Volunteers Needed and City Hall To Be "Lit"
In a press release this afternoon, the text of which is below, Interim Communications Director announced that volunteers are needed for a variety of activities related to the set-up, operation and tear-down of the Snoopy House display on the City Hall front lawn. Here's the text:The Jordan family—whose Eastside home was the site of the famous Snoopy House Christmas display for more than four decades—has made a Santa wish list for items that will make the event’s 45th year at its new City Hall location the best ever.
Earlier this month, the future of the beloved Southern California tradition was in jeopardy after the Jordans’ property had been foreclosed upon. The City of Costa Mesa agreed on this week to allow the display to be put on the City Hall lawn and is helping in a variety of areas in order to get the Snoopy House open by 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The display will be turned on nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. through New Year’s Eve.
Here is the Jordans’ wish list that they hope will be fulfilled by some of Santa’s helpers in the community.
- Volunteers to set up the display (9 a.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday) and to help during the event’s 19-night run (you can even work as an elf).
- 10 cases of hot apple cider concentrate.
- 5 cases of 6-ounce Styrofoam cups.
- 1 case each of red, green and blue tinsel.
- 5 boxes of 4x6 photo paper.
- 4,000 candy canes.
- 100 gallons of water
- 10x10 tent with four sides
- Financial donations for color printer ink, artificial snow, and other items.
Those interested in volunteering or contributing a needed item or money can contact City staff member Sylvia Chalmers at (714) 754-5099 or e-mail her here.
CITY HALL TO BE ILLUMINATED
This evening I was invited over to City Hall to see the test of a lighting 
system being planned for the building coincident with the Snoopy House display. Although the final details are still being hammered out, the plan is to have at least a portion of City Hall lighted each evening as a backdrop for the Snoopy House display. This photo shows a preliminary pass at that lighting. My suggestion to Lobdell was they may wish to re-think all-red lighting lest visitors think the building is a bordello. I was assured that the colors will be variable and quite festive. And, before someone blows a gasket about the cost, according to Lobdell, no municipal funds will be used for this lighting project - the Costa Mesa Conference and Visitors Bureau is covering the cost.
Labels: Bill Lobdell, Snoopy House
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 12/08/2011 09:53:00 PM
4 Comments:
I can't resist this one. We are reassured that "... according to Lobdell, no municipal funds will be used for this lighting project - the Costa Mesa Conference and Visitors Bureau is covering the cost."
But where does the Conf & Visitors Bureau get its money? From a portion of the "bed tax" (Transient Occupancy Tax). You know, that nasty tax that city fathers don't want to be very big so that visitors don't get scared off from using our hotels, etc.
Another way of looking at this is that, if we weren't taking some of the city's TOT revenue and giving it to private enterprise to subsidize their marketing expenses, we could use it to subsidize better public safety, better parks, etc.
Yes, I know the rationale is that the city supposedly comes out ahead because all those touristas spend money in CM stores and we net more sales tax.
It's just that this kind of subsidy doesn't square with all the protestations by upstanding businessmen and politicos that Costa Mesa is a conservative town that is reluctant to do charity. Except, of course, if it helps business.
I'm reminded of something by Will Rogers: "The business of government is to keep the government out of business-- that is, unless business needs government aid."
We report; you decide.
Well, that didn't take long, Tom! :-) I knew when I wrote those words that it wouldn't take too long before someone "clarified" the facts. Thanks...
I agree! Again, talk about Transparency! Is the labor of city staff members and the cost of materials coming from the Conference & Visitors Bureau as well? No! Just ask them!
Geoff, it IS a snoopy smokescreen. Such hypocrisy in this council.
Lobdell being credible? HaHaHaHaHa!
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