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Write Now: An Updated Or New Anthem Is Needed For Our City

I have been thinking about this for a long time. It’s one of those thoughts that stay with you somewhere in the back of your mind. From time to time, it will make an appearance and say “Pay attention to me now!” You do and then the thought gets tucked away back into your mind again.

Recently, one of those thoughts made its way to the top.

Jamestown needs an anthem. Some may say that the city may already have one with “Jamestown, My Hometown,” produced by radio station WXYJ and the former Quality Markets.

The current song or old one, depending on how you look at it, is dated, and either needs an overhaul, or a new song needs to take its place. We have so many talented musicians, that I am guessing that someone or maybe even a band could pen a new song or an update.

And the beauty of the project is that it could be in any genre — punk, big band swing, jazz fusion, rock, pop, techno, emo — or a combination of genres.

I don’t know maybe the old one is good enough, but listening to it makes me think of a radio jingle. Maybe that is the point. The song is not long and can be found if you search on YouTube. You will also find a video.

And speaking of video, a video for the city would be nice, with an updated anthem.

We have so many attractions here where a song and a video can call attention to them.

There is a renaissance happening, and this song and video could be a catalyst for change.

In Jamestown, we are lucky to experience all four seasons — winter, spring, summer and fall. What’s good about the city is, near it we have a beautiful lake, trails for hiking and snowmobiling, and rolling hills that seem so peaceful at anytime of year. The city has a great entertainment scene — theater, music, art, dance — that is enjoyed by all ages.

So why hasn’t anyone come up with a new anthem?

There are so many good things to document.

It’s about time.

Literary Arts

Speaking about the arts, add books to the list.

Jamestown, in my opinion, is a book haven, so why not hold a book festival?

It may not be on a grand scale such as the Harlem Book Festival, The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, or the Miami Book Fair, but it would give visitors a chance to see what a diverse location Chautauqua County is.

Besides Harlem, In New York state, there are other book festivals held like the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair, Brooklyn Book Festival, Buffalo Small Press Book Fair, The Chautauqua Writers’ Festival and the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival.

The event would give authors a chance to connect and network with other authors, potential publishers, potential editors, and potential agents.

There could be workshops on fiction and non-fiction writing, storytelling, creating your voice, and finding an agent.

There could be seminars on children’s literature, writing for comics, teen literature, young adult literature, and picture books. There could be more, but this is just a beginning list. The event also would feature vendors that could sell their merchandise. At first the festival, probably would be a small one- or two-day event. It could be held at Northwest Area in the early fall, so people can breathe in the city by experiencing its theater, music, and food. It’s mission is not to rival other book festivals, but to co-exist, nurture and attract the life-long readers, writers and book-loving artists who covet words — both spoken and written.

It’s that simple.

It’s that hard.

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