*Last week brought some unforgettable moments to Bodrum’s cultural experience, with D-Marin Classical Music Festival and the Bodrum Ballet Festival performances at the top of the billing. It’s a pity that virtually non-existent publicity of Ukraine’s State Opera & Ballet in Bodrum’s schedule resulted in minimal audience – the organizers, not the Bodrum public, are to blame. Nota Bene (a great Trio who played with the Doğuş Youth Orchestra at D-Marin, but also meaning “note well”): All profit and collected donations from the D-Marin events go to purchase instruments for musical curriculum high schools in the East and Southeast of Turkey. Thanks Doğuş, thanks D-Marin. The Ballet Festival ends with Flamenco Oriental (inset photo) on 26 Aug. and the Izmir State Opera & Ballet performance on 30 Aug. ’08 at the Bodrum Castle. Not to be missed!!! Also don’t miss the joint exhibition of paintings by four artists at the Tranca Gallery (36 Cumhuriyet St.)
**The Bodrum Offshore Sailing Club & Bodum Milta Marina host another sailing event: The Wings Cup, on 30-31 Aug. ’08. Both IRC Race & IRC Cruiser Classes will be taking part. Info at tel: (+90)252-316-1860 – ask for Dide Karakilic. Also: info@bayk.net and www.bayk.net.The organizers’ aim is to make this an annual event along with the Winter Trophy Sailing Race Series. Fair winds to all!!
***Hopefully good news for Bodrum: A former Bodrum regional governor, Cumhur Güven Taşbası, has been appointed Director General of the Dept. of Publicity of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism. Bodrum will expect support from that quarter, especially since it has been decided at Mugla Province level that all overseas publicity is to be done by five Tourism Infrastructure Services Union organizations which will promote the province as a whole. Sounds complicated and bureaucratic? We’ll wait and see…****The upcoming local election season starts off with an announcement of the candidacy for the post of mayor of Bodrum by Mehmet Kocadon in the lists of the Demokrat Party. Mehmet Kocadon is a native of Bodrum with extensive experience in local government as the successful mayor of Ortakent. ###A crisis of sorts erupted in Bodrum when it was reported that a website apparently announced gigolo and escort services on offer in the city and this was also said to have been reported in a British magazine. Angry moral vigilantes hastened to have the offending sites closed down by court order.
