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Yahoo!Santa Barbara County authorities have successfully stopped the “spontaneously” planned party that was to celebrate Michael Jackson’s life this weekend at a ranch across the road from Neverland in the Santa Ynez Valley.
According to a press release from Relevé Unlimited, the destination management company promoting and hosting the event on the Chamberlin Ranch, “county officials took a stand threatening closure and arrest of those involved stating that there was not ample time to secure the required permits and that the event was ‘a draw on their resources’.” That reflects an earlier statement by Stephanie Langsdorf, representative for 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr, who told The Independent on Wednesday that “[County CEO] Mike Brown and Sheriff Bill Brown are both working to make sure this event does not happen.” Langsdorf also said that her office knew of no communication between the Chamberlin Ranch—which is owned by Fred Chamberlin, brother of Willy Chamberlin, a former 3rd District county supervisor—and the correct county officials.
The Relevé press release, however, asserts that the company’s president, Diane Dennell, had met with members of the Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol on Tuesday, June 30, and those talks showed support for a “safe and controlled event for the tens of thousands of fans of Michael Jackson anticipated to come to Neverland to celebrate the King of Pop's iconic life and his untimely death.” The company was also already working with vendors and, they claim, “county permitting authorities” to get the paperwork done.
But the County of Santa Barbara, which has already voiced concerns about everything from traffic congestion to wildfire potential from such a large gathering, quashed the plans. What will happen to the Michael Jackson fans who are already in town or on their way? At the moment, no one seems to know.
In the meantime, the leading rumor is that there will be an official memorial service for Jackson, who died of a heart attack last week at age 50, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday. But as usual, there’s no official confirmation of that from the family.
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The Sheriff should have let this happen. While it will be an annoying, congested few days, these fans will bring in a huge profit to Santa Barbara and may boost our economy a little bit. The county sheriff wants Santa Barbara to remain the small town it was 30 years ago but when MJ was arrested and brought in for booking, who was outside smiling at all the helicopters and making sure he was on all the news channels?
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Muggy (anonymous profile)
July 3, 2009 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good for the Police and Sheriff. They will have their hands full this weekend taking care of all the people gathering elsewhere for 4th of July celebrations. Remember last year ? When that young kid got stabbed ? We have enough problems without the MJ fiasco unravelling at the moment.
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spacey (anonymous profile)
July 4, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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