To the editor:

Dowagiac Chamber Program Director Vickie Phillipson sent out a press release a few months ago stating they had hired a part-time person to assist with vendors at this year’s Fun Fest.

The Dowagiac Informer contacted Ms. Phillipson months ago, stating we wanted to bring back and sponsor bed races for this year’s festival.

Ms. Phillipson informed us that we would need liability insurance for the races.

We asked how much and was told she would check with the insurance carrier and get back to us.

We have seen Ms. Phillipson at least five times since then and asked how much insurance was needed and the answer has always been the same: “I haven’t heard back yet.”

This is clearly a stall tactic, as other vendors involved have to show proof of insurance to participate.

This is terrible that we have put so many hours in starting to plan the event, talking to store owners about participating and talking and getting advice from those who participated in these races previously.

I just do not understand why the Chamber would go out of its way to stop an activity that residents have said time and time again that they would like to see make a comeback in the festival.

This could be bad news for everyone attending the festival.

If Ms. Phillipson doesn’t know how much insurance is needed, it is possible that other vendors, who need insurance, won’t have the needed information to acquire the same and wouldn’t be able to participate.

This is another clear example of residents wanting to be part of the festival, suggesting activities, volunteering to bring these activities to the community, then being ignored by the Chamber.

This way they can continue having festival activities that they think we want and not activities that residents really want.

It looks like residents can look forward to another Fun Fest with the same activities that residents have complained about for years.

There is talk of paying a large sum of money to have a BMX bike program.

Well, you can’t say we didn’t try to bring back an activity that residents want, but it has been stopped, due to the fact that Ms. Phillipson has refused to give us information on how much insurance is needed for the bed races.

It seems that Ms. Phillipson doesn’t want activities sponsored by residents because residents may like those activities better than the ones planned by the Chamber.

I am sure that after writing this letter, we will be contacted by the Chamber now that it is too late to get this event together.

Howard Hall