Editor,

It was upsetting to read your negative review of the Regatta. Yes, it was altered with many roadblocks including fire ban, lack of volunteers, and lack of postive support. I think the organizers and volunteers should be proud of a "job well done". I just wanted to say THANKS to the team for a great regatta and the hopes that the organizers and volunteers will be back for 2013.

Cheers,

Chris

Trailside Adventure Co.

 

Your right Chris, it was a "job well done" by the volunteers. Unfortunately, the current council tried to kill the Regatta, then crippled it. The volunteers did their best, but it doesn't change the fact that Regatta was deliberately crippled. We've seen countless Regattas over the years and this year's was a hollow husk of what could have been. We thank the volunteers for their tireless efforts, but we're not going to heap praise on those members of council that fought hard to kill Regatta, then turned out for the photo-op. 

The 2012 Regatta wasn't the only one this council tried to kill. The 2011 Regatta almost suffered the same fate until the public outcry resurrected it. That year went well because the volunteers were still driven by the successes of previous years. But it was such a constant battle with Mayor Tomlinson's roadbocks that most of the 2011 volunteers were burned out in the end. Then Mayor Tomlinson imposed the 3 volunteer cap, and then lied about it.

Thanks Chris, for trying to bring a positive spin to the hard work of the Regatta volunteers, but it doesn't change the fact that Regatta could have been so much more were it not for this council's "can't do" attitude. So we can't bring ourselves to give a big, two-thumbs-up and just let council walk away from this unscathed.