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Sunday, September 16, 2018

A Viewer Writes: Salisbury's Community Failure

This festival had a lot of potential. 

Lets for a minute look past the organizational and strategic failure of it. The fact that there were only 30+ bands, insufficient shelter, no seats.

They posted live broadcasts of these amazing musicians and only 2 - 15 people were viewing it online. One of the final blues acts and they played for an hour. 

This isn't just Jake's failure. This is a community failure. I have never before lived in such a community so afraid to live life, so afraid of something new, so afraid of change.

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

As I recall, this was promoted as a national festival with thousands from around the country. Where were they?

Anonymous said...

It's because the community isn't included in the planning process. You can't force your personal agenda down people's throats and expect them to take it

Anonymous said...

Offer solutions then. ItsI always easy to be critical. And I'm not asking for broad solutions. I'm referring to in depth plans that work. Man up or shut up.

Anonymous said...

maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the line-up?
or headliner?
or lack of a headliner?
i personally have no interest in the majority of what was offered here at this ‘music festival’.
banjos and beat-boxing just isnt for me.
sorry

Anonymous said...

same thing when there are concerts at the civic center, no one goes and if they do, they remain seated like they are at a funeral, it's been like this as long as i can remember

Anonymous said...

The community was there. This appeals to white middle class, a small group in wicomico county, and they were there, pretty much every day. It wasn’t bigger because it wasn’t marketed, save some billboards, which are wildly successful by the way, some dopey signs in yards, and apparently ads on fm radio, that I’m sure the three people that still listen to fm radio came but you know that’s what it is.

I wish this was successful, hopefully someone more qualified to market and run this type of event can be hired.

Anonymous said...

Oh please.

It's the community's fault??

Geezus you liberals are so blinded by your do-goodness you can't see the forest through the trees.

Fake Day sold you brain dead maroons on the idea there would be 300,000 people flocking here to the "get folked festival."

Remember all the hoopla when the announcement was made? Oh you don't? Well I sure as f5@# do.

Intelligent people, those of us not blinded by liberal tears and shivers running down our legs, realized immediately this would be a huge failure, not because of the people who live here, but by the freaking juveniles running this crap show.

How dare you blame the citizens? People like you make me sick.

It's ALWAYS someone else's fault when fanatic liberal do-gooders consistently fail with their idiotic unicorn and rainbow ideas.

I can't wait until Fake Day says it was an awesome event but bad weather kept everyone away.





Anonymous said...

I'm not sure you should blame the community. Did the community have any input into this? NO! Maybe if the members of the community were asked about what kinds of things they'd like to see, you'd get more support.

A handful of people, who think they are all-knowing, made the decisions on everything. Perhaps the lesson learned should be to involve the people instead of trying to shove things down their throats!

#FreeSalisbury!

Anonymous said...

The failure was in trying to shove political correctness down our throats and then expecting us to pay for it!

Also painting LGBT SYMBOLS on the crosswalk by the library left a lot of us angry. To me this was nothing more that legalized graffiti on a crosswalk that is maintained and paid for by the citizens of Salisbury.

Let's call it what is truly was, a politically correct multicultural anti white, anti European celebration!

Glad it failed and hope they think twice about coming here next year.
Good riddance to bad garbage!

Anonymous said...

OP.

Than you are out of touch with the people that live here and you assume to much.

We work. We have families. We have other things that occupy our time. Most of the people that grew up in Salisbury, and I am one of them, no longer live in Salisbury. I live in the county. And my life doesn't revolve around a music festival. It used to revolve around family friendly events like carnivals, Salisbury Fest, events in the Park, Picnic Island, the Zoo, school functions, dances, etc.

One of the reasons I don't live in Salisbury is because it is small town with a Baltimore feel. And I am not talking about the good aspects of B-more. But, most of all, I see lack of maintenance and care. What makes me sick is that I saw an extreme amount of time and money put into shining the turd that was once my hometown. Money that was wasted by a child in his misguided attempt to be relevant.


Don't lay your anger and guilt over all the wasted tax dollars on the long time citizenry just because you don't feel the turn out was big enough.

Maybe Jake should have considered who and what his target demographic really should have been.

Maybe Jake should have asked the people what they wanted instead of thrusting upon us something he assumes is going to be good for us. Did he consult any of the business owners that would be effected street closures? No.

And while we are on the topic of street closures, Mill St is an extremely busy intersection. So busy in fact, that Jake wants to use his Midas Touch(extreme sarcasm) to fix the problem with a traffic circle.


JAKE,
STOP CLOSING MILL STREET YOU MORON!
STOP SPENDING MONEY IRRESPONSIBLY! THAT MONEY DOESN'T BELONG TO YOU! THE FUNDS ARE NOT THEIR FOR YOUR OWN GLORIFICATION. THEY ARE THERE SO YOU CAN RUN THIS TOWN.

