Lakewood Arts Festival – Candidates, What's In Bad Taste?

[stephen davis]

I always look forward to the Lakewood Arts Festival. I have only missed it a couple of times since I’ve lived in Lakewood. It’s so fun to see everybody out enjoying the art, food, music, and other people.

Last night, I was fortunate enough to attend the Lakewood Hospital Starry Night party. That is an event not to be missed. It’s a fun benefit, on the street, for great causes, and with the best party food I’ve ever had. What a great event to kick off the Arts Festival!

The weather today was warm, but not overly so. The streets were full. Everything was perfect, well, almost perfect, EXCEPT for a couple of POLITICIANS and their followers.

One candidate for mayor had a gang of petition pushers that dominated the intersection of Cook and Detroit. While they collected signatures for a tax issue, the candidate shook hands, and children stood nearby in t-shirts with the candidate’s name on them. It took evasion techniques to get through the petition pushers without being solicited. It was just BLATANT CAMPAIGNING.

That was bad enough, but while a group of us listened to the musicians by Sinagra Park, one of the petition pushers stood between us and the performers. She complained to us about the County Commissioners, and asked for signatures. She did not get the hint that we were not interested in hearing about her politics at that moment. We really wanted to enjoy the music. She moved away only after a stern, but tactful, comment was made by an Arts Festival volunteer about what that area was for, and not for.

A council candidate, and two others in his campaign shirts, also stood in front of us while we tried to listen to the music. They were campaigning, and we were the target.

While I support free speech, and their right to campaign, I found these candidates’ displays to be inappropriate, annoying, intrusive, and IN BAD TASTE.

The campaigners should have worked outside of the boundaries at either end of the Arts Festival. Working the crowd from the middle had a negative effect on a positive event. They should be embarrassed.

I hesitate to name these candidates because I don’t know if there were others doing it too. I just didn’t notice any others.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Steve

I agree.

What is really bad is that both groups were asked very politely to not take part, as the Lakewood Arts board desperately wants to keep this an arts festival.

Pat Majeski, who works hard all year to make this one of the best art events in the region had spoken with all parties. You would have thought if they cared about Lakewood they would have help put a good foot forward.

To help offset this, we had offered space at the car show for politicians, but we will have to reconsider after seeing how this was abused.

It would have been a nice day, just went through my 60 photos, and in every one is a political shirt, now that I went back and took a look. Fog of War I guess.

Because the Sun Papers are one of the sponsors, for the first time we were told The Sun did not want The Lakewood Observer at the Lakewood Arts Festival. So we restocked our normal distribution areas, but did not put up a table. We chose to respect the Arts festival Committee.

I did see the mayor there, in a plain blue knit shirt, selling hot dogs for charity. Kevin Butler was raising money for the animal shelter, Charles Geiger was working in a knit shirt and slacks.


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[Donald Farris]

Hi!

We almost always make it to this event and I'm very sorry that we couldn't this year. We would love to see this event last 2 days.

Amost always all the candidates are there and are campaigning. Some have learned the art of doing it a little more subtlety than others. Of course, no one has ever accused the candidate you're discussing of ever being too subtle - not one of his greatest strenghts.

Of course, one candidate, who gets your top marks for subtlety, sponsors so many little league teams that I swore our son wore shirts bearing his name all summer long. Not that there is anything wrong with that either.

But just sharing that they are all there campaigning in slightly different ways.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Don

The history of the event has been non-political. As was discussed earlier many "groups" have done non-political booths.

Last year the Democrats had a table with nothing but political material on it. While the Republicans had face painting.

This was the straw that broke the camel's back. To make it fair and non-political candidates were told not this year please stay away. No booths.

The Lakewood Arts Fest, much like the car show pulls in maybe 50% of their crowd from out of the city, which makes it seem like not the best place to get a message out. First you have to find out if they even live in the city, then pitch.

As I mentioned, when Pat said no, we opened the car show to politicians, at no charge. But I am sure that we will think this one through for next time, especially if it gets out of control, like yesterday.

Steve was not exaggerating. Armies of supporters fanned out through the Fest. This was not a candidate wearing a political T-Shirt. This was an aggressive interaction with Festival goers, many who are not in town, or chose to look at art and listen to music.

