Letter: Carson 2030-shopping mecca

To the editor:

I had a dream the other night. The year was 2030 and I was re-visiting Carson City after a long absence. As I pulled into town from Washoe Valley things came to a grinding halt. I clicked on the car TV and the eye-in-the-sky chopper was giving a traffic update: "In addition to the usual 30-40 minute delay at the metering lights, we have fender benders at the roundabouts at Musser, Robinson, Fifth, Fairview and Clearview. I suggest you take the alternate route - use the bypass to 50, then backtrack to Roop."

Good thing I didn't have far to go. I was meeting an old friend at the new 70,000-square-foot Red Lobster Restaurant. As I entered I noticed a picture of a minnow above the door along with a plaque declaring "No Free Lunch." I remember, this is where Friends In Service Helping used to be.

"Well, what's new in town?" I asked my friend.

"Oh, it's great," she replied. "Carson has become a real mecca for shoppers from all over. We've got the Mall of Nevada where old Mills Park used to be. They have the biggest Macy's west of the Mississippi.

"Then there's the ToysRUs at the site of the former Children's Museum. That's a lot more fun for the kids.

"Oh, and remember the park down by the river? That's the Carson River Auto Mall now.

"And they closed the Community College. It was really a tax drain. Now it's Gourmet Gulch with a McDonald's, Wendy's, Arby's, Dominoes, Straw Hat, A & W - you name it.

"Remember C Hill? All that land, just sitting around idle? Well, they added a couple of letters and now it's 'Dot COM Hill.' The entire area is terraced, and they've put in a huge Amazon/Barnes and Noble/e-Gifts warehouse complex. They even give tours.

"The State Library and Archives was just sitting around collecting dust, so they turned it into a Blockbuster Video/Computer Games rental.

"But one of the most exciting things in town is where the old Edmonds Sports Complex used to be. That's where they put in all the outlet stores. You can shop there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. And there's a Hilton-Marriott next door for all the out-of-town shoppers."

"Well, with all this shopping, where do you park?"

"No problem. They paved over the Railroad Museum some time back. It's a Park-N-Ride now. You just have to remember to make your public transit reservation the day before you want to go downtown."

"Well, what do you want to do after we go shopping?"

"We can go out where the shotgun range used to be. It's an REI/Eddie Bauer now. All they sell is golf equipment - they have the biggest selection of golf gear in the country. It's a good think they moved here, too. You know, we have 53 golf courses in the immediate area. Boy, that open space initiative we passed way back in the 90s sure helped out."

"Sounds good. But what about Fuji Park? It it still here?" I asked.

"Oh, no. But nobody misses it. They haven't allowed horses or dogs in the city for quite some time. Don't you remember? They pulled Fuji out for Costco. That's what started this entire revitalization of Carson City in the first place.

"Remember that buzz-phrase, 'Quality of Life?' I think we've finally accomplished that goal."

Karen Claudino

Carson City