Anonymous said...

The community organizers don’t understand the population and refuse to believe the community is who it is. They also don’t understand the relationship the community has with the regional area and surrounding population. The community needs to change first before anything like this will ever be as successful as it was originally sold to residents. Experienced organizers would know this and would be setting smaller goals before attempting something as outrageous as the National Folk Festival. Unfortunately, Salisbury contractually has two more years of the NFF and the standards they’ve set before it can downsize it to the reasonably sized event it should be for Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

You don't have a clue we have been living down this yellow brick road since Jake got elected with no opposing candidates. He has time after time come up with one failed crazy scheme after another, that has endangered the city of Salisbury's residences, safety, and tried to sell us wild ideas just to be "like the Inner Harbor" in Baltimore. He has no business background and not a clue on city government. When Homeland Security which we all respect decided the festival should be a "no Go" he did not listen. Before you think this community is a failure take a good look at his record so far step by step.

Anonymous said...

This festival looked more like a Hillary Clinton presidential rally.

Anonymous said...

My understanding of the event as illustrated by the “oddballs” shown in the one constantly recurring advertisement on local TV was that this would be folk music of the ilk of Joni Mitchell, Arlo Guthrie , bob Dylan etc. Just not my cup of tea. Had I known that performers representing multiple international were slated, I may have attended. It was a failure to accurately characterize the event.

Anonymous said...

Don't blame the community. That is easiness. Completely asinine. Just because many people are not interested in a so call folk festival doesn't mean they are afraid of new things or changes. Do you wake up in the morning thinking of what idiotic thing you can say?
It's like saying Sunfest in OC is for the locals. NO you imbecile locals have to work because Sunfest is an economic benefit for the area. Same with Sby. Many people had to work those with jobs anyway! Businesses overstaffed in preparation of this huge economic boom this was supposed to bring to the area from the so many out of towners that were going to attend.
Let me school you imbecile. The reason governments are supposed to spend money like this is to bring in tourists which temporarily stimulates the local economy. An added benefit is that local people can enjoy the event too. Salisbury is an extremely impoverished area. I've heard people say about taking children to things like this they don't because the children will bug them for the $10 funnel cake so it's not worth the bother going. Others just are not interested. Others are working or have off and other pressing issues to attend to.
But bottom line the blame lies only on the backs of the officials who again were sold a pile of crap.

Anonymous said...

There were plenty of people in Ocean City and the weather was just as bad, plus there was nothing special going on here. From 30 miles away, it seems there were as many people painting the silly crosswalk as there were at the festival.

It is astounding that the community did not support the festival. SSU students and staff, the medical professionals, the liberal in-crowd...it should have been a well-attended fun weekend to build upon for future events.

I lived in Salisbury from 1977-1985. The community has changed so radically since then, and no change has been for the better. Nobody wants to go there, and few want to stay.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree. Just because it's not your taste or preferred entertainment, this was lost opportunity to make something great out of nothing. Albeit, it was poorly planned as far as logistics were concerned... but, then, look at Woodstock.
I remember when the Frank Perdue proposed bringing a new ball team to Salisbury and the naysayers came out of the woodwork.
Instead of looking at the glass half empty....
Since this was the first of the 3 years, hopefully the mistakes will be learned from and won't be repeated.

Anonymous said...

you are to funny! because i and my family had much better things to do then hang with a crowd I wouldn't even walk across the street to piss on if they were on fire, SBY is a failure.
Let me tell you something snowflake, it doesn't take my family and myself finding better things to do that make SBY a failure. it's the trash that the slumlords and local idiots like jake and jimmie and all the rest that make sby a failure!
You should really get out and travel more, then you might realize just how messed up this city is!

Anonymous said...

I can't go with the "community" blame. Assuming that were true, then the mayor is out of touch with the community. Poor planning, no infrastructure nor advertising. Why would anyone sign up/contract for an event like this without researching the necessary parameters for success?
Expensive showboating.

Anonymous said...

If acts were brought to town, that have a following and are popular, you get people to come out. If you bring acts to town that barely anyone has ever heard of, you're not going to get people to come out. It's quite simple. You want to draw in people? You have to get artists that draw crowds.

Anonymous said...

So whoever wrote this piece is a "bully". There Trying to make me take part in something I have absolutely no interest in whatsoever. And which got in the way of things I normally do.
Put Aerosmith or Led Zepplin on a stage and I'd try to attend. I have no use for blues or jazz, rap...what a joke.. or Korean girls dancing, or all the crap I read was there.
For me it was obviously a sparcely attended event leaning towards liberals and gays flaming in the city. Wasting Millions of taxpayer money. You can tell from the anger in the few that went. They want to force us to attend their unpopular culture. Wish it would never come back.

