A litte Q & R a/k/a Que'in and Riverfest

Having been involved in RiverFest before my venturing into the depths of Que'in on Red, I can state emphatically that one was not chosen over the other by the city nor were sponsorships ripped from the moorings of Riverfest.

The idea of Que'in came about while I was on the board of RiverFest. The thought came from Pineville's concern over the turnout on Pineville's side of the river. It came to me that as Louisiana at that time did not have a barbeque festival of significant notice, this would be a perfect venue for the Pineville side. I approached first fellow board members Rich Dupree and Mayor Fields with the idea. As it would have had beer tied to it, it was never fully pursued. I have envisioned this part of RiverFest (yes it was to be a part of RiverFest) to have taken place at Lake Buhlow, contained behind the fence. I knew that it would overshadow RiverFest at some point in time and having had the discussion with fellow board members and others not associated with RiverFest, decided that it would be better as a seperate entity.

In the formation of Que'in, a decision by the committee was made to associate the festival with Memphis in May. Mulitple dates for the festival were sent to Memphis for approval. Memphis in May picked the date for the festival, no one in Alexandria had a say in that decision. We are in the Memphis in may circuit of events. This is important as the orginal idea also included bringing people from outside the area to Alexandria. Last year several of our entrants were from outside the state. This year we expect even more.

As to the absurd statement that Que'in went after the same sponsors that RiverFest used and drained the coffers, I can state this: As a business owner here in Alexandria, once you are known for giving to the community you are unindated with requests from everywhere, asking that you support their endeavors. You do what you can, but there is only so much to give and the decision to give is on the giver not the taker.

Before I close I will state this fact: While on the board of RiverFest, we did not have full board participation during the festival and at most meetings. The Que'in committee was there in it's entirety during the operation of the festival and we were never at attendance less than a quorum.

It is with sincere sadness that I heard RiverFest will not happen this year, I personally worked 4 years with other dedicated individuals to make it a success. My board term expired last year, however, had I been asked to remain, I would have done so and worked equally as hard to ensure it's future. But the two festivals have nothing to do with one another except in the conception of the idea of Que'in.

If you wish verification of the following statement, check with Myron Lawson, Charles Frederick Smith, Chuck Fowler, Lisa Harris, Mayor Fields, Rich Dupree and former Alexandria Mayor Randolph.

One Nation Under God ...

When will our elected officials and their constituents agree? Most people react emotionally rather than intellectually on issues. In today's mass communication, there are many "spins" placed on issues. To me an issue is as simple as a word problem. Break it down to its various components and work the problem. Issues are slanted either way by the parties (not Republican , Democrat or Independant folks) wanting to push their point of view. It is up to us as the public, to intelligently make the "correct" decision. In stating "correct", I say for the greater good. To many work only one side ... theirs. There must be balance to everything.

Now to start a new battle royale. Iraq. In looking at the problem as a whole, what is diseminated is that this is a worldwide issue. I have had many "disopinions" on this statement. We are not at war in Iraq. We are at war across the globe. The radical Muslim movement is not solely against the U.S., the are against our society. Proof? Everywhere their is trouble in the world, the radical Muslim movement is the "opposing" side. It is not Iraq, nor is it Afghanistan. It is Spain, France, Enlgland, the African continent, Malaysia, Jakarta, everywhere their is a cell. Trust me cells are everywhere, most importantly and of some concern is here in the United States.

There are those that wish to turn a blind eye to this, pacifism and igorance have caused us great loss in the past. Address the issue now. A splinter pulled immediately will cause discomfort temporarily, left to become infected takes longer to recover. If left unattended ....

Cenla Antics