From: Ed Slavin
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 11:47 AM
To: 'Jay Humphreys'
Subject: RE: St. Augustine | Ponte Vedra Travel offers -- Lincolnville Farmers Market, Civil Rights Tourism, St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and National CIvil RIghts Museum
Dear Jay:
1. Thank you for your E-mail.
2. We appreciate your promised efforts to publicize the Lincolnville Farmers Market, and your recent efforts to encourage Civil Rights Tourism. Keep up the good work.
3. However, I would encourage you to bring a renewed urgency and creativity to your work. We can and must do better.
4. Our local economy is stagnant.
5. Small businesses dependent on tourism have closed or are in distress.
6. Both workers and business owners are hurting.
7. Graduates of our local schools don’t stay here, because there are not enough good jobs.
8. We must think anew and act anew.
9. It is imperative that we “get out of the ditch.” How – we need to grow our stagnant local economy with pollution-free “green” jobs associated with environmental and historic tourism, which we know will attract tourists who spend more and stay longer.
10. You write: “St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore: Our job is to encourage visitation to Florida’s Historic Coast by making potential visitors aware of what we have to offer. We can’t promote attractions or amenities that do not currently exist.”
11. Why? Who says? Where is it written? Pursuant to the Open Records law, will you please send me a copy of the pertinent job descriptions that support this assertion?
12. My understanding is that you have been involved in helping pave the way for new “attractions or amenities” in the past.
13. You should also do so for the National Civil Rights Museum and the St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore, on a non-discriminatory basis, as required by our Constitution and Civil Rights laws.
14. You write: “If and when the Park and Seashore become a reality, we will be in the forefront of efforts to promote them.”
15. Your “job” today must be to become far more proactive, helping make St. Augustine a better place for residents and visitors by creating permanent, sustainable “attractions” or “amenities” in time for the 450th birthday of St. Augustine (2015), 500th anniversary of Spanish Florida (2013), 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (2014).
16. Thus, I would appreciate your renewed personal and organizational commitment to this effort.
17. Please encourage public discussion of scope of the St. Augustine National Park, National Seashore and Civil Rights Museum legislation and help us get it enacted into law.
18. You can start by linking your website to www.staugustgreen.com and by encouraging all those tourism writers to discuss it in their stories. With your help, I know we will succeed.
19. Is that too much to ask?
Sincerely,
Ed Slavin
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
829-3877
From: Jay Humphreys [mailto:JHumphreys@FloridasHistoricCoast.com]
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 10:48 AM
To: Ed Slavin'
Subject: RE: St. Augustine | Ponte Vedra Travel offers -- Lincolnville Farmers Market, Civil Rights Tourism
Dear Ed:
Thanks for your quick response to our recent email to thousands of potential visitors who have asked to stay informed of the latest tourism-related activities on Florida’s Historic Coast. We value your feedback and hope the following adequately addresses your concerns.
Lincolnville Farmers’ Market: Yes! We did indeed fail to include it in the listing referenced in the email. In our defense, we have just introduced a new website for the destination and we are working to insure the more than 600 events we list annually are up-to-date. Because of the newness of the Lincolnville Farmers’ Market, it hasn’t yet appeared in all of the information outlets we utilize. However, it appears each week in our Wednesday “This Weekend” in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches news release that goes to thousands of recipients including all of the county’s accommodations, attractions and tourism-related managers plus the news media in Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando. It is also included in our new Travel Planner magazine that should be available for distribution in hardcopy and online editions in early January. So we are working to get the word out about the new farmers’ market. Thanks for bringing its omission in this instance to our attention.
Civil Rights Tourism: As you know, we have ghost tours, culinary tours, pub tours and numerous tours of the city’s long-history as part of the Spanish Empire. So far, however, local tour businesses have largely ignored the Civil Rights aspects of our history. Of course, there are some notable special-occasion or part-time exceptions including David Nolan’s wonderful Lincolnville tours. In lieu of having such a tour service that could be actively promoted, we have devoted considerable attention to that fascinating and inspiring part of or local history. The tours we provide to dozens of travel writers who visit each year always include the Civil Rights story. We have actively pitched the story to publications and other travel media and we have had some successes. Our previously mentioned “This Weekend” news release carries information about events at Fort Mose and the Civil Rights story is always included in our full color Travel Planner. This year’s edition of the Travel Planner (125,000 copies distributed) features a full-page story about the area’s African-American history, including the Civil Rights period, and includes information about ACCORD’s Freedom Trail markers and a link to their website. This feature story is included in the 2012 edition as well. In addition, the 2012 edition of our Travel Planner includes information on St. Augustine’s role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act (with references to Dr. Hayling, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the SCLC, etc.) and the 50th Anniversary of that landmark legislation. There is also a half-page, full-color photo of the new St. Augustine Foot Soldiers monument in the Plaza.
