Earlier this year what would have been the 44th Annual Kiwanis Club Citrus Festival Parade was cancelled after organizers said they could not afford newly imposed city fees for services such as public works and police. Optimist Club President Cathy Hicks told the council at the September 20 meeting the club sponsored Halloween Parade for children is already threatened due to rising city costs.
“We’re going on at least 35 years with this event” that kids and families greatly look forward to participating in every year. Hicks said setup starts at 7 a.m., judging is at 9:30 a.m., and club members and supporters offer the event to the community for free. At the end of the parade the Kiwanis hands out candy to the kids.
“We understand the city needs some fees for the work,” but in turn Optimist Club members work five weeks at the Rotary Pumpkin Patch to raise funds to stage such events as the parades. “Tonight we are asking that the fees be as low as possible.”
Merson, who has chaired the Christmas Parade for years and also consults other groups that stage such processions, said the march is the “longest such running parade in Ventura County... it kicks off the holiday season in Santa Paula,” as well as countywide. There is no entry fee for the parade: “We don’t charge on purpose” so everyone can be involved, and “It’s a fun event for everyone.”
The parade, said Merson, is filmed and repeatedly broadcast throughout Ventura County and provides positive exposure for the city. “It does promote Santa Paula,” and also garners wide newspaper coverage and attracts visitors from throughout Southern California, including, said Merson, his son’s father-in-law who lives in Manhattan Beach, who appreciates the uniqueness of the event. “He said they never see anything like this,” an old fashioned community Christmas Parade.
Merson said he was contacted by a Cal Poly professor who is doing a study on community events and the impact they have on communities, “how they enrich the lives of the citizens - not only those such events are bringing in, but also for the community itself, how events make for a better town.” Merson asked that the city work with the Optimist Club on reducing fees as much as possible, as present rates “might knock us out” and lead to the cancellation of the event.
Mayor Fred Robinson told Merson city staff would be directed to work with the club, and Councilman Ralph Fernandez thanked the Optimist representatives for the presentation.
“It’s important that the council be aware of where we are on these issues” and be kept in the loop of decision-making, as “we don’t want to see these events go away at all... we want to make sure we work together” to ensure there is communication and cooperation. “What I don’t want to happen is I hear it’s done, we cancelled already; it’s not the way I want the city to operate. The city manager is just a phone call away,” said Fernandez.
“We are a city of parades and special events” that Robinson said must be retained, especially as “We are happy that other people are starting to take notice.”
