We're sixty next year 

Costa Mesa will be celebrating 60 years as a city next year – we were incorporated in 1953! So for this blog we’ll interrupt our solemn (mostly) examinations of procedure and propaganda to effervesce a little.

A committee

The City Administration, under the direction of the City Council, will be soliciting members for a committee to guide, direct, impel, and stimulate celebrations throughout the year.  Although the budget won’t be unlimited, the scope of ideas will be – whatever you think might be a good way to acknowledge six decades of progress (usually!) toward today’s “The City of the Arts.”

According to Dan Joyce, Costa Mesa’s Public Affairs Manager:

Per the report and council direction, the immediate goal is to form the executive committee with the groups recommended.    As part of that process, 5 community representatives will be appointed by City Council before December 7^th.    Based on this matrix, we will have 26 members of the community as part of the executive committee.

Once that committee is finalized, they will reach out to other groups to be part of the sub committees and to be volunteers for the event

Dan can be reached at the City’s CEO office: Ph.  714.754.5667, Fax 714.754.5330, or email dan.joyce@costamesaca.gov         

Brainstorm it all by yourself

Don’t let inhibitions block your creative juices. Don’t let “can’t, they wouldn't let us, we've never” or other nonsense block your ideas. Avoid excuses:  “We stopped doing that (like the Lyons Park Fish Fry parade).”  

“We've never done that (like a ‘second Friday of the month celebration and concert on the Fairgrounds -- every month). 

“We’d never do anything like that (form a City Council Water Polo team and challenge the Council of Newport Beach: “We’re sixty, we’re better and we’ll kick your tailbones. Better bring your water wings."). 

Instead of excuses, flood the committee with ideas. Or better yet, volunteer to make it all come together.

Name it

The Celebration needs a name – so start thinking now. Who knows, there could be a prize for the best name. The committee will need lots of ideas about how to celebrate and honor our City. The success of the year-long celebration will be proportional to the amount of thought – and effort -- from the Citizens of Costa Mesa. What better way to have fun doing good things?

Benefits

Two potential benefits that are obvious to start: people visit cities that are celebrating so we can recruit some adventurous and productive families to live in Costa Mesa – who wouldn't want to live in the City of the Arts, right? Especially if the folks in that City have a lot of fun, and, if truth be known, are kind of silly rather than full of themselves.

And, working together to celebrate the anniversary could help heal the wounds from the contentious election and build more, and better working partnerships. Why? Well,  to grow and beautify the City, of course. That’s the goal, a growing and ever more beautiful City. This committee, through the Sixth Decade Celebration, gives us a fun way to work toward the goal.

The influx of dollars into the City won’t hurt a bit, either.

Got to start now

Now for the bad news. There’s a short fuse on this committee. According to the initial presentation at the Council meeting 20 November, the plan is to start recruiting for the committee on the 26^th, pick the members at the 4 December Council meeting, and get started.

So, the time is short. This blog is short. The exuberance is over.