Don McCormick
GRANT TWP. - Disappointment is the word used by many area business owners, local government officials and residents after they learned the mega ROTHBURY Music Festival has been canceled for 2010.
The festival, held at the Double JJ Resort in Grant Township, drew approximately 35,000 people and pumped plenty of money in the local economy in its second year in 2009. That was a bigger event than the first year in 2008.
But, on Friday, Jan. 22, the cancellation for this coming Fourth of July weekend was made over the Internet by ROTHBURY producer, Madison House Presents, surprising festival fans.
On Monday night, several of the business owners, government officials and residents showed up at the Grant Township Planning Commission wondering if they might hear more information on why the festival was canceled for 2010.
In particular, they wanted to hear about the township’s proposed mass gathering ordinance which some blamed, over Internet chats, for causing the cancellation of the festival because of restrictions on late night noise.
They were disappointed again.
“I have nothing to present tonight,” Don Wolting, Grant Township Planning Commission chairman, said to open the meeting attended by 17 people. He was referring to the mass gathering ordinance.
Wolting said the ordinance is in the hands of the Grant Township board.
Grant Township Supervisor Roger Schmidt, who was in the audience, confirmed that the township board has tabled the proposed ordinance while the township attorney, Rodger Sweeting, seeks more information.
After the meeting, Schmidt shared that Sweeting called Festival Director Jeremy Stein Friday afternoon to discuss the proposed ordinance, and at that time, he learned of the festival’s cancellation.
Schmidt, after the meeting, said he did not believe the proposed ordinance had anything to do with the cancellation of the festival.
Wolting added that the ordinance would not have restricted anything that the festival is already doing.
Schmidt did share that ROTHBURY taxes the law enforcement resources and infrastructure (roads) at a time when they are already stressed (Fourth of July holiday).
“It’s a huge stress to our system,” Schmidt said.
However, he said Madison House Presents has been very cooperative in providing security and law enforcement for the festival.
The ordinance, he said, is to have controls in place in the event other festivals are held in the township.
One business owner, Don McCormick of Lucky Lake Campground and Outdoor Center, has been trying to promote a smaller music festival for this summer. He has been on local television to promote the idea.
His proposal and statement on the Internet drew mixed reviews from readers, many who don’t want to see a ROTHBURY replacement.
So, McCormick, last Wednesday, wrote a message on the Internet site, rothburyfest.proboards.com called, “Good Bye from Rothbury Homegrown.”
“I wrote it to scuttle the ‘B.S.’,” McCormick referred to the comments on the Internet.
McCormick, on Thursday, said he still would like to see a homegrown music festival, but on a smaller scale and on a different date than ROTHBURY’s July 4th weekend.
McCormick said he changed his mind after he talked to a representative of Double JJ who indicated the business, which has hosted ROTHBURY its first two years, isn’t interested in hosting a homegrown festival.
The Rothbury businessman is looking for a promoter to put together an overnight festival at his campground. McCormick said he has 30 acres of activity fields, 200 acres overall, including a lake, and a license for 200 campsites.
Lucky Lake Campground opened last year three days before ROTHBURY, and was used during the festival for VIP camping.
“I still think the majority of people are in favor of the festival,” McCormick told the planners at the Jan. 25 meeting.
McCormick is concerned that by canceling the festival this year might make it harder to attract people to ROTHBURY in the future.
The campground owner said he believes there is musical talent out there to attract festival-goers on a smaller scale.
Tom Makowski, general manager of the Double JJ Resort which was purchased by Progressive Resorts last year, attended the planning commission meeting. He said the new owners are focusing on operating Double JJ as a resort.
“We’re looking at focusing on doing what we’re about,” he said - the golf course, water park and equestrian.
Makowski said the resort is excited about bringing back girl scouts and boy scouts, and trying to attract conventions.
“We’re disappointed in the cancellation of ROTHBURY, and we hope it can come back in 2011,” Makowski said.
Rothbury Village President Bob Walker was also at the planning commission meeting, and also said afterward the cancellation is a disappointment.
“I talked to Jeremy Stein today, and we’re going to be talking in the near future again,” Walker said.
Stein, in the producer’s announcement Friday, said contributing factors in the cancellation is they were unable to put together the cutting edge roster associated with ROTHBURY because of various artists’ recording and touring schedules.
“The result for this year is that we are not able to move forward with the integrity and high standards that we demand from ourselves and for the festival.”
Walker said, “We all need to take a step back and objectively look at what’s going on and move forward.”
The cancellation comes at a bad time for the state and local economy, Walker said. Locally, the foundry in Rothbury has closed.
The village president said the festival brought a lot of money to the community. The law enforcement and emergency personnel working at the festival spent money locally, festival workers spent money locally, and the local businesses which benefited also spend money locally.
“It was a tremendous boom to the economy,” he added.
