2013 KiteFest Back On After Prior Cancellation
The Chewstick Foundation confirmed today [Mar 8] that after meeting with the Minister of Environment and Planning Sylvan Richards, a green light to hold Kitefest has been given.
The Chewstick Foundation and the Minister met today and agreed to work together to resolve any misunderstanding surrounding the permit application process for Kitefest and toward staging the event. KeyTech, Logic and BTC have stepped in to support the event and have committed to title sponsorship for this year’s event and Kitefest 2014.
Chewstick Foundation Co-founder Najib Chentouf said, “I’m grateful that these issues have been resolved. It is unfortunate that these events have unfolded the way they did, but I trust that going forward we will work closer with the Department of Parks and the Ministry of Environment and Planning to avoid these challenges.”
Chewstick Executive Director Gavin Djata Smith said, “We are deeply grateful to the Minister for his immediate response and to Keytech for supporting not only this year’s event but fortifying their commitment to next year as well.”
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Articles that link to this one:
- Photos: Chewstick Hosts Pre-KiteFest Event | Bernews.com | March 23, 2013
Note to Chewstick: don’t use the nuclear option first next time!
If no one is answering phone calls or emails how is this the nuclear option first? SMH
How about walk in to the office and deal with them face to face first? According to the article they had done this before and even managed to get a permit in one day before???
How about usuing the read / delivery receipt option first to ensure the intended recipient got the emails.
This sounds fishy to me as well, I would like to see proof first that emails were sent
a) to the correct person and email address
b) that they sent them when they say they sent them and as many times.
c)Did they ever get a delivery or read receipt to confirm that they actual made it to the right person? People change jobs all the time?!
Not saying I don’t believe them, but I dont want to criticize the employees of the department without seeing proof first.
Talk to someone who works under Parks management – real talk
Are u serious? What happened to customer service? They work for us and are paid for by us. We are only asking them to do their job. Why should we have to jump through hoops for them to….DO THEIR JOBS!….
yay!!!!!
@ andre
not saying that i dont believe Chewstick, but all he had to do was send a follow email from the original one sent.
Sounds kinda fishy to me
Bie…don’t you know that when the other Government left they deleted and shredded everything! Jeesh bie. No wownder the email got lost!!!
Excellent news to hear that this matter has been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction and that the Good Friday Kitefest event will go on. Now can we stop all the whining and political claptrap and look forward to Easter.
Good for Sylvan Richards. Fair play.
all a set up …making this awful Gov’t look good….drama drama
Although I’m not a supporter of the festival, the festival should not have been cancelled in the first place. The misunderstanding had nothing to do with the Minister as the original e-mails were not sent to the Minister, in fact they obviously were not sent to anyone. Chewstick needs to apologise as they have implicated civil servants. But everyone wants to be a star, even Najib Chentouf.
Why wouldn’t you be a supporter of a kite festival Laverne?
Too many whites and blacks mixing healthily, getting on and having fun in a family environment?
Yeah, I can see why you wouldn’t be a supporter.
You hit the nail right on the head David Cameron. I just hate to see whites and blacks mixing healthily. How did you know that?
Because race pervades everything you say. Just get on with life, get on with everyone. Life is better that way.
David, since you’ve been tracking my comments on the internet, can you cite at least 5 comments where I’ve mentioned race. Even the comment that you’ve referred to there is no mentioned of race. All I said was that I’m not a supporter of the festival. For your information and to be clear, I believe that Good Friday is a time for families to get together in their own back/front yards. That’s what I did when my children were young. I’m not a fan of commercialising relgious holidays.
Also for your edification, when I get together with my extended family on most holidays, there are blacks, whites, East Asians and others. Let me add this, some of my best friends are white, believe it or not.
I’m slow today. It just hit me that David Cameron is the name of the UK Prime Minister. To the Bermudian “David Cameron” you know what I think about anonymous posters. Remove the sack with the peepholes that is covering you face and tell me who you really are. Then we can have a conversation.
I don’t have the time to find 5 Laverne, I have a major industrial country to run. That takes up more time than calling the dockworkers out on strike for the 7th time this year because the toilet paper isn’t soft enough. But there was that ridiculous article about Bermuda Housekeepers being slaves, and akin to the black slaves of the 18th century. Except that they willingly took the jobs and get paid $20 an hour.
you really like to make friends eh Laverne….i think Chewstick are arrogant fools for going to the media for this.
Drive down, to, up, over and around there to find out why there was no response to the e-mail sent on …….. 2012 as the e-mail could have been placed in the junkmail folder…. just saying
Thank you KeyTech, Logic and BTC!
Good stuff!
People will fly kites with or without Chewstick… Whats the big deal. People have been going there all my life to fly kites…
yayyy..but all this over flying kites!! smh.
Chewstick exhibited some Immaturity by taking such a public approach to dealing with this situation. It was like they knew the powers that be (political and civic) would not allow this event to die. It was a very calculated and manipulative move. Guess what, it worked.
The men and women at Chewstick must plan better and not go public so soon, before they overturn all stones. They now have done enough to have people ask the tough questions we don’t like to ask. Who is monitoring that organization’s funds are they how much of funds received are going to programs and how much are going to salaries?
Yes, they are doing well at a glance but there is more to programs then photo ops………
Check the papers (organizational infrastructure) and monitor the finances This is an awesome group but guidance in the non-profit arena is necessary.
This kite festival is the door that the government and donors need to walk through and check this organization for transparency. They will welcome it as there is nothing criminal but organizationally work needs to be done
From the inside!
Oh LaVerne you just have to throw in the zinger. I was right there with you till the last sentence.
What was wrong with my last sentence? He was the person who made the complaint. By the way, I never looked for your approval and anyone else’s approval when I comment. I offer my opinion, just as you do.
Chewstick should consider getting the relevant ministries/permits/financial backing signed up for say 3 years at a time in stead of having to scramble every year. Just an idea.
Chewstick are a joke at times they dont do whats right I know cause I have seen them first hand last year wait you will see their true colors they dont deliver on their promises. More will come out a bunch of jokers.
As I have already stated it is good to hear that this matter has been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction and that the Good Friday Kitefest event will go on. Sadly though, we are now deluged with an endless blame game, even over a matter such as a Kitefest. It would appear that Chewstick may not have communicated their request for a permit, and it seems very clear that neither the PLP (before the election) or the OBA (after the election) had anything at all to do with holding up the granting of permits. Can we please stop the blame game and the hostile comments and move forward. This nastiness is setting a terrible example to our children.
Agreed
the reason Chewstick went public with this was because there are a ton of people who loved last year’s Kitefest and would be extremely disappointed to show up to the beach and not see Chewstick there. Get over it. Get a life. Smh.
That aint lavern furbert, you know she be typin “you know” after each sentence,
if that was her.
” I think chewsticks idiots I don’t know why but you know”
Lol sounding like she just left mawi.
So we get the kites and no annoying dj? Sounds fine to me, cancel it.