Hey big red,
As the Kinks said, "Father Christmas, give me some money…save all your toys for the little rich boys." Which brings me to the first thing I want for Christmas - a better economy. Seriously, everyone is broke and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I'm not trying to be political, and I'm certainly no economist, so I won't cast blame where I think it appears obvious. I don't care what president you give us in 08, as long as it isn't Ron Paul or Mitt Romney. I don't think we could survive them right now.
As for Jacksonville specifically, I'd really like a new live music venue. Something like the Social in Orlando. A place that books mid-size acts, but one that is friendlier than Freebird and in town. It would also be cool if we could get those parking meters they have in St. Augustine that take plastic and bills and everything. Who carries change these days?
Lastly, I want you to make Jacksonville University act like a real college. They should restore Arlington, cultivate an art scene, and start a really kick ass college radio station in town. Can you hook them up with all those ideas? That'd be great. That'd be the best Christmas ever.
I'd also like an iPhone.
Thanks honky!
Jon Bosworth, Managing Editor, EU Jacksonville
We asked Jacksonville to write a letter to Santa. People were free to write about anything from dropping actual gift hints to making a plea on behalf of the city. What we received back is definitely an interesting story of what Jacksonville wants this holiday season.
Dear Santa,
Please bring me a filet mignon from Chew restaurant.
Thanks big guy,
Brian Jerin of the band Shangrala
Dearest Sinterklaas,
Please bring my friend Jacksonville some new, awesome places for Jacksonville's bands to play, and for Jacksonville's fans of good music to go hang out and support their scene. Since I moved to Austin, Texas, I've been spoiled with tons of cool places to see really awesome original and cover bands every night of the week, and my friend Jacksonville deserves the same thing. The musicians in town deserve a better network of places to play, and a better outlet for their creativity and talent. They've been good boys and girls this year.
Also, please bring my friend Jacksonville a really good radio station that supports the music scene. They haven't had one of those in a long time.
I miss my friend Jacksonville. I hope they get what they want for Christmas, and Santa, you can help!
Your friend,
Brian Vitellaro, Continuity Director, Clear Channel in Austin
Santa,
If it weren't for your awesome mission, what would you do? Can you even think in those terms? What if, one day, you became so exhausted with the year-after-year of gift construction and delivery and visits with so many kids in so many shopping malls - defying hilarious time/space constrictions - so many shopping malls at the same time! - that you would finally decide to just promote an elf and take off to somewhere else. Where would that be?
I'm guessing that you hate coming to places like Jacksonville. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be. You wouldn't live here, of course. The busiest part of the landscape is the least inspiring, what is advertised as its culture (which is not, in fact, its culture) is delusional and overwrought-- its perpetrators defensive in the face of good-intentioned criticism, the infrastructure is hungry-- demanding and begging for even more money and trust for who-knows-what. Ugh.
I bet you'd live in the Pacific Northwest. The mountains and fog are very nice.
Also, I do not have a Wii, but I'd very much like to be able to play Super Mario Galaxy. Whatever you could do to help would be much appreciated!
Maxwell Wood, co-owner of the Discos Mariscos record label
Dear Santa,
For Christmas i would greatly appreciate a letter, perhaps even a book, explaining once and for all if you are a Saint or Satan. i Don't understand why you dropped the Nicholas, or how much you are responsible for all that dreadful Krampus lore. i'Ve even heard that you are supposed to represent one of the wise men attending the nativity, but i can't imagine which gift you'd be responsible for. My guess would be gold since children don't usually appreciate the deep meanings behind perfume or incense. It would be nice to imagine that a member of the hippy community was present at the birth of the Saviour. i Once met a hippy that said that Santa was actually Jesus, visiting himself at birth to give advice on how to best achieve His Life's Mission from another plane, but i think that particular hippy had been enjoying too much incense. There are others who say you represent the Pope, though i don't remember the Pope ever wearing that much red. Others say you're the key to middle earth lore. Regardless, i do hope you'll understand my confusion and give me what i want more than anything: Answers.
I've been pretty good this year- other than being a bit nosy. If that reQuest doesn't work for you, just send me a deluxe ProTools set up, a Gibson 335 and a grand piano. Don't worry- it can be a used one. i'M not demanding. Oh ya, and a one man exhibit at The Whitney in New York. If you don't get around to me, that's cool. i'M still praying to Jesus for all of this stuff. You've never really come through for me, and i'm still feeling pretty sure you're just supposed to distract me from the original holiday. If not, prove me wrong. Thanks.
Truly,
mactruQue, Artist
Dear Santa,
What I would like for Christmas more than anything else in the world is a little piece of mind. Preferably my own, because I really wouldn't want anyone else's brain matter mixed in with mine. I'm sure there'd be some chance for diseases or something if I mixed mine with someone else's.... but I'm positive that I lost a big chunk of my own brain somewhere along the way this year. And I have no idea where I put the warranty information.
And hey, how about opening a Wagamama location somewhere in this country?
Sincerely,
Jennie Jarvis, Artistic Director of the Orpheus Theater Group
Dear Santa or Mrs. Claus (we know she is the real boss anyways),
I would like for Christmas this year for Shangrala to sell 1 million copies of their new CD. I would like for The Black Kids to be on the COVER of Rolling Stone (not just a blurb about a "band to watch"). I would like to see the Hives come back to Jacksonville soon (probably the best show I have seen since Le Tigre at Jack Rabbits). I would like everyone to make plans now to attend Talleyrand 2008 (if you missed 2007, you missed a great day). I would like everyone to also make plans to attend AT LEAST one show at jack rabbits between Feb 15-23rd, 2008 (its Jack Rabbits 9 year anniversary, 9 fine shows for 9 fine years!).
