Residents Plan Protest in Effort to Save Giant Snowman

By AUTUMN JOHNSON

A giant inflatable snowman in Pleasanton has caused a massive stir in town this week after a local tree purveyor was told he had to take the decoration down in order to keep from being fined for violating a municipal code.

A grassroots effort to save Frosty began almost immediately following a story posted earlier this week on Pleasanton Patch and other media outlets about the snowman. On Thursday, a resident started a petition asking Mayor Jerry Thorne to pardon the popular snowman for the season.

Related: Pleasanton Resident Asks Mayor to Pardon Giant Frosty; Starts Petition

As the snowball effect of Frosty’s legal troubles has continued throughout the week, a protest has been scheduled at the tree lot for this afternoon between 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

According to resident Nancy Crawford, members of the community are gathering in a flurry of support of lot owner Johnny Moore and his trademark snowman, which has been on display in Pleasanton on for 25 years, where the local ordinance did not apply. Moore recently moved his tree lot from the Alameda County Fairgrounds to the property on the corner of Stanley Blvd. and Bernal Ave. and was told by city officials that he was violating a municipal code by displaying Frosty at the new location.

Previous: Pleasanton City Officials Give Giant Frosty Cold Shoulder

“We are asking Frosty supporters to go to the Moore’s Tree Lot today from 4:00-5:30pm to show their support to Pardon Frosty,” Crawford said. “This effort is being done on short notice, due to the timeline the city has put out to the owners of the tree farm.”

The petition has garnered 152 supports so far. The petition says, “Mayor Thorne, show the world that Pleasanton has a heart by providing a pardon for Frosty the Snowman.” Read the full petition here.

Photo credit: Katie Lozano