I just thought, as the one who stepped back in to be the Artistic Director of SMF '09 (and the only person I know who has in fact been at every one), that I'd report on my sense of where the festival stands. Two months ago, when I was confronted by a budget that was cut by $10,000, I wasn't sure what we'd be able to do. However, a very successful Chantey Blast fundraiser on January 3, with huge thanks to Bonnie Milner for proposing the idea and working very hard to help coordinate the event, along with other generous donations from Annapolis (thank you, Janie Meneely!) and New York (the New York Packet!) raised nearly $4,000. Other fundraising efforts on my part have allowed me to reinstate the Thursday night concert as a gathering of former and present Seaport chantey staff and a few long time favorites like Tom Goux, who'll be bringing his New Bedford Chantey Chorus that night. Bob Webb, who has to get home on Saturday for Margaret's High School graduation, will be with us on Thursday and Friday nights.

After I've checked back with Megan Weaver and our publicity folks about posting a full list on the web page, I'll see about posting the same here. I've tried to bring back some long time favorites, and I have to say that I've asked a lot of people to come for much less than they deserve just to make this a proper celebration. For instance, Jeff Warner is going to join us, and Jerry, you are on the roster. And I'm bring STOUT with whom I was hired for the first festival in 1980.

I will add here that Megan Weaver as our Interpretation Supervisor is very committed to SMF, and is talking about plans for next year, so for now I'd like to quell rumors of this being the last one. The Seaport is facing serious financial difficulties given the economy, but there seems to be a recognition at this point of the importance of this event.

Meanwhile, our fundraising efforts are not finished. We'll be getting out a Friends of the Festival appeal in about a week, so if any of you reading this are on that list, my apologies that it hasn't gotten out sooner. The Seaport Advancement office has been preoccupied with other major fundraising efforts.

But we have another event in the offing, Sol Zeller's Borderline Coffeehouse event Sunday afternoon, April 19th at 12 - 5 PM in the New City Volunteer Ambulance Corps building located at 200 - Congers Road (across the street from Clarkstown North High School), in New City, NY. Contact Sol Zeller (solz1@optonline.net) for reservations. I'll be there to perform and MC, and so far we have STOUT, Rick Nestler, Finn & Haddie and Charlie Ipcar joining us. We're still working on some other acts which I'll post when we confirm them.