My biggest problem is they were asked not to show up in political mode, by Pat. I think it was pretty clear. When she talked with me, she was very polite. i could have complained, and set up a table. I could have sent groups of "delivery people" into the crowd as we did in the past. But we decided to follow the simple rules laid down.

Colleen Wing, had a political shirt on, Dan Shields did, Jane George did, as did some supporters, but they were not handing out brochures, or pressing the Festival goers. They were there to enjoy the Festival.

Steve was correct, if you stood trying to listen to music, you had a pretty good chance of being interrupted by a live "phone solicitor."

Starry Night, the night before had many candidates taking part in the party. Talked to most if not all. Never heard one word about running for office. Even heard one say, "Tonight is not the night for talking politics, we are here to celebrate one of the big nights in Lakewood, and raise money for charity."


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[Ryan Patrick Demro]

Jim,

Anyone can ask individuals not to exercise their constitutional rights, it is their choice as to whether or not to surrender them. I think the whole scenario would/could have been different if we were allowed to have booths as last year or a designated location. The Arts Festival Board made this decision, not those who participated. Their decision caused a predictable change in the atmosphere. It should also be mentioned, as you often note about others, that the Arts Festival Board is composed primarily of people who do not live in Lakewood.

Regardless of what you allow at the car show, the petitioners will be on public property collecting signatures. It can be done at a designated location as the petitioners prefer, as is being done at the Cuyahoga County Fair, or it can be done as it was yesterday. If it makes you feel better we can get people from Shaker or Strongsville to collect those signatures, maybe they will be more polite?

We did a good job of getting the word out in a respectful way and allowing the over 1,500 people who were eager to sign an opportunity to have their voice heard. This is the third initiative I have run in Lakewood and it has the potential to be the third where voters agree with us. We do this work on their behalf. Collecting signatures is never fun for the collectors or the signers, but it is a necessary evil and a constituionally permissible right that preserves democracy.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Councilman Demro

I agree with everything you just wrote.

I signed the petition, and understand the short time out there to get this monumental task done.

What Steve raised was a matter of taste.

What I raised was spirit of the event, and what the committee had wish to see, after their 12 months of hard work.

A booth might have solved the problem. From what I remember the Republican booth had no political material last year, and catered to children. While next door was a 100% political table of the Democrats.

Taste like art is subjective.


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[Kenneth Warren]

Steve, Jim:

Isn’t democracy always in bad taste?

I thought democratic discourse was at the heart of the LO project, not art snobbery.

There’s a robust assembly and breath of participation at the Lakewood Arts festival that makes the ground very well-suited to instigations in democracy, which might not taste as good as a Kiwanis hot-dog, but come on.

I say let the politically minded speak, publish, assemble and petition and, furthermore, that it’s bad taste for members of the LO project whine about it.

Kenneth Warren

[Jim O'Bryan]

Steve, Jim:

I say let the politically minded speak, publish, assemble and petition and, furthermore, that it?s bad taste for members of the LO project whine about it.

Kenneth Warren

Candidates

They you have the spot. Lakewood Library will welcome the hoards as we have invited openly to the Lakewood Car Show.

So even if you were upset by the recent decisions of the Arts Festival Board to keep it art. You know have to venues to send ten deep with clipboards.

Ken, I am glad you cleared this up. I know some candidates were wondering where else then can set up.

Me personally, after signing it, would would have been nice not to be asked the other 7 times including the woman asking me twice after signing her petition.

Again, subjective. Certainly worthy of the public discourse it has generated.

Was there all day, missed you what time did you hit the streets?

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[Danielle Masters]

Thank you Ken.

[Stephen Eisel]

Can you imagine if politicians restricted art just sayin...

[Suzanne Metelko]

Event logistics is an art in itself. Lakewood has a history of issues and candidates taking to the streets. In anticipation of that reality, the committee should have anticipated it and made arrangements to mitigate it. I'm not sure whether signature collectors could have been restricted to a booth but it sure would have made sense to meet with the leaders of any campaign issue or candidate to try and come to a productive concensus.