And what I want the most is for the people of Jacksonville to go out and support local music in any form at any place in Jacksonville!
Tim Hall, owner of Jack Rabbits and Jax Live
Dear Santa,
I don't want anything for myself, but PLEASE give George W. Bush a brain. He scares me.
Janice Price, Dessert Chef
Dear Santa,
For Christmas I would like for you to somehow make my mother realize she is crazy, I wish for world peace too, so I can keep my husband around for more than a year.
I would love to borrow some of your help too. Perhaps your sleigh, which would be awesome so I can zoom up to Texas when ever I want to see the family. Maybe we can work out a system--odd days for you, even for me.
Also more art supplies would be AWESOME. You know, like oil paint, GOOD brushes, and so on. OK, I think I have been greedy enough. YOU'RE AWESOME!
Candice Erwin, Student
Dear Santa,
I'd like to see more public transportation. In other cities, you can walk a short distance to catch a bus and the buses come frequently enough to get you where you're going in a timely manner. If public transportation was more easily accessible more people would use it.
Stephanie Fenton
Dear Santa,
1 hour of sports radio without the mention of Tebow!
Jason Lewis of Orange Garden Productions
Dear Santa,
We have been a very good little theater this year, so here is our Christmas list:
1. A laptop computer for our lighting system
2. A CD player for our sound system
3. A video camera and monitor, so the lighting technician can actually SEE the stage
4. Volunteers to run sound and lights
5. More patrons, so all of our 85 seats will stay filled all year!
So, please, dear Santa, make our wishes come true; and come see us!
Your favorite little beaches theater,
Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre
Celia Frank, Managing Artistic Director of ABET
Dear Santa,
I would like to see the crime rate go down in Jacksonville in 2008, especially the Black on Black murder rate. I would like to see the youth of Jacksonville grasp the concept that they one day will become adults with a family and set a foundation for that by at least graduating from high school. Our drop out rate in the urban community is ridiculous and has not been addressed properly as of yet.
I'm tired of all the high school coaches concerned more about winning championships when your star player(s) can not pass the FCAT or score admissions on the boards (SAT/ACT). A high school coach in the past was based upon how many kids/players he got into in college (what happened).
I would like to see a leader from the black community step forward and make their presence known and not for any profit or monetary gains (NO MORE MEGA CHURCHES). I would like for dance music to make a return (95 South, 69 Boyz for example) I'm tired of hearing about drugs, guns, cars, jewelry and loose women. Its time to stop being so angry and have fun again, my kids (all our kids) need this.
And finally I would like for PRIDE to return to people of color, take back our communities and raise our children (Black men step up) parents be parents and RAISE YOUR KIDS. I know this a lot for Santa so you may need to ask Jesus for a lil help.
Derek "D Wash" Washington, Upstart Entertainment & Record Pool
Dear Santa,
It has been a long time since I have written. I think 1981 to be exact. That was the year that I asked for the pony and you did not bring it to me. My mom said it was because the two bedroom apartment we lived in was not very "pony friendly" but I like to think that it was because it did not fit in the sleigh. Either way, I am over it I would like to move on to 2007.
So, I have done a lot of growing up since our last correspondence and this year, I am going to go with a more practical and less selfish request. This year, Santa, I would like you to bring the City of Jacksonville a new recycling program. I know it seems strange that a city as progressive and large as Jacksonville would need something like this, but sadly, it is true. Can you believe that downtown does not even offer recycling to its businesses and tenants? Or that there are many recyclable items that the city will not pick up like pizza boxes, plastic plant containers, and cereal boxes?
It would be great if you could drop a recycling plan on Mayor Peyton's desk that models that of other cities/states like New Jersey (they have a surprisingly fabulous recycling program), San Francisco and Seattle. It just seems so silly that in a time of global climate change and planetary crisis, that we would not embark on something as simple as recycling. I am sure that the city would be grateful and proud to be a part of the solution instead of the problem.
Thanks Santa! I am sure that you will find this to be a more realistic request than that pony I asked for.
Sincerely,
Brenda Egedy Kolb, TigerLily Media
Dear Santa,
For 2008, I hope…
We can continue forward with the great idea of pumping water out of the St. John's River and sending it to drought affected areas of the country. In fact, here's hoping that we can simply pump the St. John's dry, pave it over and use the resulting black topped areas to address some of Jacksonville's traffic woes.
Commuters can continue to grow the list of "things" that they simultaneously attempt while operating their respective motor vehicles. Driving one's car is simply not enough anymore - it is merely one facet of a Guinness Book challenge - at a minimum, you must simultaneously: eat a food item, talk on your cell phone, listen to the radio, and perform some piece of personal grooming while driving your car. If you can not meet the challenge, you better step up your game, because the multi-tasking world is passing you by.
We can cut down more trees and, generally, eliminate more green space. In particular, let's plan to cut down more mature eighty year-old trees that are clearly past their prime and replace them with those charmingly pathetic low-grade saplings. After all, the old trees simply interfere with the wheels of progress that produce such important rare jewels as the strip mall.
Thanks for letting me sit on your knee.
Tib Miller, Promoter
Dear Santa,
Jacksonville and I have been very, very good this year, so we'd like to ask you for a special present. I know you like music. 'Frosty,' and 'Rudolph' and 'Jingle Bells' are some of my favorite music. We're having some music trouble here right now. Could you please help our Symphony by bringing them an equitable settlement to their contract negotiation? They are having trouble making ends meet right now, and would REALLY appreciate your assistance. Thanks! Tell Rudolph hi!
Pat Crandall
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