IRap concert canceled fears of violence cited

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IRap concert canceled fears of violence cited

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Posted by Outraged!More Tax $$$$ wasted...how much did we loose on this one! on May 07, 2003 at 12:38:02:

Rap concert canceled fears of violence cited

Wednesday, May 07, 2003

By Jason Fink
Journal staff writer

A controversial concert scheduled for the Loew's Jersey Theater that was to have been co-sponsored by the autonomous Jersey City Employment and Training Program and the city was abruptly canceled yesterday after officials said they were worried that violence would break out.

The show, which had drawn the ire of Councilman Steve Lipski of Journal Square and several residents of the area, was billed as a recruitment drive for the federally funded Employment and Training Program, and was to have been headlined by rap performer Fat Joe and the Terror Squad and R&B singer Amerie.

A spokesman for Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham, who last month sent a letter to the theater manager endorsing the concert and asking that the fees for using the city-owned venue be waived, said yesterday that the city had "intelligence" that two groups of youths involved in a skirmish on Forrest Street Sunday planned to continue fighting at the concert.

"They had mentioned the concert, and there was a belief that this would be continued" at the show, said the spokesman, Stan H. Eason. "This one group said something to the effect that they could meet up (at the concert)."

At least seven calls were made to the police Sunday afternoon complaining of street fights among large groups, as well as public drinking, on Forrest between Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, near where the Martin Luther King Parade was held. No arrests were made in the Forrest Street incidents.

"We learned of altercations . along the Martin Luther King Day parade route," said the Rev. Edward Allen, who was to be the concert's promoter. "If what happened Sunday repeats itself, that could be a situation that none of us wants."

Allen, a board member of the Hudson County Schools of Technology, does not work for the Employment and Training Program, but his production company, Liberty City, was to put on the show.

At a community meeting held last week by Lipski, Allen defended the decision to hold the show at the Loew's, which many of those in attendance opposed because of security concerns.

Lipski and several area residents objected to the fact that the concert was to be open only to out-of-school youths between the ages of 16 and 21 and objected to some of the lyrics of Fat Joe songs, which they said are laced with profanities and references to violence.

Yesterday, Allen said the decision to cancel the concert, which he said was made by him and Employment and Training Executive Director Edward Santiago, was based entirely on Sunday's events and not on any of the concerns expressed last week.

Santiago could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The Employment and Training Program, which had committed around $50,000 to putting on the show, has already spent nearly $20,000 on two $7,500 non-refundable payments to the headlining acts and on advertising costs, according to Allen, who said his company would not have made a profit from the show.

The Employment and Training Program is funded by the federal Department of Labor and runs programs to help out-of-work youths earn degrees and receive job training.

The agency and the mayor had touted the concert as an opportunity to recruit teenagers and young adults into the program. Free tickets were obtained by filling out forms with a name, address and Social Security number.

In addition to the concerns about security, some of those who fought to keep the show from taking place had argued that public money earmarked to help the unemployed should not be used to put on a concert.

"I'd prefer to see the money used for summer jobs," Council President L. Harvey Smith said last week, before the show was canceled.

The Employment and Training Program earlier this year sent $126,000 to two board of education programs for at-risk youth, nearly $60,000 of which was used to buy tickets to a Patti LaBelle concert at the same theater.

Asked about both cases, a spokesman for the state Department of Labor, which disburses the federal grants that the agency received, said the department was looking into the matter.

The spokesman, Peter Saharko, said there was no guideline specifically prohibiting money from being spent on a concert but the department's standards dictate that funds be spent only on expenditures that "constitute a necessary and reasonable cost."

In his April 14 letter to the president of the Friends of the Loew's Theater, which operates the historic venue, Cunningham said the show had his "full support."

"The purpose of this event is to bring several notable musical artists to entertain out-of-school youth so (Employment and Training) can recruit them for the many worthwhile projects it has to offer."

Allen said Employment and Training had signed up about 800 youths who had planned to attend the concert.

