njr49 Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 [ SHAME ON YOU, HERCO!! It was with sadness and then anger that I read the announcement from Five Star Brass about the Hershey Spectacular. An increased charge in excess of 110% is unconscionable! Mr. Hershman is an honorable man; he would never pass on those costs to the drum corps public. There were four senior corps and six Division I junior corps who were scheduled to demonstrate their exceptional talents to an eager audience: that's over a thousand performers, plus staffs, families, friends and drum corps admirers both local, national, and international. You have forced a decision that will have serious repercussions for you and your "bottom line" as more and more of these disappointed people choose to avoid Hersheypark, Hershey products, and Hershey, PA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 25, 2005 Author Share Posted June 25, 2005 I do have to ask, however, why, in this day and age, did Five Star try to runthis show on a verbal contract. If they had taken care of business a few months ago and "put it in writing" they would not be experiencing this problem now. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Five Star was told in 97 putting an oral agreement on the stadium meant the date was theirs...they produced the letter in court( you can see all of my notes from the hearing in the 19 page thread in the senior forum) Herco VP Matthew Ford admitted on the stand he changed the rules and told no one. Five Star was never informed of a change, and was told in February that it was business as usual. HERCO even admitted on the stand they they themselves break their own contracts by ofetn times printing and selling tickets before a written contract was executed...despite langauage in the contract that says otherwise. and in fact, at the time of the hearing itself, HERCO had ...ready for this.....NO SIGNED CONTRACT FOR DESTINYS CHILD. none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 25, 2005 Author Share Posted June 25, 2005 You can still eat the chocolate.Hershey the chocolate company is a completely seperate entity from HersheyCo. They have nothing whatsoever to do with this. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> actually it all funnels up to the Hershey Trust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dckid80 Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 When are we going to learn that we need them more than they need us? The one night take from Destiny's Child will more than make up for and short term losses from an "indignant" drum corps community. Isn't it fair to say that we will be back next year asking to do business with them again? Don't you think they know that? Same as the Crossmen discussion gang... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 25, 2005 Author Share Posted June 25, 2005 sent to HERCO and the Hershey Trust: Hello, I am writing to let you know how very disgusted I am with your company. I have attended every Hershey Spectacular since 1969...the year I was born. I attended the injunction hearing, and I was appalled to hear VP Matthew Ford admit on the stand that you broke your own written contracts by selling and printing tickets....not just for the drum and bugle corps competition, but also for events like the Big 33. Seeing how your attorneys stated publicly they would negotiate in faith in the newspapers, and seeing now that they wanted to increase the costs to ridiculous levels show me that I had the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts pegged correctly all along...you care about the money. You should feel lucky the full truth did not come out in the Patriot News about how your company operates. You should Also know that I plan to let the Patriot News readers know what their reporter left out, as well as numerous Drum and Bugle corps outlets such as Drum Corps World, Drum Corps Planet and others. Drum and Bugle corps has a 60 year old history in your venue, attended by thousands of people from all over the world. Generations of families have been there for this show. I myself grew up watching my father perform there, and in turn he got to see me do the same. Now we'll probably never get to see the next generation go on. For years I defended HERCO....because of your goals and how you help the Hershey Trust. No longer. Now, I will never recommend your attractions or products to anyone. Finally...you have now left 1000's of performers stranded on a date they planned on performing in front of a large crowd. These men and women....of all ages, 13 to 70 will not get that chance to perform at a show respected around the world. Youth, adults and even the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps....The Commandant's Own.....will lose out on a chance to make magic on a field so much magic has been made on. Shame on your company. I hope you can all sleep at night. I won't be, because a family tradition has been ruined by your greed and lust for revenge for being sued. Jeff Ream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 25, 2005 Author Share Posted June 25, 2005 When are we going to learn that we need them more than they need us?The one night take from Destiny's Child will more than make up for and short term losses from an "indignant" drum corps community. Isn't it fair to say that we will be back next year asking to do business with them again? Don't you think they know that? Same as the Crossmen discussion gang... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ <{POST_SNAPBACK}> they also realize in parking fees and concessions they can make up their legal fees in one night. screw Herco. they reaped what they sowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asvab Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 You can still eat the chocolate.Hershey the chocolate company is a completely seperate entity from HersheyCo. They have nothing whatsoever to do with this. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That is not exactly true. The park is run by Herco, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hershey Trust Company (www.hersheytrust.com). Hershey Trust owns about 19% of the outstanding common stock of Hershey Foods Corporation. Without looking it up, I think it is safe to say they are one of the (likely THE) largest shareholders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 25, 2005 Author Share Posted June 25, 2005 sent to the Patriot News: Dear Editor, Now that the Hershey Spectacular drum and Bugle Corps competition has been canceled, I feel the need to point out some serious oversight by your reporter who covered the injunction hearing. Like Mr. Miller, I too attended the entire trial. Nowhere in your publication did he mention that as of the date of the hearing, HERCO had no signed contract with the Big 33....yet tickets had been printed and sold for the event beginning in January. HERCO VP Matthew Ford admitted on the stand that their written contracts state no tickets can be printed or sold before the written contract was executed. Mr. Ford also admitted that HERCO did this with the Hershey Spectacular and other events, including the Destiny's Child concert. Mr. Ford further testified that at the time of the injunction hearing, HERCO had no signed date with Electric Factory Concerts for the Destiny's Child concert which prompted them to cancel the competition. While your paper mentioned that Five Star brass was offered the Giant Center...an unsuitable venue for a drum and bugle corps competition.....or a 9 AM start, your reporter also never mentioned that Destiny's Child got no other counter offers. In fact, the concert went to the Giant Center only AFTER the bad PR and public outcry began. However, HERCO did not negotiate honestly. When they presented a contract to Five Star Brass, they demanded a price increase of over 110% over past contracts, and this was not counting additional costs yet to be determined. They also refused to negotiate at all. This clearly showed HERCO wanted to hurt Five Star for hurting them. Here is what your readers and even HERCO may not realize. HERCO stood to make close to $20,000 in parking fees and anywhere from $10-20,000 in concessions. They also lose business at their other properties, such as hotels and restaurants as people will now cancel reservations. The community will also lose out, as other hotel reservations will be canceled and many restaurants will now not get the traffic they do annually from the drum and bugle corps contest. The lengths HERCO has gone to has left me disgusted with them. The facts ignored by your paper...facts admitted in a court of law....has me disappointed with your paper. In fact, I have doubts any or all of this letter will see the light of day. That's ok, I have sent it to other local media outlets. Maybe they won't be afraid to lose Hershey advertising revenue. Jeff Ream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Blatch Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Is this where I insert the information that my father attended the Milton Heshey School from 1960-1962? Seriously, Elmo Blatch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 25, 2005 Author Share Posted June 25, 2005 dude feel free to let HERCO know how you feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.