‘Ferndale’s always with me’: Guy Fieri honored as honorary mayor for the day
When Ferndale's very own Guy Fieri was invited to appear on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Fieri could feel a "giddy" energy on set, as if a surprise was coming for Fieri but he just didn't know what it was going to be. In the show, Barrymore …
When Ferndale's very own Guy Fieri was invited to appear on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Fieri could feel a "giddy" energy on set, as if a surprise was coming for Fieri but he just didn't know what it was going to be.
In the show, Barrymore surprised Fieri with a video cameo from Ferndale Mayor Randall Cady informing Fieri and the audience that April 5 will now serve as Guy Fieri Honorary Mayor of Ferndale Day, as a token of appreciation for all the charitable contributions Fieri and his foundation has made in his hometown.
"Drew and I have been friends for years, I love going on her show and they were all acting a little giddy when I was there. I was getting ready to go on the show and I was like 'What's going on? Something is happening.' In a million years you could not have surprised me more and, actually, I was a little bit verklempt," Fieri said Tuesday at the City Hall. "They didn't quite understand exactly what Ferndale is and it is to me and all the history and all the background."
The episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show" featuring Fieri aired on Tuesday. Fieri spent Friday morning at the Ferndale City Hall fulfilling his mayoral duties. City Hall was filled with Fieri fans, with many giving public comments to tell stories of Fieri's willingness to support Ferndale whenever it's needed and to thank him for doing so.
"Mr. Fieri has always had a special connection to Ferndale," Cady said Tuesday at City Hall. "Mr. Fieri has become famously known as the mayor of Flavortown and whereas the city of Ferndale will always have a special place in our hearts for Mr. Fieri."
Representatives from the Ferndale Elementary School, Ferndale High School, Ferndale Police Department, the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department, the Ferndale Museum and other organizations all thanked Fieri and told tales of his generosity.
The celebrity chef's charisma didn't take the day off as he expressed his earnest love for Ferndale and the entire Humboldt County while still displaying his inexperience as a mayor, attempting to preemptively adjourn the meeting several times and his idea of congregating at The Palace Saloon instead of the City Hall.
"I've traveled the world, lived in Europe, lived in France, been all over. There's no place in the world that I've ever seen like Ferndale. Not just Ferndale, not just this angelic Victorian village. You drive down the Main Street and you see it all, and it's amazing." Fieri said glowingly of his hometown.
Fieri told many stories about his time in Ferndale, opening up his pretzel cart at the age of 10, phoning the owner of Under Armour to get gear for Ferndale's state championship-winning football team, even back to his days of learning the problems that could arise from a small town, like your school principal running into your parents at the store and informing them of the mischief Fieri had gotten himself into.
The April 5 celebrations for Fieri will continue so he can be the honorary mayor annually. The topic besides his love for Ferndale that had Fieri at his most serious was discussing the pothole issues facing Ferndale and much of Humboldt County.
"We do have a pothole issue, I don't know if we need to do a pothole fundraiser. I know we're always looking for a cause," Fieri said while still garnering laughs from those in attendance. "I see it, I'm over on Rose Avenue and I've seen the patchwork being done but anyone who wants to get together and get me involved in it, I would love to see how I can support raising money, raising awareness or doing something to get the streets improved upon."
Even with Fieri's ability to ignite the city hall with laughter seemingly on command, his sincerity and gratitude to the city council members were apparent.
"Ferndale's always with me. The values, the community, the family, the commitment, all of these things are instilled in me. I think it is what has been such a foundation of my success," Fieri said. "I really attribute (Ferndale) I really do. This is probably one of my greatest honors I've had in my career. I do these things for Ferndale because that's what my mom and dad taught me to do."
No comments:
Post a Comment