St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore: Our job is to encourage visitation to Florida’s Historic Coast by making potential visitors aware of what we have to offer. We can’t promote attractions or amenities that do not currently exist. If and when the Park and Seashore become a reality, we will be in the forefront of efforts to promote them.
Thanks again for your comments, especially regarding the omission of the Lincolnville Farmers’ Market from some of our promotional tools. We’ll certainly correct that oversight. Our office is devoted to the continued success of promoting St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches as a popular destination for visitors. Your interest in our work is appreciated.
Best regards for the holidays!
Jay
Jay Humphreys
Communications Director
St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches
Visitors & Convention Bureau
29 Old Mission Avenue
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Phone: 904.209.4424
TF: 800.418.7529
Cell: 904.669.2945
Fax: 904.829.6149
www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com
From: Ed Slavin [mailto:ed@globalwrap.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 2:06 PM
To: 'ssather@getaway4florida.com'
Subject: RE: St. Augustine | Ponte Vedra Travel offers -- Lincolnville Farmers Market, Civil Rights Tourism
Good afternoon:
1. I note that we list two (2) area Farmers Markets, but not the one in Lincolnville. This oversight makes St. Augustine and St. Johns County appear ethnocentric and insensitive to diversity.
2. Would you please list the Lincolnville Farmers’ Market, Galimore Center, Riberia Street, St. Augustine, Sundays 11-3? http://www.lincolnvillefarmersmarket.com/
3. I note that we still lack adequate coverage of Civil Rights tourism.
4. We must tell the truth about our history, as Mayor Boles has stated. Would you please add the Andrew Young Crossing Monument and the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers Monument?
5. Finally, would you please post a link to the page on the proposed St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore, www.staugustgreen.com?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ed
Ed Slavin
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
904-829-3877
From: Florida's Historic Coast [mailto:stacey@floridashistoriccoast.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of Florida's Historic Coast
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 11:47 AM
To: Ed Slavin
Subject: St. Augustine | Ponte Vedra Travel offers
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
Hi, just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have requested information about St. Augustine | Ponte Vedra on Florida's Historic Coast. Don't forget to add ssather@getaway4florida.com to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
NIGHTS OF LIGHTS SHINES A LITTLE BRIGHTER THIS YEAR.
That's because for the first time in six years, the mighty Bridge of Lions graced the Nights of Lights stage with its magnificently illuminated architecture. Now that renovations are complete, the ancient, cherished bridge takes its place alongside the oldest city. The city will shine in its holiday best as millions of white lights illuminate the ancient streets. Downtown comes alive with the spirit of the season as carolers fill the air with music. The city buzzes with holiday cheer while St. Augustine Beach and the historic Lighthouse add seaside joy with sparkling holiday lights and events. There are art walks that tour over 30 galleries serving up hot cocoa, cookies and the like, while holiday concerts, a Christmas parade and a dazzling regatta all make the season special. It all happens now through January 31.
READ MORE
Follow us on:
Click here to view on-location videos.
Click here to sign up for custom special offers.
The Grande Illumination Parade
From the Government House they march, looping their way through downtown St. Augustine to the city gates and returning to the west end of the plaza, all the while their parade path illuminated by the candles and lanterns of spectators. It's a fife and drum corps march in full regalia, and it all culminates with muskets firing volleys of joy in celebration and carolers singing into the night.
READ MORE
Regatta of Lights
Just north of the Bridge of Lions, the Holiday Regatta of Lights floats its way down the St. Augustine Bay in a celebration of the season and the city's maritime roots. Hosted by the St. Augustine Yacht Club, the Regatta of Lights features dozens of sailboats, trawlers, shrimp boats and many other vessels, all adorned with lights and floating in parade formation.
READ MORE
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE
LISTING OF EVENTS
Beards Trimmed; Broken Bones Set
When it comes to attractions in St. Augustine, it's difficult to find a visitor to the oldest city who hasn't walked along St. George Street, the nine-block, pedestrian-only thoroughfare that's famous for its shops and restaurants. But few visitors walk the street southward from the Plaza de la Constitucion.
READ MORE
St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors & Convention Bureau | 29 Old Mission Avenue | St. Augustine | FL | 32084
No comments:
Post a Comment