And in the "idiots come to their senses" category........

Ryan likely to return in a dual Apple Harvest Festival role
by Robert C. Pollack, Record-Journal staff

SOUTHINGTON — John Ryan has been offered the dual position of 39th Apple Harvest Festival coordi­nator and sponsorship coordinator — subject to approval by the Town Council. That approval is expected Mon­day. The Apple Harvest Festival Com­mittee made its selection Thursday and Ryan said its chairman, Town Councilor Chris Palmieri, called him with the news. “He didn’t tell me how many other appli­cants they had, but I was really happy that I will back to manage the festival,” Ryan said. “It’s a great event and I have been working with outstanding people. The volunteers are amazing.” Ryan wanted to obtain sponsors while serv­ing as festival coordinator because first, it was related to his new com­pany, Ryan Event Productions, and second, “because the coordinator is in a better position to get sponsors, because he or she knows the event so well.” Ryan will earn the same $25,000 he made as coordinator last year, with an additional 10 percent of the fee paid by returning sponsors and 20 percent for any new sponsors he recruits. At first, he told the committee he would not accept the coordinator position unless it was coupled with the sponsorship recruiting job. But he later softened his position and said that while he wanted both, he would accept the coordinator’s job alone, if offered.

Ryan has been festival coordinator for the two years it has been managed by the town after 36 years in which is was un­der the management and spon­sorship of the Greater Southington Chamber of Com­merce — the last two of those under management of Daniels Productions. Committee member Cheryl Lounsbury said “the selection was easy because of John’s past performance and knowledge of the festival. “We had no trouble with giv­ing him both jobs, but the com­mittee felt it had to make it an open process, which we did. We only had a few other appli­cants and John was our clear choice. “We are hopeful that the 39th festival will be more suc­cessful than ever. The value of this event is that not only has it put Southington on the map, but it allows a lot of nonprofits to earn enough money to do good works in town the rest of the year. “What John has been able to do is to show the vision of what a local festival could be. It was becoming too regional before the town took it over.”

OK, I believe them. Right. The real explanation is - "The selection was easy, but we felt we had to bust his balls a little because he was getting more attention than the committee." Let's hope the committee doesn't now try to micro-manage the festival.