Jason Fink can be reached at jfink@jjournal.com

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Re: IRap concert canceled fears of violence cited Thank heaven 23:44:05 05/07/03 (0)

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: Rap concert canceled fears of violence cited

: Wednesday, May 07, 2003

:
: By Jason Fink
: Journal staff writer

: A controversial concert scheduled for the Loew's Jersey Theater that was to have been co-sponsored by the autonomous Jersey City Employment and Training Program and the city was abruptly canceled yesterday after officials said they were worried that violence would break out.

: The show, which had drawn the ire of Councilman Steve Lipski of Journal Square and several residents of the area, was billed as a recruitment drive for the federally funded Employment and Training Program, and was to have been headlined by rap performer Fat Joe and the Terror Squad and R&B singer Amerie.

:
: A spokesman for Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham, who last month sent a letter to the theater manager endorsing the concert and asking that the fees for using the city-owned venue be waived, said yesterday that the city had "intelligence" that two groups of youths involved in a skirmish on Forrest Street Sunday planned to continue fighting at the concert.

: "They had mentioned the concert, and there was a belief that this would be continued" at the show, said the spokesman, Stan H. Eason. "This one group said something to the effect that they could meet up (at the concert)."

: At least seven calls were made to the police Sunday afternoon complaining of street fights among large groups, as well as public drinking, on Forrest between Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, near where the Martin Luther King Parade was held. No arrests were made in the Forrest Street incidents.

: "We learned of altercations . along the Martin Luther King Day parade route," said the Rev. Edward Allen, who was to be the concert's promoter. "If what happened Sunday repeats itself, that could be a situation that none of us wants."

: Allen, a board member of the Hudson County Schools of Technology, does not work for the Employment and Training Program, but his production company, Liberty City, was to put on the show.

: At a community meeting held last week by Lipski, Allen defended the decision to hold the show at the Loew's, which many of those in attendance opposed because of security concerns.

: Lipski and several area residents objected to the fact that the concert was to be open only to out-of-school youths between the ages of 16 and 21 and objected to some of the lyrics of Fat Joe songs, which they said are laced with profanities and references to violence.

: Yesterday, Allen said the decision to cancel the concert, which he said was made by him and Employment and Training Executive Director Edward Santiago, was based entirely on Sunday's events and not on any of the concerns expressed last week.

: Santiago could not be reached for comment yesterday.

: The Employment and Training Program, which had committed around $50,000 to putting on the show, has already spent nearly $20,000 on two $7,500 non-refundable payments to the headlining acts and on advertising costs, according to Allen, who said his company would not have made a profit from the show.

: The Employment and Training Program is funded by the federal Department of Labor and runs programs to help out-of-work youths earn degrees and receive job training.

: The agency and the mayor had touted the concert as an opportunity to recruit teenagers and young adults into the program. Free tickets were obtained by filling out forms with a name, address and Social Security number.

: In addition to the concerns about security, some of those who fought to keep the show from taking place had argued that public money earmarked to help the unemployed should not be used to put on a concert.

: "I'd prefer to see the money used for summer jobs," Council President L. Harvey Smith said last week, before the show was canceled.

: The Employment and Training Program earlier this year sent $126,000 to two board of education programs for at-risk youth, nearly $60,000 of which was used to buy tickets to a Patti LaBelle concert at the same theater.

: Asked about both cases, a spokesman for the state Department of Labor, which disburses the federal grants that the agency received, said the department was looking into the matter.

: The spokesman, Peter Saharko, said there was no guideline specifically prohibiting money from being spent on a concert but the department's standards dictate that funds be spent only on expenditures that "constitute a necessary and reasonable cost."

: In his April 14 letter to the president of the Friends of the Loew's Theater, which operates the historic venue, Cunningham said the show had his "full support."

: "The purpose of this event is to bring several notable musical artists to entertain out-of-school youth so (Employment and Training) can recruit them for the many worthwhile projects it has to offer."

: Allen said Employment and Training had signed up about 800 youths who had planned to attend the concert.

: Jason Fink can be reached at jfink@jjournal.com

:
: » Send This Page | » Print This Page
:
: Copyright 2003 The Jersey Journal. Used with

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