2013: In 2013, I feel there is a need for a central site I can go to, to see what events are coming up in Merced. And not just the events that certain people think are cool. Because we are an incredibly diverse community, there are a lot of different things we think of are cool. It does take a community, though, and so I encourage everyone to post what they think are awesome things in Merced that
are meant to be shared by everybody.
2012: In my feed today, I saw that a friend of mine had posted one of those “Most Miserable Cities in America” articles, this one from early 2011. The Central Valley made many top spots on these kinds of lists in the past few years, as we are all well aware of. And I, like many who love the area, are tired and frustrated by the perpetual parroting of old sentiments. Merced is a vibrant and changing place. I defy anyone to claim otherwise. It may not be happening overnight, but these kinds of changes often don’t-- and slow, positive things do not make the national news. Merced offers unprecedented opportunity for new and young entrepreneurs. Residents need only walk Main Street every so often to be greeted by fresh faces and offerings. Small, local business is alive and vibrant in the community of Merced. Merced has a world-class public art space that beautifully supports emerging artists and community art, as well as hosting amazing travelling exhibits, always with free admission. Merced has two venues for small theater productions, two cinema, several bars which offer live music throughout the week including one dedicated to emerging acts, two farmer’s markets weekly, and a young University that offers more and more cultural and community events as we watch it grow up. This is a vibrant and progressive culture for a country town of less than 80,000. I feel safe in Merced. I can see the Sierras from Merced. We are ringed with peach and almond blossoms, for pete’s sake. I would like this page to be a place where the community comes together to help me correct and add to this list of things that make Merced a wonderful place. There are so many reasons to do this, including simply adding more positivity and gratitude to a world going through hard times.
