Arts Beat

The events surrounding the Batiquitos Festival of the Arts have a certain soap opera quality. On Friday, the festival’s board of trustees announced that it had received a $75,000 loan, putting it back in the business of preparing for its two-month outdoor summer music festival to be held on a site next to Carlsbad’s Batiquitos Lagoon.

There have been casualties along the way, however. Adding to last week’s resignations of the festival’s professional staff, half of the board, including its president, Seena Trigas, resigned. In the wake of the recent financial uncertainties, the remaining six board members prudently decided to trim back some of the ambitious planning. They dissociated the festival with the contemporary music programming originally scheduled, but local promoters will be allowed to pick up and present some of the pop entertainers who have already been booked.

Ted Frye, a retired business executive who resides in Carlsbad, is the festival board’s new president. He denied that this barely averted financial crisis would have a negative effect on the festival’s credibility in the community.

“When they heard about our situation,” explained Frye, “some people came forward to help with contributions.” Frye would not disclose the actual amount of money donated by community members to the festival. Donald Sammis, the developer on whose land the festival is to be held, has lent the enterprise $37,000 thus far. According to Frye, the Sammis loan will not have to be repaid from the new bank loan.