Petitions for school issues, library issues, city charter issues are commonly circulated at city events ie 4th of July, Arts festival, Madison festival etc. This wasn't a new strategy. All of us who have worked on those issues know how difficult it is to train and manage volunteers. At the end of the day, some people are well meaning, overly enthusiastic and have terrrible people skills - the definition I believe of the Ugly American and some who post on this forum.

Last year it was the Fitzgerald campaign and this year it's the sales tax campaign. Next year it will probably be a school issue. Welcome to Lakewood!

May I suggest that any campaign be prepared to provide individuals with a sticker that says, "Thanks, you've already spoken to me" so that people don't feel harrassed. Of course, depending on how many candidates and issues there are people could be covered with stickers - that would be pretty funny.

As for the library, last year I ran the guantlet of faux anti smoker people for weeks. I didn't like it but I understood it.

[David Lay]

They did have stickers that were given out after the petition was signed. They looked like they were inkjet labels...after a while mine lost its 'stickiness' and fell off.

[Jim O'Bryan]

As for the library, last year I ran the guantlet of faux anti smoker people for weeks. I didn't like it but I understood it.

Suzanne

I am not indicating it is illegal.

I am suggesting that candidates should practice what they preach.

How can you talk about behavior and chaos, if during Lakewood's second largest branding event, they disregard not just civic leaders, but "suggestions" from Public Works/Public Parks?

I will give Ryan Patrick Demro credit as not one of the 10 or more wearing RPD shirts asked me to consider the mayor's race. It was all about getting the vote on the tax raise.

Again I have to say Ryan and the Republicans last year had zero political messages. Meanwhile the Democrats went crazy, and it would seem ruined it for others.

Maybe a compromise can be found.

We opened it up for politicians at the Car show August 18.


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[dl meckes]

I walked back and forth between the CERT booth and Warren Rd. many times and I was only approached once, while I was on the sidewalk, by Ron Salo, who also wanted to give me a hello hug. It was nice, as always, to see him.

We had a brief discussion about the petition, but I was delivering delicious Kiwanis hot-dogs to my DH and couldn't catch up in the manner I would have preferred.

From what I saw, none of the petition people stepped off the sidewalk. Ryan Demro said hello and I didn't have a chance to say hello to Ryan Salo. I probably should have made a point to yell a greeting at him.

T-shirt campaigners (and I would have been one of them had I not been wearing a cloth advertisement for CERT) were visible, but most were not handing anything out. The one group that I did see handing out flyers may not have known the rules that Lakewood Arts Festival, Inc. has in place. I don't think they can make any rules about what people wear or what happens on public sidewalks, so people took advantage of that.

It was evident that a number of groups that were allowed to participate and sell things were not aware that Lakewood Arts Festival, Inc. did not allow the sale of promotional clothing (particularly t-shirts). They did allow these groups to take orders for their promotional, fund-raising products. Lakewood Arts Festival, Inc. doesn't want the festival to be a big t-shirt sale, which is understandable.

I know that CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) was thrilled about being allowed to sell ice cream as a fund-raiser. As a Lakewood citizen, I was also enthusiastic about all of the volunteer groups that were present. It adds a great deal of fun to the festival for me.

I am amazed to see how many volunteers and volunteer opportunities we have in Lakewood. Political engagement is one of those opportunities.

I also hold in very high esteem, the living embodiment of the Freedom of Information Act that we have in Ken Warren. Sorry I missed the book sale and also missed seeing you.

All in all, it was a great day and the festival, as always, was wonderful.

[Jim O'Bryan]

T-shirt campaigners (and I would have been one of them had I not been wearing a cloth advertisement for CERT) were visible, but most were not handing anything out. ...

It was evident that a number of groups that were allowed to participate and sell things were not aware that Lakewood Arts Festival, Inc. did not allow the sale of promotional clothing (particularly t-shirts). All in all, it was a great day and the festival, as always, was wonderful.

DL

Well of course you would have.

I only saw three place selling T-Shirts. All three were businesses on Detroit that have sold T-Shirts at the last 5 arts festivals. I believe and I could be mistaken that the rule is NO T-Shirts for sale with anything about the Arts Festival on it. I could be wrong. I believe that is what Pat told me when we sold LO Shirts in the past. This year we sell any LO gear out of respect for the hard work of the Lakewood Arts Festival Board.


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