Audubon and Sierra Are Shut Out Of Refinery-Funded Rivertowns Fest!

Update: (News Journal) Jeff Montgomery has more of the story ~ RIVER TOWNS FESTIVAL - Food, fun, bikes – but no politics at 2-town outing 

At least three advocacy groups – Delaware Audubon, Sierra Club Delaware and the [Death Penalty] Repeal Project – saw the event as an opportunity to share their views and messages, and signed up for vendor tables. They were stopped in their tracks, almost at the last minute. A letter noted that “Booths are not being sold to political candidates, politicians, organizations promoting specific views or points of view or social activist groups because they are not in synergy with the purpose of this family friendly event.........This is a family festival, and there will be no political or advocacy type activity,” said Julie Miro Wenger, with Event Allies, the festival manager, said this week.
Audubon and Sierra saw the denial as a targeted snub, however. Both have plenty of history with the refinery, with the two groups recently joining in a lawsuit targeting PBF Energy’s outdated, fish-killing cooling water intakes. Challenges to the site’s new rail-based crude oil supply facilities are ongoing, both in Superior Court and with the state Environmental Appeals Board. The crude-by-rail legal fight got Delaware Audubon president Mark Martell bumped from the refinery’s Citizen Advisory Committee earlier this year. It also led to quiet talk among business groups about revisiting Coastal Zone Act requirements around northern Delaware’s traditional heavy industry zones. And as recently as July, both groups arranged for a plane to orbit the town on Delaware City Day, towing a sign reading: PBF Refinery - Stop Killing our Fish.
Martell said he has deep concerns about the refinery’s spending for community activities, including sponsorship of a recent community leader appreciation dinner and forum at the Buena Vista Conference Center, campaign contributions and community donations. “The issue is whether or not these payments truly have a bearing on governance by our politicians or if they are merely incidental to the analysis,” Martell said.

 I was forwarded this email:

Subject: FW: River Towns Ride and Festival

Well now, this is a fine how do you do….

I’m not seeing the love for Audubon anymore.

Just not seeing it.

I guess we are doing something right here.

From: Julie Mirowenger
Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 4:32 PM
Subject: River Towns Ride and Festival

October 2, 2013

Dear Festival Applicant,

The River Towns Festival is for the purpose of showcasing the communities/towns of New Castle and Delaware City and promoting local business and local residents in a family friendly atmosphere.  To best achieve this purpose, booths at the event are being sold to only those applicants who are local business/resident vendors.  In addition, the festival will feature variety of booths providing food and drinks. 

Booths are not being sold to political candidates, politicians, organizations promoting specific views or points of view or social activist groups because they are not in synergy with the purpose of this family friendly event.  As the application form makes clear, the River Towns Committee reserves the right to reject applications for a booth for any reason.    As such, the River Towns Committee is rejecting your Vendor Application/Participation Agreement for a booth(s).  Nothing, however, prevents members of your organization from attending the event.

Regards,

The River Towns Festival Committee 

I guess you can't blame the Festival Committee too much after the to-do at the Delaware City Day Parade in July where the Green Party of Delaware went all Toxic Jack on everybody. But the Audubon and Sierra groups were focused on fish not politics. Is it really fair to keep these organizations from securing a booth?

My inbox was filled the day after July's parade with emails from pissed off city officials about my blog coverage [Environmentalists Out In Force At The Delaware City Day Parade - Ask PBF Refinery To Stop Killing Our Fish ] and that the News Journal had published more about environmental advocates' floating a slogan - PBF REFINERY - STOP KILLING OUR FISH - from a banner plane overhead than about the parade and the town itself.

From the Governor's calendar ~

River Towns Ride and Festival

What:   Governor Markell will participate in the first River Towns Bike Ride – The Governor will join Representative Valerie Longhurst, Senator Nicole Poore, City Manager of Delaware City Richard Cathcart, representatives from Delaware City Refinery, Savage Services, Norfolk Southern and others for a ten mile bike ride along Route 9 from Delaware City to New Castle. The ride is part of the River Towns Ride and Festival, presented by Delaware City Refinery, Savage Services and Norfolk Southern. This one-day event is the first joint festival held between the two historic Delaware waterfront towns of New Castle and Delaware City. The festival will also include live music, rides, attractions, games, tours, vendors, food and drink.

Who:     Governor Markell

                State Representative Valerie Longhurst

                State Senator Nicole Poore

                Richard Cathcart, City Manager, Delaware City

                   Members of Delaware City Main Street

                   Members of Historic New Castle Alliance

                Representatives from Delaware City Refinery

                Representatives from Savage Services

                Representatives from Norfolk Southern

                Bike ride and festival participants

 

When:   Saturday, October 5^th at Noon

Where: 30 Clinton St., Delaware City [In front of Battery Park]

PBF Energy pays for a lot of stuff around the area including donating land for a ball field for the kids. But everyone involved should be wary of the appearance of having been bought-off so to speak. No?

I say suck it up and let the environmentalists have their table next time.

~*~