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– News about Quincy from Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.
Current online statement as regards the cancellation of the ArtsFest.
Click on image for a larger view of it
Image via quincyartma.org
The Quincy Arts Festival canceled for reasons mired in arguable controversy.
Care of an alert Quincy Quarry Citizen Journalist, the Quarry was made aware of confusing as well as conflicting stories as to why the Quincy Art Association’s annual ArtsFest scheduled for later this month has been postponed until at least the end of next May.
The Quarry was so advised that the original announcement from the Quincy Arts Association via its social media stated that … “(t)he ArtsFest committee was notified by the Mayor’s office last evening, that after deliberations with his staff, Mayor Koch has determined it is best to postpone the ArtsFest until next spring. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution due to the recent uptick of Covid cases. We agree with this decision and regrettably announce the ArtsFest is postponed.”
Not socially distant or mask-wearing attendees at Saturday’s Generals Bridge dedication
A Quincy Quarry News image
This event’s cancellation was curiously imposed by Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch shortly before he was about to host a huge dedication event, including an eighteen rounds cannonade, for the new Generals Park behind the Clivendon Place condominiums as well as the yet-to-be-completed adjacent Generals Bridge over this past weekend.
That and also before Mayor Koch hosted The Generals Gala, a private reception featuring an open bar, catered dinner, and a champagne toast under multiple big tops erected in Kim Jong Koch Plaza adjacent to Quincy’s two city halls on Friday night and which was tightly packed with mostly the usual suspects tied to the Koch Machine
Hands-on art activity by ArtsFest attendees
A Quincy ArtsFest 2016 Pinterst image
Granted, these events over the past weekend were held in mostly to fully outdoor settings; at the same time, so too is the long ongoing practice for the annual ArtsFest. Plus, while well-attended, ArtFest tends to see its attendees come and go over the course of two days and thus posing arguably less to much less risk of exposure to COVID for both its participants and attendees.
And as for even more controversy, the art association’s citing of Mayor Koch’s cancellation order, the above-cited text was quickly deleted from the association’s Facebook page and then an alternative narrative for the cancellation was posted.
Mayor Koch canceled ArtsFest given COVID the latest spike
per Public Safety Officer Lieutenant Commander Jimmy Hui’s Facebook page
Click on image to see a larger image
Fortunately for the ever-growing legions of Quincy Quarry readers, the Quarry found social media from someone tied to the City of Quincy confirming that Mayor Koch is the one who pulled the plug on the Quincy ArtsFest 2021 as well as that the ArtsFest was thus canceled for the second year in a row care of COVID.
Quincy Quarry thus considered reaching out to Mayor Koch for comment on his opting to go forward with far larger and socially not distant events tied to the Generals Bridge and Park dedications while at the same time canceling the ArtFest; however, the ever-growing legions of loyal readers know that there is no reason to bother.
Plus, the already obtained facts as well as recent events speak for themselves.
The bullshit meter is registering an off-the-scale abundance of . . . bullshit.
It would come as no surprise to discover that the budget for the Arts Fest was drained for the mayor’s self-serving carnival.
Fred,
Going forward, would you please be so kind as to use the polite euphemism bovine byproduct. The attorneys on Quincy Quarry’s Standards and Practices unit are crawling up my backside..
Next, do note that per our peerless mayor’s claim near the end of Saturday’s Generals Bridge and Park joint dedications, he stated that everything was paid for by private donations. The bad news is who only knows what it will cost locals when those “donators” call in their chits.
Further note that surely but coincidentally, two of the officially noted events sponsors have been hit with five figures fines for grifting illegal straw campaign donations along to primarily the mayor’s campaign fund.
I was looking forward to looking at all those nice pictures and everything else.
Marie,
I have some bad new and some good news. The bad news is that Quincy Quarry Photo Recon Team Six gathered up so many pictures that the newsroom is a bit backed up. The good news is that you should expect Quarry stories, complete with all sorts of pictures, to continue about last weekend’s events until Wednesday or thereabouts.
That’s good. But I mean I’ll miss going to the show to see all the pretty pictures and things. They didn’t have it last year because of the Covid, but it’s not as bad so far this year.
OK, OK, but I dislike using euphemisms. But if “BS” is acceptable I’ll use that format in the future.
Fred,
How about splitting the difference – use “b*ll sh*t. The dirty words search bot is easily confused.
Fair enough.
Let me get this straight — first the Art Association claimed that the mayor decided to call it off because of the increase in Covid-19 rates. Then they (the Art Assn.) said that event sponsors decided to call it off because not enough people had entered?
I won’t even ask which excuse is true because I don’t believe either one. There’s a lot more to this than they’re telling us.
Hey Dom — you’re onto something there. Read between the lines — that’s where the truth is! My money is on door #3.
Louie,
So, is Door #3 that Koch did cancel, the Art Association put the word went out on social media (Facebook), City Hall went to DEFCON One when it saw the announcement and the announcement was thus pulled, followed by someone then spotting that submissions were way down and so backed in a second “reason’ for the cancellation?
Not quite.
Neither of the provided excuses is legit.
Your thinking about door #1, the first statement, is on the money. #2 , not so much — the turnabout was just too quick and it attempts to place blame for the cancellation on the people who entered their artwork. It’s an obvious ploy to exonerate the mayor as well as the Art Assn.
What’s behind door #3 is not clear. But when or if it becomes clear it will be no surprise. Be ready for a lot of sandbagging and bluffing. And stonewalling.
Several people I’ve spoken with have indicated that they no longer wish to maintain membership in this art organization. They cite, of course, the strange discrepancies in the changing stories being offered as reasons behind the cancellation of the Arts Fest. And they wonder if their entry fees will be returned in a timely fashion? Or if they’ll be returned at all.
Can anyone seriously not suspect that there’s something odd going on behind the scenes?
Think money.
The books don’t add up? Or just covering our peerless mayor’s tukas?
Both