Randy,

SAY WHAT? 30,000 tickets a day? Surely that's a misprint by someone.

Here is the observed status from Newport News, where I live.

My grandson participates in the Time Travelers program each year. After
multiple visits to Yorktown, two visits to Jamestown, and one visit to
Williamsburg, all over the past six months, there does not appear to have
been 30,000 anything a day going on (much less the selling of tickets). To
my knowledge, the port appearances are receiving minimal press coverage and
nothing appeared to "stand out" at the three major locations in the way of
advertisement. There seems to be very little chatter among regional
genealogists and history buffs concerning the upcoming celebration. Over a
year ago I heard about plans for Jamestown 400 Workshops. I have not heard a
single word about these workshops since November, 2005.

The "Movie" to save it all was a flop and is a faint memory, so faint that I
cannot remember the actual title. Television advertisement directed at
locals is nonexistent. If the advertisement is that bad at nearby states,
few will even know about the Jamestown 400 celebration.

Maybe it is too early to expect full-blown advertising, but if people are
coming from a distance they need time to make plans. We are six weeks away
from some businesses asking their employees to put down, in writing,
projected vacation dates for the entire year. Sadly, many that might come to
the celebration will have made other plans before they know about Jamestown
400.

Observations from my daughter, another Newport News resident.

She, her son, and a group of friends will not be attending the celebration!
Why? Traffic, location -- sheer chaos. There has been talk of a new road
being constructed, real quick, to relieve some problems. Isn't it a little
late for that? She also say's that she and her friends can get the same
thing at another time, including reenactments and ship sailings. It is her
understanding that it is advertised nationally, but not locally. Again, to
bring in distant travelers, but forget about the local and regional
residents. Some business owners (from surrounding areas) are talking about
closing down for several days during peak times. Why? Traffic, overall
inability to get to their business and move around, and poor planning. The
business owners know they will lose sales, but feel that might be better
than the alternative.

She is aware that visitors are having trouble obtaining room reservations.
Too many people, not enough rooms -- having to book reservations a fair
distance away from the actual events. Yet nothing she said indicates 30,000
tickets a day being sold. Remember that Jamestown has minimal
accommodations. People will be traveling back and forth between Jamestown
and Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Richmond, etc. Let's see
if I've got this right. We have rush hour traffic that is a nightmare under
normal conditions. Then we're going to add in traffic generated by Busch
Gardens. Then we are going to send thousands (tens of thousands?) of
unsuspecting travelers out there to mingle in, have a good time, and enjoy
their visit. Ah-h-h-h, let the good times roll!

I just got off the phone with a genealogist and history buff living on Long
Island, New York. She is not aware of any TV advertisements. The really bad
news is that the Godspeed is in port there and few people know about it. The
Godspeed is there to advertise the celebration, but if no one knows...

Tom
Eastern Shore & More
http://easternshoremore.com
Royalty to Rogues
http://l-dunaway.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Randy Cabell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 6:33 AM
Subject: Re: The Pilgrim's Thanksgiving


<snip>
At the risk of bringing down the ire of thousands upon my head, my
observation is that the ramp-up to Jamestown 2007 underscores the complete
inability of Virginia to get the message across.  It is not for a lack of
substantive things -- like the excitement of the 'Discovery' making port
appearances, or of facilities like the Jamestowne Settlement complex, and
the work that the APVA is doing.  Instead, it is the almost complete lack of
any coherent, visible and exciting presentation thereof.  e.g  In the course
of giving away my Trumpeter of Jamestowne March, I have talked on the
telephone with half a dozen people across America, and they universally say
that they have seen next to nothing about Jamestown-400.   Two weekends ago,
I chatted with some history buffs who live in Williamsburg, and they said
they had never heard of the 30,000 tickets a day being sold for the
three-day May weekend.  IN WILLIAMSBURG!!!!!!!  There is rumored to be a
1607-voice chorus and 400-piece symphony orchestra performing god-knows-what
at the celebration, but to borrow from that classic line in 'Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid'  who are those people anyway?

Let me suggest to the assembled VA-HIST audience that IF you really believe
in Jamestown and what it means to the America that we live in today, you
resolve this very day to reach out and do something about it.  If you wait
for 'them' to do it, it ain't going to happen.  We will see a repeat of the
fizzles of (1) the 1992 Columbus 'celebration',  (2) the invisible Virginia
commemoration (if any) or our native sons Lewis and Clark, and (3) probably
the greatest fizzle of all, the 1976 Williamsburg stayed-away-in-droves.

Randy Cabell

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