Glenn is not amused

While this photo of Glenn Terry and Antoinette Baldwin made things look happy at the end of last year's King Mango Strut, things are not fine in Mangohead-land. There are still two Strut events this week -- a Strut meeting Tuesday and kick-off party Wednesday, the following letter was sent by Glenn Terry, to Pete Hernandez, City Manager:

Dear Mr. Hernandez,

I thank you again for heading the arbitration session on 11-12-09 in City Hall to resolve the problems we were having with this year's King Mango Strut parade. You did a great job in helping Antoinette Baldwin come up with an agreement whereby,

1) The two of us would expand the board of KMS, Inc, with each of us choosing one-half of the additional members (the deadlocked board now consists of Ms. Baldwin and myself),

2) As holder of the State and Federal parade King Mango trademarks, I would give and Ms. Baldwin would accept (in behalf of KMS, Inc.), a 33-year license to use the trademarks for the parade and for use in the corporate name. Three years would be exclusive and the remaining 30 years non-exclusive, and,

3) Based on the above, King Mango Strut -as opposed to Coconut Players Inc.- would be given the city permit to produce the 2009 parade.

In the days that followed Ms. Baldwin refused to comply with "1 and 2" above. Over my protests, the City gave KMS Inc. the permit anyway. Several day later, despite my protests, the Grove BID agreed to finance a KMS Inc. effort to produce the parade.

I am the President of KMS, Inc. and half of its board. I never agreed to apply for a permit to put on this year' s parade. I did agree last month that our corporation would accept the proposed permit and produce the 2009 parade when the 11-12-09 agreement was honored, carried out and and signed by Ms. Baldwin.

This has not happened. King Mango Strut Inc. is not producing the 2009 King Mango Strut parade. The corporation and I will not be responsible for its production and any resulting events that may occur.

I think I understand the City's position -it has been repeated to me a number of times by city officials-, "We just want a parade and do not really care about Glenn Terry's trademark rights or that we are granting a permit to an nonfunctional, deadlocked corporation to produce the 2009 KMS parade".

I get it. The city is big and tends to do what it wants. What you have done is to grant Ms. Baldwin a permit to produce the parade. The Grove BID has agreed to finance her effort. I ask you and the BID to make this clear to the public.

King Mango Strut, Inc. will not be producing or financing the 2009 King Mango Strut parade unless our 11-12-09 agreement is honored.

Again, I thank you, Commission Sarnoff, and the other members of the City's staff for all efforts to resolve these unfortunate problems.

Glenn Terry,
President and co-director of KMS, Inc.
Director, Coconut Players Inc.,
and Co-founder of the King Mango Strut parade