Anonymous said...

Do you think democrat mayors of failed cities conferred with the community?

Anonymous said...

The decision to have a "folk festival" here or anywhere on the lower shore shows a complete lack of understanding of the communities and the people who live here.

I feel the poor local turnout should be viewed as a REJECTION of the way the City is and has been run for the last several years. It proves that those who are buying-in to the "Jake vision" are a small group who are ignoring the views of the people.

Jake, Mike Dunn, the Gillis/Gilkerson bunch and others live in a bubble and only socialize with like-minded people. (Palmer Gillis' out of touch rant for example). Unless and until they recognize their own short comings and seek to be more inclusive of more experienced as well as differing views, Salisbury will continue its downward spiral.

Before someone jumps on "why don't you do something to help", this insular group wants NO help that isn't in agreement with their thinking. So don't even start.

As someone else posted, and I assume they mean, #freesalisbury - from the current leadership.

Anonymous said...

No it is ALL day's failure. He is an imbecile that falls for any scam anyone is selling. He should save face what's left of it and resign.

Anonymous said...

What failure? These nit wits did spend some tax money on things it’s supposed to be spent on for a change. We did get some of the river in city park cleaned up anyway. The rest was a complete waste, but hey the fountain is pretty. Lol

Anonymous said...

Dave T: I hear what this person is claiming, and it's not wrong. The real loss really is for the community, even if the mayor is among the most responsible for blame. The area lacks culture and an appreciation of it. This community does have great potential and I wish community leaders here would do more to explore that potential. However, this is a liberal state, run primarily by liberals, and the outcomes here are the byproduct of those failed policies and failed administration. Maryland should take a hard look at it's neighbor Pennsylvania. Another great state packed with potential, ruined now by out-migration of some of its best talent, all because of failed political policy that has ruined the states economy and workforce.

Anonymous said...

Look at the legends that played Woodstock cmon son, no comparison.

Anonymous said...

That piece written by or Jake or the Jakettes

Anonymous said...

Community my ass!! People like John Cannon, Bill Rinnier, Mike Dunn, and now Jake Day and his F** festival agenda are what's ruined this city. It's nothing but rental properties, section 8 housing, SU and now the idiots selling off generational land for these mega chicken farms. Like stared previously you witnessed this weekend that your liberal minded whites aren't a plenty as you might have thought. They did however come out in support and that my friend was a pathetic showing. Day you and your daycare city officials, the O'Hare couple are way in over your heads. You made the governor, Jim perdue, Randy Day and yourselves look like total dumbasses

Anonymous said...

Once I saw the rainbow warriors take charge and paint the street with rainbows I decided to stay away.

Anonymous said...

My husband an I are handicapped. We would have liked to go to the festival, but didn’t know if there was handicapped parking and if there was sommeans for us to move around. Hopefully, next year we will find out.

Anonymous said...

A better idea for the Eastern shore would have been a big outdoors show type thing,fishing,hunting,sports,boats,ECT. Maybe a few acts people have heard of..not really my crowds type of weekend activity to go too,,,

Anonymous said...

4:44 PM - File a federal disability complaint.

Anonymous said...

The most logical place to hold this event was Perdue Stadium. Why go to the trouble of building a mini-amphi-theatre of the absurd?

Rent the stadium and hire their crew to run the event. Geez that was easy. Thank you

Anonymous said...

Damn I'm a baby boomer and I missed Woodstock. I was busy making living in California while my husband was in the Navy during the Vietnam war. How did I become so responsible at such an easy age. Don't think k I missed anything.

Anonymous said...

For everyone of you that dislike the way this and the city is run and you are able to vote in the next election, If you allow Heath to win then our county will be a larger version of Salisbury

Anonymous said...

It was raining, that certainly hurt the turnout. My family went Friday night and loved it! Just because you have not heard of some of the artists doesn't mean a thing. We googled some names who were actually nominated for a Grammy. Life is too short to point out bad things. It was the first one for Salisbury, I'm sure next year's will be just as good. Thanks for letting me express my thoughts, Mr. Albero.

Anonymous said...

Whoever the idiot that wrote this here's the kicker, mist of us that you're complaining about don't like people change or someone living life off of everyone else's dime.

Anonymous said...

4:44 didn’t say there wasn’t, they said they didn’t know. There was, by the way. But I guess it would be easier to assume there wasn’t and start screaming discrimination and start filing suits. That is apparently the American way.

Anonymous said...

September 10, 2018 at 6:22 PM - they already have those shows. Yea we know there is absolutely no culture here and heaven forbid any show up. Ya'll will beat it to death with a stick.

Anonymous said...

From what I could see, the festival drew some locals. The monumental fail was Jake’s inability to fray the other 50,000-60,000?people from far and wide that he promised as justification for all the time and money that was directed to this.