San Zeno di Cassola, 25.06.01
To all those concerned
| OGGETTO: | 6th "International Meeting of Fire-Balloons and Master-Craftsmen" |
We
deeply regret having to inform you that the 6th International Meeting
of Fire-Balloons and Master-Craftsmen has been cancelled.
The reasons that led us to make this unpleasant and bitter decision
are given in detail in the letter attached to this notice.
We
are sure you will understand our necessary decisions regarding cancellation
of the 2001 Meeting, and we hope to be back in 2002, also counting on
your welcome participation.
|
RAASM
PARK Srl |
|
Lettera
|
|
The
Mayor Attn:
Councillor Luciano Fabris |
REGISTERED LETTER ANTICIPATED BY FAX
|
RE: 6th "International Meeting of Fire-Balloons and Master-Craftsmen" |
The great success tied to the International Meeting of Fire-Balloons and Master-Craftsmen has put this meeting among the most appreciated and eagerly-awaited events of the international program.
The
originality, spectacularity and worth of this festival, which is also
the outcome of the enthusiasm and spirit of involvement and participation
of its protagonists, have enabled this meeting, with its high socio-cultural
content, to become a social asset of a national and international character,
involving people of all ages, cultures and professions, coming not only
from this area, but from all over Italy and abroad.
From the very outset, this important territorial value immediately felt the need for an involvement of the district's Administrations and the various bodies representing it.
But the many requests for collaboration - in terms of representativeness - put forward by this organization to both the Administrators and the economic categories of the district since this event was first organized, were of no avail.
For
this reason, during the last meeting held in October, I expressed the
possibility of suspending the meeting until a tangible and positive
response was expressed by the Local Administrations and by the economic
forces of the territory.
Following the umpteenth input, the Mayor of Cassola, Prof. Antonio Pasinato, in agreement with the Mayor of Bassano del Grappa, Gianpaolo Bizzotto, proposed a meeting, scheduled for November 2000, with all the abovementioned forces and with all the protagonists of the event.
This meeting was then postponed to December and then again subsequently to January.
On 11th January 2001, Mayor Bizzotto and Councillor Luciano Fabris called the organizing committee of the event and Mayor Pasinato, not in order to agree on the date of the meeting and the relative matters to be discussed, as per our expectations, but to request a written report including requests and any requirements to be submitted, at a later date, to the Town Executive Board for possible approval of this meeting.
All arguments aimed at explaining that a further postponement would make it impossible to hold the event for 2001, considering the fact that the organizing machine would have been in the middle of preparations by then, were of no avail.
This unexpected request, combined with serious motives tied to the question of safety (see our letter of 15.01.01), convinced us to also suspend, with preparations already under way, the Free Flight Meeting scheduled for Easter this year.
In the light of that stated above, I shall reply to Mr. Bizzotto now,
but exclusively to clarify the situation.
After all, this organization has never requested any contribution in money, but only the just representativeness of the territory that hosts the meetings and which, as a logical consequence, should appreciate them and deem them as assets of the territory.
This
in fact is the opinion of those who have given rise to the event and
who have been its protagonists and the "supporting columns",
like the State Police, Carabinieri, Tax Police, Dog-breeders, State
Foresters, Fire Brigade, Navy, Coast Guard, Civil Defence, Municipal
Police, Alpine troops, Italian Air Force and French Air Force, the 51st
Air Wing, the European Parliament, the Veneto Region, Unipax, Aero Club
d'Italia, Airline Companies, Tourist Boards, the Innsbruck Tourist Board,
Aeronautical Philatelic Club, Universities, Astronomical Observatories,
Museums, the Geneva Aquarium, Professional Training Schools and Art
Institutes, Rescue Organizations, and enthusiasts of all kinds (vintage
cars and planes, model-makers, miniaturists, entomologists and nature
lovers, etc.) artists of various schools and, of course, the master
craftsmen and the balloonists with their gaily coloured fire-balloons.
And many others, who have made available to the numerous visitors and
spectators their works and tools tied to their profession and their
great passion.
And in particular, those who have dedicated their time to accompany disabled persons and impaired persons to the meeting, and the 300 or so volunteers of the G.A.M. (Friends of the Missionaries Group) who, with their great unselfishness and availability, have seen to the catering service, donating all the proceeds to support the needy, who belong to different missions in various countries throughout the world.
According to the above, seeing that precisely the Italian State is the real protagonist of this event, it is hard to understand why the Administrations and the various representative bodies of the district are not at all interested in or aware of representing, even locally, this State of which they are the direct representatives.
The abovementioned Administrations undoubtedly cannot deny knowing the value and importance of these events. And this can be seen also by the fact that, to mention one of many, in 1998, at the end of the meeting, we received a bill for Itl. 14,023,494 for services borne by the Municipal Police of the six Municipalities of Cassola, Rosà, Romano, Mussolente, Tezze and Rossano for directing the heavy traffic generated by this festival.
Furthermore, on 3rd February 2001 - during the ceremony for awarding the Police Forces the certificates of participation in the Basic Life Support course - Mayor Bizzotto pointed out to the undersigned that after all, it was "not a shame" if the Free Flight Meeting moved elsewhere, because "Bassano cannot be expected to do everything... ".
In this respect there are many questions to be asked, but let me submit at least the following:
-
What did Bassano and the entire district do for the meeting at Easter to find itself so "fatigued"? And for the October meeting?
-
Do you realize how much even these meetings have contributed to promoting the Bassano district in the world?
-
Do you understand that these meetings do not only promote the territory just for the days of the meetings themselves, but for 365 days a year - see for example the echo of the Palio for Siena or the chess-match for Marostica ?
-
Are you aware of the damage that the district would suffer for the loss of these now well-established meetings?
We believe that you are not. Because, if you really were aware of all this, you would have acted in a timely manner so as not to lose at least the October meeting, seeing that it was already clear, and also declared, that the Easter meeting had been cancelled, and not only for matters of safety.
At this point, to continue with these considerations would mean wanting to start pointless discussions, and besides, you could also reply that you didn't want the events... and you would be quite right ...
Therefore, the only thing left to do is to reconfirm to you and publicly announce that for the year 2001, the 6th International Meeting of Fire-Balloons and Master-Craftsmen has been cancelled.
However, I would also like to express my deep regret and disappointment for this compulsory decision, not so much for the suspension of the event, but particularly because this is the premise for its definitive suppression.
These circumstances have unfortunately taken away faith in the local Administrations, thus dulling the enthusiasm of those, including the undersigned, who have operated so far, urged on by a strong belief in giving rise to this great socio-cultural project.
Lastly, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to that eager army of protagonists for their big commitment to this extraordinary event. And once again, thanks to the very many visitors and spectators who have honoured us with their presence and great interest, and in particular that "special" public so dear to everyone, made up of tens of thousands of children who, with their happy faces, have been the lymph of our enthusiasm and whose presence we will deeply miss.
Yours faithfully,
|
RAASM
PARK |
