April Foolishness for a Good Cause

I’ve been busy with a bunch of difficult issues lately: water shortages, voting on desalination, hikers vs. bikers, UCSC’s development plans, affordable housing projects, the end of city redevelopment funding, and more.

I need a little break…and what better day to have some fun and take a break than April Fools’ Day?  And what better way to have fun on April Fools’ Day than to celebrate Proclamation Day in downtown Santa Cruz.

I can already hear you asking “what the heck is Proclamation Day?”

It all started a couple of years ago when my friends and I were admiring the amazing third floor balcony of the almost new Rittenhouse Building on Pacific Avenue.  This grand balcony has been crying out for years to be used for an “over the top” public ceremony of some kind.

But what would that ceremony be? 

In Santa Cruz, we have a glorious history and tradition with Mayor’s Proclamations.  Mayor’s Proclamations have been used to honor everyone from James Durbin to your next door neighbor’s poodle. And to call attention to everything from breast cancer awareness week to amateur radio operators week to national ice cream month. Madonna almost got one but that’s a story for another time.

Why not create a big proclamation – three stories tall—to recognize this glorious history and then turn that proclamation into an opportunity to do some good for our community.  (We can actually have fun and serve a serious community cause at the same time!)  At the appointed hour, the Mayor of Santa Cruz (that would be me), joined by many former mayors, will proclaim April 1, 2012 as Proclamation Day in the City of Santa Cruz… and in the process, will raise a substantial amount of funds for the Santa Cruz Teen Center, one of the City’s most valuable prevention programs for our community’s youth.

Any community member can contribute to this effort: make a $10 or $20 donation to the Teen Center and your name will be included in the giant Proclamation Day Proclamation and read publicly on April 1 (and you can also receive a copy of the proclamation with your name included).

So come on down to the front of the Rittenhouse Building on Pacific Avenue on Sunday, April 1 at 12 noon…

Imagine all the mayors and former mayors appearing on the balcony in top hats and ribbon sashes  across their chests “Mayor” and “Former Mayor” (and perhaps a few "honorary mayors" and "future mayors").

Imagine the decorative bunting and banners… balloons and confetti

Imagine the horns calling the citizenry together in the center of our downtown

Imagine the main proclamation of the day—a three story high scroll that unrolls from the balcony as it is read.

Imagine the reverberation in the sound system

Imagine a community-wide contest to write the best new proclamation.  

Imagine a reading of a few of the Greatest Hits of Mayor’s Proclamations (by former mayors).

Imagine retired five-term Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkin singing a proclamation song.

And most importantly, imagine raising thousands of dollars for the Santa Cruz Teen Center.

You can go online and make a donation to the Teen Center here: http://www.friendsofparksandrec.org/donations.php (be sure to select Teen Center)

And then head to Pacific and Church Streets at noon on Sunday April 1 and celebrate April Fool’s Day in true Santa Cruz style…and hear your name announced in the Proclamation.  More information is also available at the Proclamation Day event page on Facebook.