Tradition in Mission Viejo
by Dale Tyler

Every city, even one as young as Mission Viejo, should have traditions. They serve to bind the citizens together and make the place a home, not just a place to live.

Unfortunately, the City Council, city staff and the Mission Viejo Activities Committee (MAC) don't seem to care about tradition. Instead, the City Council and city staff foist useless and expensive exercises, like the Rose Parade float and the “rebranding” of the city upon the people and tell us “Like it or Not, It’s Going to Happen.” Sadly, the MAC seems to be joining in the dismantling of city traditions.

The latest example of this is the MAC's decision to move the Santa's Workshop display from its longstanding traditional location at La Paz and Chrisanta to City Hall. The intersection, just east of I-5, has been known as the “Four Corners” for as long as Mission Viejo has existed. When the Mission Viejo Co. was starting the development, this was the main entrance to the city. It was decorated for holidays and literally was the gateway to Mission Viejo. Sometime later, Santa's Workshop was set up, and then displays from various religious groups were placed on the other corners of the intersection to add to the holiday festivities. The mixture of religious and secular displays was very successful, and a lottery is held every year to select which religious groups can place their displays at the Four Corners to provide balance and fairness. Overall, this system is a great example of compromise and cooperation.

This is one of our few traditions in Mission Viejo, and it’s a wildly successful one at that. So, why do the Council and MAC feel the need to make this change? More importantly, why make this change without announcing to the citizens that a change was being considered? After all, we have the expensive and slickly produced City Outlook that is sent to all residents – could there not have been an announcement back in July? The answer may be quite simple. The City Council put themselves above the people they should be serving and make these “Like it of Not” decisions in secret because they don't even conceive that others have a stake in their decision. The MAC seems to be following the the City Council's lead with their decision to move Santa's Workshop.

There may also be a narcissistic aspect to moving the display to City Hall. By doing so, city staff and the City Council can look at the display and congratulate themselves on “really caring.” Maybe Council Members Trish Kelly and Lance MacLean will sit in Santa's chair and give autographs to the kiddies.

There is also the issue of what happens to the religious displays that were located on the other three corners at the Four Corners. Will they be forced to relocate? Will they be banned because there is no longer a mixture of secular and religious displays? No who knows seems to be talking.

Some have spoken of one possible reason for moving Santa's workshop and that is the concern about the children being near a busy intersection while waiting to see Santa. However, in the more than 20-year history of Santa's Workshop, there has never been a serious injury to a child during the display. The MAC may be playing “nanny” to the people of Mission Viejo a little too much.

The MAC is a community-based organization that receives grants from the City to put on the Santa's Workshop and 4th of July Fireworks/Street Faire as well as other community events. Until now, I would have said they were helping to support and create the traditions of Mission Viejo. Now, I wonder what they are thinking with this change.

Finally, the display at Four Corners serves as a way to advertise the City of Mission Viejo in a far more genuine and cost-effective manner than the excessively expensive, glitzy Rose Parade float. People come from all over the area to see the displays. Sadly, if Santa’s Workshop is moved to the out-of-sight City Hall area, it will become just another symbol of the arrogance of the elite in Mission Viejo.