" I like your comments Jason2. Yes good neighbors should invite others to the party. Also I would hope that the concept of "tolerance" could and would be applied in a variety of others contexts as well. "

" Hi Cutty, Your comment about “prudent zoning” is well taken. At the last meeting of the Bagley Township Board, Mr. Catt presented a plan to hold the festival by the I-75 exit at the south end of town. This should be a good solution to the decibel impact on McReynolds Hall and Tendercare. There is lots of room, but it’s very close to a number of subdivisions. I would hope that the home owners would embrace the spiritual and community benefits of such a gathering. But someone will be inconvenienced, no matter where it’s held.

Also, I don’t have anything against beer tents. There was a time in my life when I would have enjoyed the beer tent experience had it not been for the polka music. The point was the decibel levels and we still have them in the city. All good neighbors learn to ignore the occasional noisy party next door. Truly good neighbors invite their neighbors to the party. Tolerance is a sacrifice and it is certainly a treasure to be stored in heaven. If even one young person dedicates his life to Jesus as a result of my tolerance I expect to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant”, one fine day. "

" Jason2 I usually agree with your opinions but I must take respectful exception to your comments here. The big difference between Alpenfest and the former beer tent south of town and the big ticket festival is proximity to a hospital.
The patients and the elderly at Otsego Memorial Hospital are clearly inconvenienced and some would say hurt in some fashion because of the proximity of the big ticket speakers to our local hospital.
To suggest as some have in a different blog that we simply ship out the elderly at McReynolds is appalling. No patient or resident at any care facility needs to move simply to avoid the intolerable noise this festival produces.
Whatever happened to prudent zoning regulations or to the general police powers that cities are given under the Michigan constitution? Such powers not only protect against crime generally, but they SHOULD protect all of us from excessive noise and the disruption of that quiet title and enjoyment of property which is protected under our system of law.
Priorities matter here and the first priority is the preservation of public safety and order. Having loud speakers blare out noise, whether its secular or religious in content, is a disturbance of the peace.
Again there is nothing biblical about a group of religious zealots claming the right to shout in your face their religious beliefs. Jesus wouldnt have done that.
I cant just imagine Jesus being somewhat irritated at the events and the rampant commercialism which goes on at these festivals.
This has in my opinion nothing to do with Christian or with Christ. It has everything to do with making money.
Money is an essential commodity. We all need it. But I was always taught to "store up your treasure in heaven" and to leave the things of this world to the tender mercies of our own efforts, guided always of course by a close relationship to the Lord and to the golden rule. "

" The airshow was located at the airport, and the people that live by it should already know, that airports can be noisy...on the other hand, the area around the hospital is expected to be quiet....maybe have the concert at the airport? "

" It is obvious from reading his post uncledude does not know Mr. Catt or anyone associated with him; for if he did he would know that it is totally about spreading the word. I'd like to have the money that Mr. Catt has lost over the years bringing this event to town. "

" When I first moved to Gaylord I lived in the Johnson Subdivision. Every summer during Alpinfest, we had to listen to the beer tent down at Schlang’s. Every summer I had to listen to my parents complain about the noise. Every summer I had to think, ‘They don’t have enough real problems’. I don’t like polka music. I’d go the extra mile just to not hear it, but it was only for a week and it only went to 2 in the morning.

Now I live in town.

Every summer we have the noise from Alpinfest. The first things the carnival sets up are the speakers. I’m only four blocks from the concert stage. It gets loud and I have to listen to polka music again. I can put up with the Country/Western stuff, I even enjoy the rock, the Christian, the blues and jazz. That polka music grates as much as the Young Americans, however. But it’s over in a week and it doesn’t go to 2 in morning. The noise from Gusmacker was much more intense.

It’s all part of living in a community. We enjoy our town. We want others to enjoy our town. If part of that is that we have to put up with a little annoyance now and then, then we put up with it. Being a good neighbor requires some giving. Of course I could hear the Big Ticket Festival. Of course my house is in the flight plan for attack jets demonstrating a strafing run. I can either complain about it or I can smile and find some beauty in it. I choose the latter. Complaining about it makes as much sense as complaining about all that booming around the fourth of July. “Can’t they make those fireworks quiet? I’m trying to get some sleep here.” "

" the big ticket is held at the fairgrounds because it is a fenced in area with limited access points, thus makeing it hard for those with out the 75.00 ticket to sneek in, its all about the money abd very little about spreading the word, thats why catt moved it from in back of the glens market, its about the money, not the bible. "

" I've noticed the noise complaints regarding the Big Ticket Festival in the past as well as recently. When I was growing up in Gaylord, the fairgrounds hosted numerous concerts/ battle of the bands without complaint. Is a Christinan Rock Festival really that loud and offensive?

If it is, has anyone considered hosting the Big Ticket at Stacey Jo Schiller's farm? Farmfest has been a summer staple for over 10 years now without a complaint. The camping is beautiful, people would still spend money in town on supplies and gas, and Farmhouse Music could make a little money for their organization too. "