I will forever recall that the summer of 2009 erupted with the jaw-dropping news that Michael Jackson was dead. It felt like a blow to the stomach, stunning and breath-taking. A speculation and sadness spread like wildfire as every news facility hammered out the news: The King Is Dead.

The artist who gave a pulse to our lives for decades was gone: a victim of excess- too much exposure, too much pressure, too many indulgences, too much pain, and failure to listen to angels of better judgement. There had been warnings. But how does one see an end when you're traveling on a yellow brick road?

Yes, he was both blessed and cursed. The further he reached, the closer the flame. Eccentricities took him down a path of exploitation, self-serving paparazzi, and crushing debt. Here, he was consumed and when the media had its' fill, they left behind a tormented soul who never recovered from the personal trespass. His life converted to one of concealment and he left the world to muse his doings.

Somewhere along the line the choices became overdrawn and our dear Michael was taken from us. But there is talk of a new recording that was in the works and hopefully, the powers that be will one day release that joyful noise. -Anne French

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While the whole world grieves the loss, consider this. Someone I spoke to who used to work at Neverland Ranch suggested it to me.

Perhaps now is the time to go beyond the loss, and bring back the greatness of Michael’s life—and keep it alive for all. Though the whole world mourns, Santa Barbara County was special to Michael Jackson, and he was special to us.

Instead of morbid sadness, think about the long term. The memory of Michael’s troubles will fad e away, b8ut the memories of his immense talent and contributions to music will only grow during the years to come. As happened with Elvis Presley, p0eople the whole world over will be wanting to remember Michael and visit the place that was so close to his heart for so long—the Neverland Ranch.

Think about Graceland, now a place of pilgrimage for tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Surely, the memory of Michael’s unsurpassed talent and magnetic personality will never die. Please remember that such loss can bring about a positive creative power to build a new world of reality right here in Santa Barbara County.

The land at Neverland Ranch has been vacant, and cleared of its prior unfortunate associations. It seems like this is the ideal time to grasp on to what was and still will live in the hearts and minds of so many. This is the time for a caring group of local citizens or an organization to take back the land and rebuild the dream that Michael created in the lives of so many people.

We need a place of dreams to visit. What tremendous project it would be to rebuild the wonderland that was Michael’s Neve4rland in its great days, and open it to the many caring people who would love to be able to visit such a dream world. Now and for years and decades in the future.

I am hoping someone will care enough to get it started, and hitch our wagon to a star. –Anonymous

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Open Letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger, Central California government officials, and chambers of commerce: I'm contacting you to ask you to expedite the burial of Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch (in Los Olivos). Furthermore, I think his house should become a museum, similar to Graceland for Elvis. If you all can't see the huge, and long-term, business potential this has to your entire area, then you really don't belong on any sort of government/chamber of commerce board, etc. The roads can't handle it? Are you crazy? Zoning and regulations can limit the number of visitors per day -- you can grow it as big as you want; roads can be widened/upgraded as you see fit, if you see fit, in the future.

I used to live in northern California, but now reside in Reno, Nevada. I would definitely plan a four-day trip to Neverland, after all the hubbub dies down, if Michael is buried there. Said trip would only require a day at Neverland -- the rest of the time I'd be staying in B&B's or motels, visiting wineries, spending money all over the place, and getting to know your area. However, if you take Michael Jackson and Neverland out of the equation, I really have no reason to visit your area -- I might as well go to Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino, or even France. With Michael Jackson and Neverland, your area would have a long-term draw that is simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Act quick! Neverland has already been groomed as an attraction, so you may have trouble stopping that end of it anyway, but once MJ is in the ground somewhere else, you may have killed the proverbial golden goose for your entire region and tourist economy.

A worse fate for the Neverland property? Need I remind you that Colony Capital owns the note? They also own an impressive portfolio of huge hotels, casinos, etc. They also control Stations Casinos (which has had an impressive record of building and managing Thunder Valley Casino up near Sacramento) for an Indian tribe. You think Chumash is bad? You ain't seen nothin, yet! How would you like Colony to sell Neverland to some Indian tribe, and eventually have a 5,000 slot machine casino, plus a 2,000-room, 15-story hotel attached -- they may even choose to still have that MJ museum you decided against!? Do you

think you might have issues with traffic, roads, utilities, and just utter loss of quality of life for your entire valley with a huge (Neverland) casino? Don't allow it, and the fans will still come; they just won't know where to go. Instead of having all these people wandering around, a destination, a Michael Jackson grave, and a museum at Neverland sounds like a much better deal to me. --Keith Sandford (actual name supplied, pseudonym adopted for privacy)

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