A Christmas Cup of Cocoa
Maddie loved her job as an actress with Sarasota community theater, and she glowed with the rounds of applause at every curtain call. But was moving to Lakewood Ranch to pursue her acting dream the right decision? Money was always so tight. A single mother, Maddie wanted to do something special for her nine-year-old son Lucas this year for Christmas. But she worried about decking the hall with unpaid credit card bills. Would she have more steady work if she returned to the big city of Tampa?
“You know what I really want most of all for Christmas, Mom?” Lucas ventured, shyly. “You know how when dad had cancer, before we lost him? We used to watch all the Hallmark Christmas movies together on TV. It was so much fun! Why don’t we call up Hallmark and get them to film something right here in Lakewood Ranch!”
“Oh, honey,” Maddie laughed. “You might as well ask Santa for the moon itself! Or a pony to keep out in Myakka!”
Maddie constantly worried about finding paying acting parts, but she was encouraged that the local union theater guild was lobbying the Manatee County Commission to start new economic development subsidies to encourage filmmakers to film here. She personally took time to show up for public comment. She was going to give the commissioners a magical three minutes to show them what potential they had sitting right here.
New to Lakewood Ranch, Maddie was shocked by the vehement opposition. They lined up in the chambers, out the door, and around the block ready to testify against any public taxpayer support whatsoever for local film and theater.
John Arrow, a tall, silver-haired gentleman, spoke on behalf of the Manatee Taxpayer Alliance, the most powerful community organization. “What we need,” he said, staring down the commissioners, “are manufacturing jobs! We’re in a trade war with China! How can we win that by creating make-work for underwater basket-weaving majors who want to spend time spinning fairy tales! Leave the latte-sipping theater crowds to Sarasota! In Manatee, we have been Taxed. Enough. Already!”
The chambers erupted with cheers. Maddie sunk her head, and slipped out the back. Maybe Lakewood Ranch wasn’t the place she could fulfill her dream after all.
Shaken by the dismal results at the Manatee County Commission, Maddie decided the best way to brighten herself up would be for her and Lucas to spread some Christmas cheer to their elderly neighbor Nanette. They brought her an advent calendar so she could partake in a just a little bit of joy everyday leading up to Christmas.
But Nanette, taking the calendar from Lucas’s hand and abruptly setting it aside, dealt Maddie another blow. “Oh, I’ve just spent too many years in Manatee,” Nanette said, “to think that the County Commission would ever do the right thing to help people, or to even care about Christmas anymore. For all the battles we’ve fought over the years, we have nothing to show for it!”
Lucas protested, “We should write a letter to Santa! Maybe he could bring some Christmas cheer to Manatee and convince the county commissioners what a special place this is!”
Nanette chuckled, “Santa’s a waste of your time, sorry to say, Lucas boy.”
Nanette paused. “But you know what just might be worth a shot?”
Lucas looked at her puzzled, confounded by a power more magical than Santa. “What do you mean, Miss Nanette?”
“Well, people rarely take the time to write a proper letter anymore, so you have the right idea there. But I think we should direct this one to a very plucky young woman in our community who has a knack for getting things done.”
Maddie smiled. “Oh! I think I know you are talking about. That’s a great idea! Could you teach him, Nanette, how to write the letter?” Nanette smiled, took a pen and paper out of her desk, and sat down next to Lucas. They composed the letter together.
About a week and a half later, Lucas checked his mailbox, as he had been doing everyday in anticipation, and finally the response came! But it wasn’t from Santa at the North Pole — it was from State Representative Margaret Good in Sarasota!
Maddie flustered with surprise. “Already?! She wrote you back already? Now *that* is some constituent service! Well, what does it say! Read it out loud to me, Lucas!”
Lucas began, “Dear Lucas,” he said. “That’s me!”, he said, delighted. “I want to invite you and your mom as special guests to a Hot Cocoa Summit I am having on Christmas Eve. We will discuss your plan for the theater subsidies directly with Mr. John Arrow of the Manatee Taxpayer Alliance. Be there at 2 pm at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.”
For the next two weeks Lucas went over to Nanette’s house everyday to open another door of the advent calendar to celebrate not just one day closer to Christmas, but one day closer to the Hot Cocoa Summit. Nanette cautioned him not to get his Christmas hopes too high about the summit, though, as she had seen dreams dashed by local officeholders too many times in Manatee County. But she had to secretly admit to herself that Lucas’s Christmas spirit was starting to become infectious.
On Christmas Eve, Maddie brought Lucas early to Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, saying hello to the security guard in the front entryway on the way in. The normally friendly guard gave her a stern look, and she had a feeling of dark foreboding. What was Representative Good doing, risking so much politically for young children so close to Christmas?
The first five rows were packed by members of the Manatee Taxpayers Alliance. She saw a few union theater guild members trickle in right before the summit started. Margaret Good called the meeting to order, pouring a warm cup of Christmas cocoa for Lucas, Maddie, and John Arrow. Her dog Barney curled up right in front of John’s feet. She called the meeting to order.
After Maddie spoke passionately about the importance of community theater and power of artistic expression, and John Arrow spoke adamantly about the importance of conserving taxpayer resources, Representative Good invited community members to share their opinions. After hearing from nearly thirty members in audience, and having her staff serve cocoa and cookies on the side of the room, she came to a proposal to conclude the meeting.
“What a wonderful discussion that has elicited so many great ideas. We have such rich potential in this community to bring more tourism to the area and to celebrate the arts at the same time — why don’t we have a public-private partnership as a compromise? We can match taxpayer subsidies for the film industry locally, with contributions from supporting local businesses who would benefit from the exposure and commercial product placement right in the theater productions!”
The audience clapped. Barney got up and started barking. He ran over to the entrance of the town hall.
A few moments later, who appeared? None other than Ryan Gosling! “Hey, girl,” he said, looking straightaway at Maddie with a shy smile. Maddie smiled broadly. “Thanks for making it, Ryan,” Margaret Good said, “I was worried you were going to miss our Hot Cocoa Summit!”
“Not for the world,” said Ryan. Turning to the crowd, Ryan explained, “We want to film a Hallmark Christmas movie right here in this community. Lakewood Ranch has the most cozy old-fashioned downtown, oodles of homespun charm, endless miles of walking trails exclusively for paid community members and their guests, pickleball courts packed with fun and recreation, and friendly people everywhere — a perfect setting to tell The Great American Christmas Story.”
John Arrow perked up with surprise, quietly calculating the value of increased TV exposure on Manatee County property values: “Now this could be a great investment!”
“Merry Christmas to one and to all,” cried Lucas. And they all raised their cups of hot cocoa with Christmas cheer.
“Now this is a Manatee County Christmas I can believe in,” said Nanette.
Epilogue: One year later, on Christmas Eve 2020, the Lakewood Ranch Town Hall dimmed its lights for a special premiere screening of “Ryan Gosling’s Christmas by Ranch: A Hallmark Special.” John, Nanette, Maddie, Lucas, and Congresswoman Margaret Good all sat in the audience as VIPs in the front row. Finally the Great American Christmas Story had been told.
