By Brian Hews, Publisher
This past Friday the Frontman of Country played at the CCPA. The band members were:
Larry Stewart-over 5 million albums sold; ACM Award winner; 7 Time CMA Award nominee; 4 -time Grammy Award nominee. Hits include: “I’ll Still Be Loving You”, “The Bluest Eyes in Texas” , “That Rock Won’t Roll”, “Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right)”, “Fast Movin’ Train”.
Tim Rushlow-over 11 Million albums sold; ACM Award winner; CMA Award winner; 3-time Grammy Award nominee. Hits include: “What Might Have Been”, “God Blessed Texas”, “You and Forever and Me”, “Amy’s Back in Austin”, “She Misses Him”.
Marty Roe-lead singer of multi-platinum selling group Diamon Roe who won a Grammy for the Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album.
Sounded like a great concert, and our resident critic Glen Creason agreed.
Despite the talent, only 206 attended the concert, that’s right only 206 people.
This is an all-time low for the CCPA and a real embarrassment to the iconic theater; none of this the fault of CCPA staff.
Back in June, despite Dianne Cheney, Executive Director of the CCPA showing strong evidence that advertising sells tickets, the Cerritos City Council cut most print and radio advertising (LA Times, OC Register, Los Cerritos Community News) to the CCPA.
If you read this paper you know why they cut the budget; Mayor pro tem Barrows led the council to cut the budget because of our coverage of his assault of Jay Gray. Who know what Barrows offered the council to vote 5-0 I am sure we will find out at the next Mayoral transition.
There is a direct correlation between the council cutting the print/radio advertising for the CCPA and the Friday turnout. As Cheney said, “60-70% of our sales come from the mailed brochure, the remaining 30% from advertising.”
It is a real shame that the anger of one misguided councilman can cause so much collateral damage. Barrows wanted to hurt this paper for our coverage of his assault, and it did not matter who else was in the way not even the venerable CCPA.
As VAL LYNDER DEFENDER OF ALL THAT IS TRUE would say-while slamming her polka-dotted umbrella on the desk, “this is terrible and something needs to be done”!
I agree VAL.
Basically, it seems the CCPA is on life-support.
The city council may have plan to revive the dying Performing Arts Center.
They do have a plan?
Don’t they?
Maybe Barrows and Pulido weren’t going after the LCCN?
Instead, maybe they were pulling the plug on the CCPA?
Could LCCN ask Pulido and Barrows both to comment and run their response in the next paper?
I think residents would like to know
1)IF there is a plan to save the CCPA from eminent demise or
2)what the plan is to bring in paying customers.
I strongly hope they aren’t pulling the plug. All they really need to do is advertise when they do get acts that the Cerritos residents want, not this junk that is in line to perform. Maybe the council shouldn’t have anything to do with the CCPA. We must have a commission that could manage it to keep our beautiful CCPA.
On another note… Has anyone started petitions to get Barrows OUT!!!!
The Cerritos City Council has IGNORED the OBVIOUS for a LONG time;
The CCPA is a ‘Sacred Cow’ as the city’s LARGEST budget item and has
LOST MONEY EVERY YEAR since its opening – into the TENS of MILLIONS!
But NO, the City Council would not consider even TALKING about looking
for alternative ways to manage the CCPA because they have created a
system of POLITICAL PATRONAGE via the CCPA. A public/private partnership
or a private contracted vendor should have been sought YEARS ago, by now
we would be MAKING MONEY and Having GOOD shows at the CCPA, as a
LANDLORD! It seems the City of Cerritos has been so successful at maintaining the puppet government that perpetuates the farce of representative government
on the City Council, that they believed they could forestall the inevitable forever. TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE AT THE CITY OF CERRITOS! Take a page from the recent Cerritos College Elections; DISTRICTS and THROW THE BUMS OUT!
No one city council member has the political courage to tackle the CCPA or the Magnolia Power Plant.
NOT ONE!
$6 million dollars a year these so called servants of the people are costing Cerritos every year.
Not to mention the millions they lost taking from the general fund and “investing” it in the redevelopment agency.
Talk about corporate welfare. Is it no wonder Governor Brown stepped in.
Bruce Barrows continues to push the multi-BILLION dollar meglev while allowing the city of Cerritos to bleed.
Carol Chen is just as bad, following in his steps and with the recent “meg-lev” trip to China is making a mockery of the residents needs.
Jim Edwards generally sits up there like a deer caught in the headlights.
Joseph Cho talks a big game, but generally refuses to follow through.
Mark Pulido is a disgrace as a “hometown” product. ABC school board (while Pulido was sitting on it) has the lawsuit for firing the principle at Stowers and this papers printed an article that said the judge found the District fabricated evidence.
Too many self-serving people elected and appointed in Cerritos. It’s a shame. Such a great city and this is the best we have to lead the community.
Tree root problems, dangerous public sidewalks, raising fees to residents and our city council sticks their heads in the sand ignoring $6 million a year get flushed down the proverbial toilet.