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...
camel lips Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Is this the same Hershey PA that 26% of the voters on DCP wanted to have the 2006 DCA championships? http://www.drumcorpsplanet.org/forums//ind...showtopic=64053 Winston Salem is looking better all the time :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 25, 2005 Author Share Posted June 25, 2005 Winston Salem won now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzgok Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 I am utterly speechless! What I really don't get, is why the one-sidedness that comes from Herco. Not only was Herco going to benefit from the competion, but so would the local economy. The luxury tax that is on each ticket, and all the local businesses that now are not going to see the dollars that they would have had the show gone on. So it appears to me, that Herco has not only shot themselves in the purse, but also local businesses. I can't see why, or how local businesses can put up with that. Then to get the e-mail that the show is still on? Clearly one hand has no clue what the other hand is doing. Glad I don't live in Hershey, if they did this to FSB, how many others has Herco screwed that we don't know about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzgok Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Is this the same Hershey PA that 26% of the voters on DCP wanted to have the 2006 DCA championships?http://www.drumcorpsplanet.org/forums//ind...showtopic=64053 Winston Salem is looking better all the time :P <{POST_SNAPBACK}> yup, and I was one of them. At least WS won't run into corporate greed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemey Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Is this the same Hershey PA that 26% of the voters on DCP wanted to have the 2006 DCA championships?http://www.drumcorpsplanet.org/forums//ind...showtopic=64053 Winston Salem is looking better all the time :P <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I was one as well. Now I won't support Hershey for anything. Good luck Winston-Salem...seems you actually deserve finals, unlike Hershey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicCityLegend Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 (edited) Any chance Five Star Productions will find another location for the show on the same date? Edited June 25, 2005 by MusicCityLegend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicCityLegend Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 (edited) (accidental re-post) Edited June 25, 2005 by MusicCityLegend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicCityLegend Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Winston Salem won now. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In that regard I'm sorry for the folks in PA but happy for the folks in NC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicCityLegend Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Winston Salem won now. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In that regard I'm sorry for the folks in PA but happy for the folks in NC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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