Dear Santa
December 18, 2008
Here at Fresno Famous we’re all about tradition. And since there isn’t enough eggnog (or brandy) to pass around this holiday season (like we’d do at home), we’ve followed up on something we started last year and posed this simple question to some of our favorite Fresnans — What do you want Santa to leave under Fresno’s tree (you know, the big one downtown on P St)?
Here’s their letters to the big guy.
— Vince Corsaro, drummer, The Sleepover DisasterDear Santa,
Please bring to Fresno a dedicated mid-sized live music venue, so we can host those “next-level” bands who are too “big” for clubs and too “small” for arenas. We’re tired of being bypassed by tours traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco (or vice versa). It’s been so long since The Cadillac Club, and our local music scene needs a shot in the arm (it couldn’t hurt our local economy, either). We have some good, hard-working bands in and around Fresno who could grow with the opportunity to play with more accomplished bands at such a venue. And who knows what local talent might yet emerge in a scene where local music fans have new cause to be excited (and, as a result, supportive)?
— Elliot Balch, president, Downtown Association of Fresno* No sprawl, just high-density infill housing
* A bound copy of SB 375 for every local official
* For every neighborhood, a mainstream bank and a grocery store with high-quality food
* One more tree in every yard
* 1 megawatt of new solar power every month
* A functional city sign ordinance for downtown merchants
* A downtown wayfinding signage system
* Clean, safe, and functional public restrooms in downtown pedestrian areas
* A certified farmers’ market downtown (I hear the elves may be working
on this already)
* For all those in search of work, a job helping restore a vacant building
* A community strategy/mindset for downtown that benefits merchants at every possible opportunity (make sure it’s gift-wrapped, too.)
* A working bathroom in my home
— Marcel Nunis, director, blogger, all-around theater-typeA sense of itself ... a sense of esteem, even about its quirks. (Especially its quirks!) As long as I have been in Fresno, some ... no, many of its citizens have unfairly compared it to, or envisioned it as, some place else. (WTF?!) It will always be Fresno ... nothing is going to change that ... but this should NEVER mean that we could not create a better Fresno. I say we embrace it for what it is ... Like the fact that it sits in the middle of one of the greatest agricultural valleys in the world ... celebrate it even. That could be a starting point from whence greatness in other areas can also be cultivated. “Fresno — We Cultivate,” should be our slogan. There have been strides made of late, and I hope those strides never stop. Oh yeah ... a healthy dollop of a sense of humor and a healthy (though infectious) “can do” attitude should also be included in the package.
— Brendan Kane, President, WatchDoIt Inc., www.watchdoit.com* World peace in Fresno. Let the other cities ask Santa.
* Another Indiana Jones movie that does not kill the entire series.
* A Starbucks drive-through with no cars.
* A big sign at Riverpark that says “We moved to the Fulton Mall.”
*Every traffic ticket to be reported in The Fresno Bee as if it was a major drug bust. Hopefully, it will discourage enough people, so the police can get back to fighting the REAL crime.
* Santa to sneak into every house on Xmas morning in Fresno and destroy all the coffee machines and/or espresso machines. When everyone wakes up and finds their favorite latte maker destroyed they decide to drive to the only Starbucks open on Xmas morn. At the only Starbucks open in town, friends, family and colleagues all gather around to wish each other a “Merry Xmas.”
— Joey Fernandez, Famous user, one-time Roller Derby queenWhat do I want to see under Fresno’s Christmas tree this year? I would want Fresno to receive a magic potion that once ingested would offer ALL the residents of Fresno an open mind to downtown living. It would take the fear of downtown and toss it aside and everyone would venture out to frequent the Fulton Mall, keeping businesses alive and thriving.
There would be a healthy relationship between small business owners, professionals, the city council and residents of Fresno. Everyone would share the same vision for downtown and work together to implement these changes. There would be a HUGE park smack-dab in the middle, with an amazing ice skating rink, making downtown family-friendly. Other cities would model their vision of a downtown like Fresno. Santa?
Dear Santa,
Hi Mr. Claus. It’s been a couple decades since I’ve written to you. How’s it going? Look, it’s been tough keeping up with you for all these years, but I just want you to know that I don’t have any hard feelings about getting those Gobots under my tree those many years ago — Gobots are nice, but they’re just not Transformers. And to be honest, yes, I did harbor ill feelings toward you for a few years as a result. But, I just want you to know I’m over it and hopefully this letter reaches you well.
It’s been years and yes, this letter comes for a specific reason, and yes, I’m sure you can guess basically what it’s all about. After all, you’re Santa Claus. Why would anyone send you a letter anyway? But read on, because there’s a bit of a twist in this Santa letter.
So, let me get straight to the point: There’s something I want for Christmas. Well, a few things. But they’re not for me. They’re for this little city in the middle of California called Fresno, a sort of Tiny Tim of the left coast. Fresno has its share of problems and I think we’re ready to start tackling them, but then that’s been said before in years past.
