As one of the organizers, I can tell you first hand that there was much planning that went into this event. There were many terrific volunteers that gave a lot of time to make the event memorable and many businesses that donated goods.
One of the decisions that we made early on was that we would not comp anyone to the event. Once you open that box it is hard to close it. Even some artists that donated art work and wanted to attend the event purchased tickets. All of our co-chairs to the event purchased tables including myself.
That changed a few weeks before the event when I was told that Michele E. Buttelman a “writer” was being comped to cover the event for The Signal. I think many of our readers already know that I have a deep dislike for that shell of a community newspaper. Well needless to say I was not happy and felt that it was a waste of the $150 ticket price. I wasn’t going to make that much of an issue of it except to say that we were not going to get any coverage.
Well, I hate to say it (not really) but I was right. More than a week has past and there has been no coverage and not only that we were screwed out of two tickets valued at $300. Yep, Michele E. Buttelman actually had the nerve to bring a “date” to the Art and Wine Gala. How utterly unprofessional of an alleged “reporter” to show up to a charity event, that she was supposed to be writing about, with a date and have the gall not to at least pay for that extra ticket!
She and her “date” stuffed their faces on a lavish five course meal and poured wine down their gullets at no cost to them. Occasionally she went around the dining room to record a few comments and snap some pictures on a small consumer camera, all the while apparently feigning that she was doing her job. It was, in my opinion, a disgusting display of press entitlement by an apparent scalawag that fancies herself a “journalist.”
Frankly, I could care less if the local press showed up or not to our event; it would have had no bearing on the success we experienced. But to show up and apparently rip us off for $300, which could have gone into the local scholarship fund, is nothing short of disgraceful. And please; please don’t tell me that a story may have been written but it was cut by the editor or it might appear as a paragraph in a column a month or so from now. That would be complete bull-crap from a paper that puts ducks crossing Newhall Ranch Road as a front page story. Let’s just say, in my opinion, what it really was, a total swindle; a scam; a complete rip-off and a cheat.
My expectation is that when you comp a member of the press to an event the reciprocation is that your event is covered in a timely fashion. If it is not going to be covered than don’t come to the event under the guise of doing a story so you can get in for free. Basically don’t rip-off a charity because you want to be there. How many times has Michele E. Buttelman attended a local charity event for free? And, how many of those events were actually written about? I’d like to know the real answers to those questions.
In fact, there appears to be a presumptiveness in the Santa Clarita Valley that certain people should be comped or given a freebee because they have passed themselves off as being self-important. That needs to stop and one thing for sure is that Michele E. Buttelman will not be attending the 2nd Annual TPC/West Ranch Art and Wine Gala next September for free! If she wants to come she’ll have to buy a ticket like everyone else whether she writes about it or not.
Dave Bossert Commentary
Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.
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