Last month, The Pitch reported that the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce had pushed local veterans groups out of running the beer garden at the town’s annual Fall Fun Festival. Since then, the issue has folks foaming at the mouth, according to Blue Springs City Councilman Ron Fowler. “This thing has taken on a life of its own,” Fowler says. “It’s gone beyond our city borders. Veterans outside Blue Springs want to know why the city is picking on veterans. This is something our Chamber of Commerce is mainly doing and that’s where we’ve started to address it.”
Blue Springs veteran groups have not tempered their dissatisfaction with the decision. “Without us, they don’t have a chance to do well” with beer garden sales, says Bob Tharp, the Elks festival chairman and a member of the American Legion. “They are getting some bad PR right now.”
The issue was a point of contention at a meeting between the city council and the chamber in late October, Fowler says. The vets asked the chamber to reconsider before the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, an annual Veteran’s Day event in Blue Springs. “I thought it would be a great time if they could bring something new to the table and see if we can’t get this issue better resolved.”
But Chamber Chairman Bill Essman says the chamber didn’t plan to change its position. He argued that the decision to raise entrance fees for the beer garden was in the best interest of the chamber and its mission. “There have been no further conversations about it,” Essman said.
The annual prayer breakfast went on as usual on November 9 at the Adams Pointe Conference Center. Local business leaders and faith groups gathered beginning at 6 a.m. for a buffet breakfast. On the agenda was honoring Vietnam veterans. “Today’s theme is healing,” Blue Springs Mayor Steve Steiner said, in front of nearly 500 guests packed into the Grand Ballroom. “We have an estimated 1,000 Vietnam veterans in Blue Springs, and we honor every one of them.”
Guest speaker Debbi Riess-Roam spoke of her battle with cancer, and guest of honor John P. McLaurin paid homage by showing several Army recruitment films and singing the praises of American military efforts throughout history. The men at the American Legion table listened intently near the back of the room, four tables away from the Chamber of Commerce section.
At around 8, nearly 40 Vietnam vets were presented with the Blue Springs Mayor’s Medallion of Honor. Many in the crowed filtered out of the breakfast during the presentation. Closing remarks and a barbershop quartet rendition of “God Bless America” completed the ceremony. No announcements from the chamber were made. – John Amick
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I am so tired of the pettiness of the leaders in this town. The Chamber sees other local Chambers making mega dollars from their beer gardens at their festivals and didn't see why they shouldn't get their share. What they didn't take into account is that THIS festival did not start off that way. The others DID. The BS Chamber took a calculated risk in alienating members of the community in exchange for money. Now they have to suffer the consequences of that risk. I hope the new funds are worth the damage to their already weak reputation. Meanwhile, we are glad the housing market will allow us to find a bigger home at a good price. In Lee's Summit, where the leaders lead and the people have their priorities straight.
Blue Springs Resident
I hope that the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce would search their hearts and do right by our Veterans. Taking the beer garden away from them after twenty years was motivated by one thing � GREED! I am glad that the Pitch brought this situation to light and maybe with pressure from City Hall the Chamber will correct the situation. This is no way to treat our veterans.
I respect veterans as much as anyone else, but come on! This isn't about the chamber victimizing the veterans. The chamber didn't take money out of the veterans pockets, and regardless of who runs the beer garden, the community gets the benefits. I've never been involved in organizing anything like the fall fun fest, but I can imagine that the chamber puts alot more time, money and effort into it than any of the other groups that participate. Shame on the Pitch for only reporting one side of the issue!
The Pitch is being played like a 300 year old Stradavarius. This issue is not about beer gardens. It is about politics. Sheila Solon was hand held by Carson Ross, mayoral candidate in the April 2008 election, to her city council seat. Carson Ross is the chairman of the Missouri Veterans Commission, and he has taken every opportunity to show his face whenever this issue has been brought up, most recently at city council meeting this week. Nevermind the fact that he has rarely stepped foot in the council chambers since his resignation from the board of alderman a couple of decades ago. Solon and Ross are posturing for support of the veterans and making political hay.
The bigger issue is this, why would city council members and a mayoral candidate deliberately provoke a non-profit group whose mission and membership serves the best interest of the community? Besides it's support and efforts to promote local businesses, the chamber of commerce serves and supports dozens of other non-profit and charitable groups in Blue Springs. Members of the chamber are active volunteers and board members for charity groups including the Rainbow Center, Hope House, Community Services League, and the United Way among many others. The Chamber's board of directors includes military veterans and, currently, two board members of the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce are on leave-of-absense serving our country in active duty with our US Armed Forces.
Lost in the story is the positive effect and contribution of civic identity and community pride that the Fall Festival brings to Blue Springs each year. Visitors from around the county and state, neighbors and friends, church groups, boy scout troops, area crafters and local merchants meet and celebrate, congregate and transact at this annual civic celebration and event.
The City of Blue Springs approached the Chamber of Commerce just seven years ago and asked if they would be willing to take over the organization of the event, because it was beginning to die the slow death of apathy and complacency with an aging committee of volunteers that were looking at "going down with the ship". The Chamber of Commerce took the reins five years ago, and the event has once again grown to become vibrant and entrenched. It is indiputable that the Fall Fun Festival has grown and improved by the chamber's efforts over the past few years.
It is in vogue for some individuals in Blue Springs to criticize. Real community threats like progress, economic development, growth. These people spread a vile negativity throughout the community. Collectively organized or individually motivated, they attack all manner of positive efforts, individuals, and organizations through websites, emails blasts, letters-to-the-editor, or whatever soap boxes onto which they can crawl. They are vocal with negativity and criticism of other peoples' efforts. My questions to them: What are you for? What banner will you carry? What positives do you have to contribute to our community? We're waiting...
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