And that’s why I’m appealing to you this Christmas. Fresno Famous asked me what I would want for Fresno under the Christmas tree and I thought it would be nice to direct this letter to you specifically, since after all, you’re going to make the big decision next week. I realize that this letter is probably going to get filtered through the Elf Mailing Room, but it’s worth a shot, right?
Here’s a list of what I would want to see under Fresno’s Christmas tree this season, in no particular order:
* A public access television channel, or channels. This would really help spur new discussion, generate new ideas and showcase talented people, places and organizations in Fresno.
* Shops, stores, living-space and most importantly, people, frequenting downtown Fresno during the day and at night. Forrest City seems to be dropping the ball on that one, and although the verdict is still out on that particular proposal, we really could use some life in downtown Fresno.
* Citywide, unrestricted and fast wireless Internet access. And since this is a wish list, I’ll also throw in that it should be free to everyone in the city to access.
* An end to poverty and homelessness in Fresno. This is something we all accept, whether we are aware of it or not. Fresno has the highest level of concentrated poverty in the nation, and for a city full of so many bright people, this is appalling.
* A bus line from Fresno to Yosemite National Park (and back).
I’m sure if you re-check your list, Fresno’s been nice this year — so come on, hook us up this year for a change! I won’t bug you about the Gobots if you do ... Instead of milk and cookies, Fresno will leave a Brownie Baker factory and a dozen milk cows for you.
Thanks Santa,
— Adrian Rodriguez, www.lateupdate.com
I would like everyone in Fresno to realize that there’s more to being a Fresnan than the Fresno State football team. Or, I want the Fresno State football team to go to the BCS, so everyone will shut up already!
— Renee Newlove, Rougestress, actress extrordinaire
A Railline from Fresno to Yosemite National Park
In the book 'When Fresno Road the Rails' it was said that back in the beginning of the 20th century when Fresno had a light rail system (before the Bus system) that there was a plan for the Rail line to extend and connect to surrounding community and to go all the way to Yosemite Park (kind of like the Railroad at the Grand Canyon). It may still be a future possibly.
Shopping downtown on the Fulton Mall that's a wish that seems might never happen, if there was ever a day to promote shopping on the Fulton Mall then Black Friday would have been that day, yet as far as I know there were no early moring waiting lines of people wonting to get in to the stored on the Fulton Mall for there holiday sales I know at 7pm that Black Friday night the Fulton Mall was Dead with no shoppers shopping... It will never be a Shopping Mall again but it can be a Sports, Restaurants and Entertainment Mall like it should be.
Santa SM
Reply to 'Dear Santa'
Rob DeFrees
"Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations."
--George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796
Brit Youth Theatre 'A New Deal for Christmas' from Annie.........as good a place to start the music for this holiday post...........
My dears, in a week, Father Christmas will have come and gone, the Christmas Ham will be sandwich makings, and the presents will have been much used. Before all of that comes to pass, allow MOI to make a few points and remind many that Christmas this year is so very important, in ways that will reveal themselves as the months of the New Year unfold.
America went through the Great Depression. The Stock Market had taken a dive into the loo, folks were without jobs, folks lost homes, and there were long breadlines and there was much sadness in the land. It looked as if the American way of life was over, and the darkness would never end and all would be lost.
The shock of all the bad news was more than many could bear, and folks were not sure what to do next. Hope was lost. Faith in American was on weak soil.
A new president was in the offering, and there were plans to get this country moving again. There were going to be some changes, but in the end, the dark cloud of fear was going to be chased away and America and Americans were going to come through this.
Many alive today do not remember these dark times, and it was probably not a very interesting part of History that many paid attention to in school. Along with the Great Depression, came World War II not long after, and folks had to buckle down and band together again and try to help keep this country safe.
The media is full of bad news these days. The End of The World is Coming............they would have you believe. Every day there is another tale of how bad things have got and how much worse things are going to get. The economy is so bad that Christmas 2008 is turning into the Christmas that was not. The stores are worried that folks are not going to have an orgy of spending, and the good folks who try and help families in hard times are running on empty.
ENOUGH ALREADY! When did we as American loose our pluck? When did we forget that we can do anything we set our minds to? Times have been bad before, but as Americans pulling together we came through them better than folks did in a lot of other places.
Strike up the orchestra..............MOI needs to make a point here with music.......
'The Sun will come Out Tomorrow'
The snap used with this post has an ornament of 'Uncle Sam' dressed as Father Christmas. My dears, in so many ways and for so very long 'Uncle Sam' has been Father Christmas for so many throughout the land. In the coming days, 'Uncle Sam' is having to play 'Santa' to Wall Street, Banks, The Big Three in Detroit, homeowners and folks who are desperate to hold onto their retirement. Bloody hell, Uncle Sam is sure having to bring out a lot of presents from the sack this year. And it is not even clear if all of the offered presents will be well received or that folks will not try and get even more.
This Christmas, don't you think we should take stock of our many blessings and stop whining about the trials that we are going to have to suffer through for a bit? Even in the best of times there is never enough to please everyone, and there will always be the greedy buggers who will never be satisfied. Due to Free Speech, there will be ample voices heard of how America had let folks down, that it has not been all things to all peoples. That the promise is yet to be fulfilled.
