Main Street re-route tops annual Christmas wish list for Merced
Christmastime is here! I absolutely love everything about the holiday, even the “Griswoldy” way some folks decorate. Truth to tell, there is one thing I’m not particularly fond of connected with Christmas, and that’s fruitcake. But that’s just one thing, so, overall, I’ve been very blessed.
Everything seems to have its highs and lows, its ups and downs. When it comes to this annual column, I’m batting .500. I’ve had a lot of wishes come to fruition (like Measure V’s road repairs and this year’s almond festival), a lot that are currently in the works (like the Campus Parkway) and some that will just take a lot more time (like Trader Joe’s.) And since .500 is considered excellent hitting, I won’t complain. On that note, welcome to my 5th annual holiday wish list for Merced:
1. Main Street Realignment. With downtown Merced blossoming, it might be wise to realign both traffic and parking. Main Street should be a one-way street going west and parking should be diagonal between G and R streets. This would also make Main Street even more pedestrian-friendly.
2. Food Truck Hub. Somewhere along Main Street, an area should be identified to accommodate a variety of food trucks (Greek, Moroccan, Scandinavian, Filipino, etc.) Modesto did this and it has proven a huge success.
3. Courthouse Park Events. I attended many events at Courthouse Park this past year. Each was delightful because nothing can beat the gorgeous old edifice and the stately trees in Courthouse Park. Let’s find more entertaining possibilities for this wonderful “new” venue!
4. Parking Space Sizes. Some parking lots around Merced were made for Barbie cars (yes, Promenade, I’m talking about you!) where getting in and out of parking spaces and parked cars takes some doing. Can we please widen and re-stripe narrow parking spaces?
5. Rock Climbing Gym. With Yosemite and its “Go climb a rock” mountaineering school just two hours away, Merced should have a gym promoting the “Free Solo” mind-and-body set.
6. Brewery. Let’s raise our empty beer mugs in the hopes of getting them filled at a new Dust Bowl-type brewery in Merced!
7. Sartorial Propriety. Maybe I’m getting old and curmudgeonly, but I think our nicer restaurants should be places wherein proper attire (no baseball caps, no tank tops, no flip flops, etc.) is expected and even required. Thumbs down, too, to those guys who don’t remove their caps in restaurants.
8. FEMA Style Shelter. With homelessness becoming increasingly visible, such a shelter should be in place. When disasters occur, living situations are set up for the displaced. We should do the same for the ongoing “disaster” of homelessness.
9. Eyesore Ordinance. Homes that seem to have starred in episodes of “Hoarders” should be cited and residents forced to clean up or face escalating fines. We should all be proud of our city and should have zero tolerance for fire hazards or yards filled with cars in our neighborhoods.
10. Peace and Joy. Something we all need in our lives this Christmas! To help this along, heed the old bumper sticker and “Practice random acts of kindness” every day of the year.