Our View: Naysaying has gone
full Cirque
Editorial -- December 14, 2001
SOMETIMES veterans of the myriad zoning and land-use battles
constantly going on in the dozens of city halls in these parts
understandably figure that everyone is willing to fight for what's
right -- or what they believe to be right -- because that's the
American way. Perhaps it isn't, though, the Canadian way, or the
Quebecois way. Because after what really just amounted to a
whisper of opposition from a tiny number of neighbors, naysaying
that certainly had no organized fashion or legitimacy, the
fabulous Cirque du Soleil pulled its application to pitch its tent
in March 2002 in Brookside Park just south of the Rose Bowl. As a
representative of the famous circus -- a world-class troupe of
dancers, acrobats and artists -- said, "We want to be good
neighbors. When we come to the city, we like it to be a happy
time. If there's any kind of animosity ... it's just not for
us."
We in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier
areas appreciate that kind of courtesy. But, as a column last week
in the Pasadena Star-News noted, in this case the courtesy, while
well-intended, is not necessary. In fact, the real courtesy to the
tens of thousands of people in eastern Los Angeles County who
would love to see the Cirque du Soleil right here rather than at
its traditional venues of Santa Monica, Orange County and Las
Vegas would be for the circus to tell us it would love to come to
town.
Over 40 readers wrote in this week, with
more letters and e-mails coming every day, expressing not only the
desire to see Cirque du Soleil in Pasadena, but volunteering to do
anything in their power to make it happen. Not one letter in
opposition to the group and their brilliant high-wire act has been
received.
These people know that the traffic and
noise worries expressed by a few neighbors are in fact negligible.
Only 2,500 people attend the Cirque for each performance; its
music is lovely, modulated and in any case not even within
ear-range of area homes.
A sampling of Star-News mail, much of
which came from the Arroyo Seco neighborhoods surrounding the Rose
Bowl: "How can I help with your campaign for Cirque du Soleil,
another benefit Pasadena may snub?"
"We always hoped Pasadena would be
host to a Cirque. What is the city thinking? A few neighbors are
able to deny this outstanding event. Pasadena needs to rethink the
'non-impact' on the neighborhood and re-approach the Cirque
management. Your article speaks for our family."
(We note that the city, as in City Hall,
is still very supportive of a visit from Cirque du Soleil; in
fact, one of our letter-writers is a city councilman.)
"This is good, clean, classy
entertainment for a good, clean, classy city!" "I was so
excited about that possibility -- and felt as upset as you did
when that small group could cancel our joy." "The
Guardians at the Gate seem to have shot the community in the foot.
What's next? A fight to keep the Greater San Gabriel Valley
Cribbage Club from using the park?"
The Cirque du Soleil, at least
temporarily thwarted for all the wrong reasons, is still in search
of a place to come this March and April. Its Web site lists only
the generic "Los Angeles" as a proposed location. We now
know that the citizens of our area are in full support of a
tent-pitching here, and we are letting the circus know of that
support. And we ask more of you to join our campaign.