Frank Lucente and Bruce Allen are two detractors who have given their time and energy to this town in great volume. Neither have opposed the contributions the city has given to their pet projects, though, and neither seem to understand that not having the city on board with the project puts the viability of the project itself at question.

You can’t have it both ways.

I appreciate the insight on my potentially condescending comment, and that you realize it was not meant that way. Point taken.

“This is a group of people who have given a helluva lot more to this community than its detractors ever will, and the thanks they get is for someone who hasn’t spent a lick of time trying to understand their project for what it actually is patting them on the head.”

This statement is simply wrong in every facet.

First, let’s restate the key point that the detractors we’re talking about are not against the Wayne – they are against the specific type of public funding the WTA is seeking.

Second, to say that they haven’t contributed to the community is condescending and petty beyond words. Many of these detractors, including Frank Lucente and Bruce Allen, are among the most civic-minded citizens this town has ever seen and not supporting the Wayne doesn’t change that.

Third, I have spent a lot of time thinking about and trying to understand the Wayne Theater project, on a cultural, economic and civic level. If I don’t understand it, it further underscores the poor job the WTA has done in explaining it to the community and to people, like myself, who could have become passionate supporters.

I have a strong suspicion that for-profit groups would take an apples to apples look at the other, successful, for-profit development efforts that have happened in Waynesboro as their model, not the WTA.

To say that another group could learn the lessons from the WTA, on the other hand, speaks to your grasp of the point that I was raising. Namely, that you’re not going to find another group that will engage in this kind of activity here again given what the WTA has had to endure. And when I say group, you understand, of course, that I mean not just nonprofit volunteer groups, but for-profit-oriented development groups as well. To bring off a project like Riverfront Commons, for example, requires a similar investment of time (translated: “money” ) and energy (translated: “more money” ) as I explained above in the case of the WTA. I’m not speaking for the Jim Morrises of the world, but I will say that if I were that type of person, I would read the writing on the wall and take my time and energy to an elsewhere that values my time and energy.

One last thought – I know that you mean well when you say that you think the WTA has turned the corner with events like its recent bluegrass event, but honestly, if only you could realize how condescending you are coming across when you say it that way. This is a group of people who have given a helluva lot more to this community than its detractors ever will, and the thanks they get is for someone who hasn’t spent a lick of time trying to understand their project for what it actually is patting them on the head. Again, I know you mean well, but your comment here shows that you just don’t get it.

I think the WTA has actually begun to turn the corner on the community issues with things like their recent Bluegrass event. I hope they keep it up and that it’s not too little, too late.

No one is suggesting that the WTA is not dedicated and have not put forth an amazing effort in getting to where they are. For that matter, I’m not even debating that the Wayne Theater isn’t a worthwhile goal.

The debate is whether it’s worth public funding in the specific manner that the WTA has gone after, and further, whether declining to support that funding means that someone isn’t in favor of the arts or culture in general.

Why hasn’t the WTA come forward with other funding proposals? Have they asked for loans? Have they suggested any other sort of partnership? I’ve watched it pretty closely and it’s always been pretty much a straight ask, and when they don’t get that it’s all about how someone else is wrong.

I think another group with goals similar to the WTA could learn a number of lessons from the WTA’s experience including that maybe they need to think a little more about PR and community buy-in and a lot less about politics.

Because the people that are “slapping them down” are the majority of community members who the WTA has never managed to sell on the idea. Doesn’t seem to me they ever really tried that hard, frankly.

I surely believe that culture exists in Waynesboro and that it should be encouraged but there’s a correct way and level of encouragement from the public sector, and the WTA hasn’t found that sweet spot. Can they do it in the future? Sure – if they’re really as dedicated to it as they say.

My point about the Stonewall Jackson is that whatever it is for, it’s not aboult culture and is a red herring in this argument.

And these folks are being slapped down.

Now, you’re trying to intimate that another group of people could itself commit thousands of hours of work over the course of several years to another arts-focused economic-development project, including finding a location and coming up with plans for its development or redevelopment, obtain funding commitments from private sources, from the federal government, from the state, try to get the city on board. This would have to be a dedicated group of people, to commit its time and resources in such a way considering the history of how the Wayne Theatre Alliance has been treated in this town.

(Dedicated, or hopelessly out of touch with reality, one of the two.)

And speaking of reality, and being out of touch, I have to point out that the Stonewall Jackson Hotel is not a value to the Staunton economy as “lodging and hospitality.” Staunton taxpayers did not commit $10 million to a project to bring an overpriced Red Roof Inn to downtown. The value, as is obvious to anybody who knows even the first thing about Staunton, is in providing convention and meeting space that can be and is being used by entities locally, regionally and statewide.

It’s called culture, Alex. I know we don’t like to admit that it exists in Waynesboro, but it does outside these walls.

I am very much in favor of the Arts, as someone who has created art for a living, and I am against public funding the Wayne. I am against it on its own (lack of) merits, as I think the new Council majority is.

Lorie Smith says “I’m sure that everybody understands that the new majority of council really doesn’t value the arts and culture as being a contributor to the city’s economic base.”

You can’t make this sort of generalization based on one questionable project. It’s easy to, since it’s the only one we have to go on, but that doesn’t make it right.

No one on the new Council has said that they’re against the arts generally, just the Wayne specifically.

It’s also worth pointing out that the ASC didn’t ask for public funding, simply a loan. It ended being a sort of public funding in the end, but that wasn’t what they went in for.

And bringing in the Stonewall Jackson is completely apples and oranges. That’s not arts and culture – that’s lodging and hospitality.

I daresay that a developer who wanted to do a project of that size and scope in downtown Waynesboro would get a pretty fair hearing on options from the Council.

Thanks for that. Funny how I consider myself well-informed however find things going on under my nose!

Much obliged I’ll have to check it out.

Pete