Dear Editor,
These comments are not

sour grapes

but hopefully a message to Cedar Fair, the new management
company that will inherit the mess that Paramount has created in
respect to the docent program at the park. The program is broken
and Cedar Fair has to fix it! Cedar Fair is the largest amusement
park operators in the world … that’s all that they do.
Dear Editor,

These comments are not “sour grapes” but hopefully a message to Cedar Fair, the new management company that will inherit the mess that Paramount has created in respect to the docent program at the park. The program is broken and Cedar Fair has to fix it! Cedar Fair is the largest amusement park operators in the world … that’s all that they do.

Bob Kramer, Lisa Pampuch and Alan Viarengo – all in recent Dispatch contributions – have conveyed the perception that there is nothing wrong with the program. All three are on the same page of different books.

Bob Kramer, in Serdar Tumgoren’s Aug. 26 story stated: “We really have no indicator that we have a substantial difference of docents this year from last year.” In her opinion column on Aug. 30, Lisa cited Bob’s quote and also implied that everything was OK. Alan Viarengo, in his Bob Kramer/Gilroy bashing letter to the editor on Sept. 1, also agreed with Lisa that Bob’s quote was “right.” Alan Viarengo just needs to get a life!

In having been there and done that as a docent during the first three years at the park, none of these people, apparently, are aware that we started with approximately 150 docents our first year and had approximately 200 during our second year. Paramount took over management of the park the third year, and, the demise of the docent program began then!

Bob Kramer may argue that park attendance is up substantially since Paramount assumed management. This is true, but one must acknowledge that this has to be attributed to the co-op marketing that Paramount provided by linking the Great America promotions to Bonfante Gardens.

In order to resurrect the docent program at the park, Cedar Fair must be made aware of the facts of how Paramount contributed to the demise of the program. Bob Kramer as well as the former Paramount management are surely in denial on this subject. Current and former docents are the only ones who can help rebuild the program. They must express their opinions by addressing these issues to this forum in the Gilroy Dispatch. These comments will ultimately be referred by readers to the Cedar Fair management who are now operating Bonfante Gardens.

My wife and I intend to return to the park as docents next year. We encourage all current and former docents to do the same. If the Monterey Bay Aquarium is able to maintain a staff of 900-plus docents, Bonfante Gardens surely should be able to build their program back up to 200, or more.

The first thing that Cedar Fair should do is reinstate Marie Ziegel as a paid employee … even though the park couldn’t possibly pay her what she is worth!

Eugene Brajkovich, Gilroy

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