To the editor:
Mr. Bonner has a problem with the Beets, Beats & Eats event held in Crossman Park this past summer. (‘DDA, church’conflict of interest, unprofessional,? The Citizen, Oct. 20, page 8).
Out of the 10 evenings that totalled more than 24 hours, he only attended the first night for five minutes. He never attended any of the committee meetings before, during or after the event. His real problem seems to be a personal vendetta against Reverend Tim Dibble of the United Methodist Church. Mr. Bonner obviously doesn’t understand the meaning of cooperation. Mr. Bonner was the president of the DDA board that approved hiring me for the position of market manager. Tim Dibble did the interview, however, the minutes of the meeting in February show that it was a board decision to hire me. All of the monies spent to put forth this event were brought in through DDA corporate sponsorships. As the DDA board president, Mr. Bonner should know that tax dollars were never used to put on the Beets, Beats & Eats. The comments he made in his previous letter to the editor were simply not true.
Beets, Beats & Eats is an opportunity to showcase the cooperative community spirit of Ortonville. Hundreds of people showed up this summer to eat, shop, chat and have a good time. If Mr. Bonner had shown up for more than five minutes to any of these, he surely would have seen that it was a much larger event than just church members. The church only has about 200 active members. BB&E brought in close to 600 people on some evenings. It was promoted through the schools, local businesses (including Bonner’s Jewelers), campgrounds as well as local churches. I personally, distributed these flyers as far and wide as possible.
I would like to thank to all of the people who came out to the BB&E to enjoy the camaraderie. I am extremely proud to have been a part of this event. I am amazed by all of the commitment put forth not only by the United Methodist Church, but also by the DDA volunteers and vendors whose many, many hours made this event the highlight of the summer. I hope that the DDA and Beets, Beats & Eats will continue to be a source of enjoyment for everyone.
Pamela Belding,
marketing manager