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Editor:
I am rather upset with VT Pride, Pride VT, or VT GLBT Pride (whatever name they are going by). First of all, the board made it very clear that the name of the group was to be Pride VT, since VT Pride was already taken by another group. Yet, no matter what talk show or announcement they do, the name is always different. Even if the host of a talk show says VT GLBT Pride, no one seems to correct them that that is not the name of the group.
Also, on the May program of Rainbow Connection, a member of the pride committee was on talking about the event and put up an email address that read: vtpride@hotmail.com. When I tried to email them at this address, my email came back stating there was no such address. Just a month prior to this, the pride webmaster was asked by a board member to change the address to reflect the "new" email address of pridevt@aol.com.
My question is: How is ANYONE supposed to contact pride if none of the email addresses work or there are so many of them?
It has also come to my attention that pride spent approximately $2000 on Michelle Weeks. I quote the host of Rainbow Connection: "Michelle Weeks is...?" It's amazing that pride would pay $2000 for four songs (two at the waterfront and two at 135). For the same amount of money they could have gotten the nationally known a capella group Men Out Loud for a two-hour concert OR an hour with comedian Lorne Newman and two hours with Yolanda and the Plastic Family, plus one other performer. It seems to me that the pride committee keeps crying poor yet spends their DONATED money foolishly.
Although I know first hand how hard it is to produce an event of this size, I think the pride committee should strongly re-evaluate their mission statement and use the money they make wisely, especially since they are planning on becoming incorporated with the State of Vermont and registering for their tax-exempt status with the IRS.
Dean Pratt
Burlington
