Greetings Modesto Friends,
I hope that you had a great holiday season and are looking forward to 2019. Time has sped by this year and I get the feeling it is going to be faster this year. Each new beginning is exciting and always a good reason to take a fresh look at everything. These winter times with family and friends are the best and it always feels like relationships are rekindled over the holidays. If you ask my wife, she would say I never plan on growing up, and that’s why we have so much fun presenting Rockin’ Holiday this year. It was a big success and we put a lot of smiles on faces and it was good for downtown business. Thanks to all that reached out to help when the Rockin’ Tree was vandalized as it means so much that people really care about these cool classic community events. (even the hubcaps!)
But let’s talk tech. Last year, we were looking to create an ap for ModestoView. We asked around, and really didn’t get anywhere. So we ended up working with a template package and it is good. I have later learned that all of that technology is available right here. We are involved in a new musicians networking application called Plink. Did you know that is being coded right here in Modesto? Did you know that there is a fast growing coding and systems development industry here in Modesto? All of those things you hear about in the big cities are happening here, although on a smaller scale at a lot lower cost of living. It is time that we start talking about the high tech developments that are happening in Modesto and how it could affect our regional economy and change our trajectory. That’s why we are taking a good look at the future this month and helping to map out how our city can build on our classic culture and make this a place that blends Classic Culture and a digital economy that will power our next generation. Hope you enjoy our futurology beginning on page 14 with an interview with tech star Phillip Lan.
We need to be careful though. We can’t let tech keep us all inside and not interact with each other so even though the ap is cool, it is more fun to go out to dinner than do a Doordash. Be social as we get technical. That’s why there are new group work spaces popping up in Modesto and coffee shops and cocktail lounges are still the best places to innovate.
So what is your ModestoView? What do you want Modesto to be over the next few years? There are some really good things coming, some big, some small but we want it to be good smart changes. Real change only works if we work together and really have solid teamwork. It is our local businesses that will be the catalyst for change. We get stronger if our local business network is strong and that’s where the fabric of our community strengthens. Modesto gets better if we all get better together and most importantly, if we keep our dollars local. At ModestoView, we are “Shop Small” all year long and the teamwork we have with local businesses allow us to bring the good news of ModestoView to you each month.
Please tell me what you like about ModestoView, what you don’t and how we can make this more valuable for you, your family and your business. Our goal is the same as it has always been to “Serve Civic Pride Daily”. And we hope this mission works for you and our community. We need good news, we need positive reinforcement and we need to know that we are all in this together. Thank you for reading and on behalf of my family and our amazing ViewCrew, we wish you a very Happy New Year, filled with peace, prosperity, friendship and love.
Best to you,
Chris Murphy
Founder & Publisher – ModestoView
chrism@modestoview.com<mailto:chrism@modestoview.com>