Bloody right that Christmas is not going to be faced with undiluted delight by many in Fresno this year. It is going to be a challenge to believe the carols of joy that are playing all round us. That is where the true magic of Christmas Spirit comes into play. You have to believe..........really believe.............in the basic goodness of our country and our neighbors. Fresno has got to remember that it is a city made up of all sort of different folks and that if folks would just stop pulling in different directions and row together, it will all sort itself out.
MOI reads comments posted on different blogs and one of the blogs visited was Fresno Famous. Joshua had posted a Dear Santa bit and in reading the different replies came across one from a chap that MOI has come to know and respect here in Fresno. He be Elliott Balch, District Director for Assemblyman Arambula, but he signs in on Fresno Famous wearing another of the many hats he wears, and this is what he had to say;
Elliot Balch, president, Downtown Association of Fresno
A sense of itself ... a sense of esteem, even about its quirks. (Especially its quirks!) As long as I have been in Fresno, some ... no, many of its citizens have unfairly compared it to, or envisioned it as, some place else. (WTF?!) It will always be Fresno ... nothing is going to change that ... but this should NEVER mean that we could not create a better Fresno. I say we embrace it for what it is ... Like the fact that it sits in the middle of one of the greatest agricultural valleys in the world ... celebrate it even. That could be a starting point from whence greatness in other areas can also be cultivated. “Fresno — We Cultivate,” should be our slogan. There have been strides made of late, and I hope those strides never stop. Oh yeah ... a healthy dollop of a sense of humor and a healthy (though infectious) “can do” attitude should also be included in the package.
MOI has met Elliott on many different occasions, most recently in representing the State Assemblyman in giving the coppers at Central Police District a certificate for their contributions to the community. Elliott is one of the YOUNG new up and comers in the City of Fresno, still full of hope and a sense that the YOUNG can change the world lived in. MOI is of the opinion that the manner in which MOI goes about doing things to help the road lived on and the community lived in do not always meet with his approval. Shrill is a word that MOI is sure Elliott thinks of when he sees MOI. That is OK, MOI knows that
ELLIOTT IS ONE OF THE FOLKS THAT IS TRULY TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE HERE IN FRESNO. NOT JUST SITTING ON THE SIDELINES AND WHINING ABOUT HOW HORRID FRESNO IS AND HOW HORRID IT WILL ALWAYS BE.
If you read his comments, they are very positive and full of hope and promise for the coming days. MOI must also mention Joshua who runs the blog, he too is trying to be upbeat in these trying times.
Right, we need a little Music to go here..........gentlemen of the orchestra, if you please.........
My dears, MOI is an old geezer who has created a world that he feels comfy in. There are many in Fresno who think MOI is right mad and wears rose-coloured glasses. Let me let you in on a little secret, MOI is glad that he stills believe in the magic of Christmas, the ability of folks to change, and for a road and neighborhood to find Civic Pride and Moral Responsibility. MOI is quite happy to dust off the brick dust and clean up the glass shards and try to place hateful comment hurled in public behind and march forward knowing that these acts and words do not speak for all of the folks in Fresno.
MOI has met many a kind soul this year in Fresno. Met many a person who has quietly given a toy or a useful item so that some children that never get to meet Father Christmas will this year. The public employee who has Christmas Spirit and Love of Christ in his heart, the coppers who have helped, the lovely chap who MOI has not always been kind to, who still wants to be a part of Christmas and is willing to forgive MOI his past remarks. The elected official who has the the biggest heart in the city and wants just to help make Fresno the best it can be.
During the war years in UK, they had Vera Lynn, a lovely lady who belted out patriotic tunes to buck up the folks. She did it well. MOI has chatted with many folks in UK about the hard times they went through and not just during the war but the hard economic times that came after, with many items still missing from daily life that we in America had in plenty. You have to know the British to truly understand their pluck................they just will never give up.
To Elliott, Susan, Kurt, Cary, Dennis, Richard, David, Dan, Sarah, Dana, Shaun, Randy, Carol, Michael, Tausha, Kathrine, Linda, Maude, Skater, Conner,Dex, Sparky, Joe, Bill, USMARINE, Conner, Red and to so many others that MOI does not forget but can not name, allow MOI to play this final bit of music for you. It has not a thing to do with Christmas Music, it is a borrowed English tune that was played over and over during the war and if you replace some of the words and think of America as it plays out.............try to remember that America, Fresno is GRAND and it is hurting and needs all the love we can give. This Christmas, remember that WE are Americans and we can do ANYTHING, bugger the hard times, Christmas will be celebrated in our hearts as strong as ever and next Christmas we will look back and remember that WE DID IT, we came through and the world all righted itself.
My dears, MOI does act so very British at times and while he may cross the pond one day and never return, he will never remember the country that made him who he is. MOI will always have American blood in veins.
My dears, there was a programme in UK and ths ordinary chap showed up to take part in the competition............he was brilliant..........an ordinary chap who showed that ANYTHING is possible. Miracles happen, wishes come true.
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