Fire Dixie Lane. Appears that the kooks have taken over the last great funky thing in P.G.
“The whole festival represents our heritage in Pacific Grove,” said Feast of Lanterns President Dixie Lane. “It’s a fabulous little multi-cultural festival.”
This is Lane’s inaugural year to preside over the event, though she has been on the board for several years.
As a former student of history and a zealot for all things multicultural, Lane has focused on emphasizing multiculturalism and historical traditions for the 2009 Feast of Lanterns.
Long live the Celtic dragon with the fire extinguisher breath!
I think the FOL was fabulous this year, as it is every year! I gladly give kudos and $$$ to anybody who cares enough to volunteer their time to make these kinds of events happen. It’s one of few bright spots left in PG.
Sigh… I’ve visited your site on a regular basis over the years, simply to gather some inside scoop on what’s what in PG. I used to believe that you were doing a good public service deed. However, most times, your topics are totally negative and not worth taking the time to comment… e.g. what’s up with the whole seagull poop obsession?
Another sigh… at this point, I’m fairly fed up with the negativity that you spread. Don’t you realize that your words add to the woes that is PG. Why not start a dialog on what is decent and good in PG? Seriously!
Fireworks lasted about 5 minutes and no big finale. Not one of the better Feasts in my opinion. That whole ‘multi-cultural’ thing is not what the event it about.
There are already many sources to read feel-good P.G. stories, anything coming out the Chamber Of Commerce (including the Hometown Bull**itin), words from da Mayor, articles in the Weakly that speak praise of anyone who buys ads, etc.. The view on the website is perhaps a rebuttal to all the Pollyanna. If you’ve been reading this website regularly you’d know that it is not all grins & giggles.
And the seagull poop? I blame the business owners that do not have to live next to their stores for enabling the gulls. It can be brought under control, and the businesses should keep the sidewalks clean. It’s a health hazard for one thing. Yuck – don’t touch any walls, handrails or benches downtown, no one cleans them.
I agree Editor, the fireworks were the worst this year. If you blinked you would’ve missed it.
A very disappointing amateurish back-yard-like display.
Yeah, $7000 doesn’t buy much fireworks does it? People were baffled on when to get up because they didn’t know when it was over (Flag on pier is lit). It’s not even a Chinese dragon, they don’t breath smoke, it was an European dragon. The pageant was historically impossible. But still fun to see the clueless community gather together for it.
You know what? FOL is an all-volunteer effort. No $$ from the Chamber, no $$ from the City. We didn’t get a big sponsor for the freakin’ fireworks this year, but we knew the public wanted them, so we paid for them ourselves. And I didn’t see your tall ass down there helping us set up, nor did I see you at 11:30 that night helping us tear down. You weren’t there at 6:00 the next morning while we combed the beach for every little scrap of paper. I didn’t see your name on the sponsor list, and though I did two-hour shifts at various posts all day, I never saw you so much as buy some Kettle Corn. We have a rule in some other groups where I volunteer: The first one to complain is the next one in charge. (Google Utah Phillips’ “Moose Turd Pie.”)
Pollyanna won in the end, remember?
‘If you complain, you better have a solution.’
And if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate!
After 45 years of enduring the FOL, buying booster badges, hosting parties for the family members from out of town, walking in pet parades, buying lanterns, being related to 2 royal court participants, buying sweatshirts, supervising the scouts doing civic duties, hosting web sites, etc I feel that I am entitled to comment.
Solution is to eject Dixie and anyone else that wants to sanitize the FOL. Just back off and have fun.
Quit having it at the same time. Mix it up a bit. End of August when tourists might be gone. Hold the “big night” on a Friday. Carmel does a similar tactic for it’s sandcastle contest.
Best era was shortly after the “can’t afford the insurance” year and had a more toned down FOL. The more tourists we got, the less enjoyment I got out of the experience.
Nope, what you’re describing is no more than what anyone in town does. The only redemption is if you were an immediate family of members of the Royal Court and got some sweat equity helping with the setup and tear-down, chaperoned the girls on all their various missions, and came to board meetings, etc. — that’s what the families do. BTW, pet parade is done by the animal shelter people and the ice cream comes from the employees of the post office.
You complained earlier that we had a smaller Court. We also knocked out the Feast of Salads and the outcry was deafening. People want what they’re used to. We did the very best we could with the fireworks, knowing there would be people like you out there who would make fun.
I repeat: if you want to make a difference, make out a check. We only make a couple of dollars on a sweatshirt.
I did not read news from TV or newspapers, or online, except for my forum, about the FOL needing more funding this year. Why didn’t the media report that they were low this year? I bet people would have opened their wallets if there was news of this. Maybe next year, if there is one.
Funniest thing said one year during our FOL was they wanted to cancel fireworks because it scares the fish.
Fireworks Aug 6,7,8 (?) in Salinas at the airshow. But watch out for planes that land in the parking lot.
Sounds to me like the new FOL President is on a power-trip. No reserving spaces on the beach with a blanket. It’s pretty ridiculous, really.
I agree with a previous persons comment, there was absolutely no media coverage that said the organization was in financial trouble and needed donations. How can people help, if they are not made aware there is a problem?
Change the month FOL is held!! We all know too well July is more often than not
cold, damp and a fog blanket month.
Interesting. A donation envelope was sent out in the Bulletin and CST asking for donations “now more than ever.” There was coverage in some written media about the possibility of canceling the event. The princesses went to the Farmers Market every Monday with the donation envelopes. The media doesn’t have to print press releases, remember — freedom of the press belongs to the guy who’s paying for the printing. Short of knocking on doors, what would you suggest? People did not donate this year anywhere near like they donated in the past, and FOL never asked for donations before, either, as heavily as they did this year (i.e. the envelopes were new. Granted, a lot of effort was expended on the Museum display instead of looking for sponsors, but still the sponsors who had donated in the past did not donate this year. Look for a phone campaign and year-round fund-raisers.
Let me get this straight. Marge runs her own paper, and was a part of FOL, and has the balls to rip into others for not seeing her (biased) feel good point of view. Wow, how screwed up is this place? What next Marge, a feel good piece on the ex-mayor?