15 years
Jeri Fergus: Security 15 years
Jeanne Foster: Band Liaison/Production Staff 22 years
KayCee Frazier: Kidlandia Coordinator 4 years
Jim Fulton: Emergency Services/ Fire Coordinator 23 years
Niki Genolio: Former Vendor Coordinator 10 years
Pete Genolio: Critical Incident Team/ Site Mgmt Team 14 years
Dan Gribi: Communications 20 years/ Critical Incident Team Comander 1
year
Leanna Gribi: Communications 18 years
Duffy Griffin: Parachute Team 5 years
Phillipe Hacala: Town Patrol 11 years
Brian Harper: Band shuttle Coordinator 17 years
Camille John: Sound Tech Staff 15 years
Jim Keefe: Site Plumber 8 years
Shannon Keefe: Security 15 years
Tara Kelly: Town Patrol 11 years
Heather Lake: T-shirt Coordinator/Production Staff 15 years
Steven Landry: Beverage Coordinator 18 years
Clode Leduc: Vendor Coordinator 8 years
Evyn Lombardi: Fencing Coordinator 14 years
Candace MacNair: Asst. Stage Manager 12 years
Susie Mattila: Accounting Manager 16 years
Patty McGuire: Food Coordinator 13 years
Joe Moran: Backstage Security 14 years
Cynthia Morris: Travel/Artists Liaison/Production Asst. 8 years
David Moss: Reggae Medical Coordinator 10 years +
Helen Murrish: Backstage Coordinator/Ambiance 12 years
Isaiah Neff: Equipment Coordinator 7 years
Sarah Neff: Equipment 7 years
Hannah Nelson: Operations Manager/ROTR Lawyer/Law Enforcement Agency
Liaison 10 yrs
Jesse Parsons: Site Team 3 years
Howard Phun: Backstage Security/Site Plumber 22 years
Kim Phelps: Press Tent 17 years
Caroline Powers: General Parking Coordinator 13 years
Paul Radman: Highway Coordinator/Contractor 13 years
Sam Safier: Stage Production Director/ technical contact, Stage Crew
Coordinator 3 years +
Pepper Sanbourne: Compost/Recycling 13 years
Maria Savage: Information Booth 20 years
Jerry Sevier: Site Mgmt. Team/Maps 23 years
Roy Smith: Site Grounds Team 15 years
Cher Spencer: Staff/Accounting 7 years
Katy Stern: Credentials 12 years
Sally Then: Ticketing/Camping Sales/Troubleshooting 14 years
Diana Totten: Critical Incident Team/Law Enforcement Liaison/ROTR Safety
Officer 8 years
Sarah Vella: Food Coordinator 1 year
Chris Walker: Lighting 20 years
Christy Watson: Production Asst. 8 years
Michelle Welty: Production Asst. 8 years
Rex White: On Site Video Archive Production/Real Time Cable Network Feed
23 years
Nathaniel Wilson: Stage Crew Chief 13 years
GW Wishneff: Beverage Coordinator 16 years

This advertisement paid for by the Reggae on the River Coordinators on this
list.