A representative named Jason recently contacted local businesses saying he represented the Montezuma-Cortez High School Booster Club and was a M-CHS graduate.
The person called asking local businesses such as, Lanmark Productions, Empire Electric and KRTZ Radio if they wanted to advertise with his affiliated publication. The caller claimed sales would benefit the athletes and M-CHS. But there was one problem. Jason is in no way associated with M-CHS or its Booster Club.
We have no contracts with any outside vendor and he (Jason) is not with the school, said Debra Ramsey, M-CHS Booster Club member and liaison for the school.
The business rep did not reveal his full name or phone number, but said hes apparently working for a company called Scholastic Sports.
Similar incidents occurred last summer and last winter with local businesses being asked to advertise on sports calendars.
The M-CHS Booster Club mailed letters and sent emails to businesses they have advertised with addressing the issue and the Journal has published articles in the past regarding this.
He contacted two people and they both knew what to do, Ramsey said. They (the local businesses) tried to get more information (from the caller) and couldnt.
The M-CHS Booster Club has its yearly sports calendar posters, banners and programs developed by faculty member Debra McVicker, and Southwest Printing Co. prints everything, except the banners are printed by Pioneer Printing.
Operations manager at KRTZ Radio, Kelly Turner, was one of the local business reps contacted to advertise with Scholastic Sports.
Not only did he call us about Cortez, but they called about other schools in the area, too, Turner said. They said they represented Cortez to sell ads for a calendar to help student athletes. Thats when I basically cut them off and said, We carry their sports on the radio here and deal primarily with the school, and we wont address anything else at this time. They were a little taken back by that and thats when I hung up on them.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at [email protected]
