When the folks who came up with the "Greater Reno Tahoe: Welcome to Can Do" brand asked to visit with the Appeal's editorial board this week, we wasted little time booking the appointment.
It's not that we wanted to assault them with questions and belittle the work they'd done. In fact, some would say we'd already accomplished that in the days after the brand was released, complaining on the opinion page that we didn't see how "can do" differentiates us from any other place in the country. Our business reporter also interviewed several people, including business and marketing professionals, who were equally unimpressed.
Despite that, I was sure we'd find plenty of things to agree on during the editorial board meeting. While we may not have loved the product that came out of the process, we knew they were right on target with identifying the problems that must be solved for this region to thrive.
For one thing, it's hard for a company in Northern Nevada to find skilled workers and, because of that, we're not a very desirable location for start-ups and companies looking to relocate.
So we have to attract the workers, especially skilled young professionals. The trouble is, we're not the only place with a high quality of life, and the cost of living here is hardly in the bargain category.
Another truth is that not many people can tell you where Carson City is located. Oh, they've heard of it, but usually can't place exactly where it is. "Isn't that near Vegas," would not be an uncommon response. Nor do most people have a clue about what Northern Nevada includes.
But in focus groups they did find people knew where Reno was (although some think of it as a suburb of Vegas) and they knew where Tahoe was. Now think of your own experience in describing to strangers where you live. How many times have you been forced to add "... about a half-hour south of Reno"?
Won't Carson City lose its identity under the Greater Reno-Tahoe umbrella? Their answer is that, in time, the attention brought by the brand will shine a brighter light on our Carson City. Why can't it be "Greater Reno-Tahoe-Carson? Their answer, based on focus group responses, is that Carson is a meaningless word for the people they're trying to attract.
Ouch. That stings a little.
So the campaign will press forward, slowly creating a brand that will be associated only with this region (it could take 5-10 years). At the same time, some communities, including Carson City will run separate campaigns to attract tourism, because "Greater Reno-Tahoe: Welcome to Can Do" is about attracting employers and employees.
Overall, I can say I love what they're trying to do for Northern Nevada. As for "Welcome to Can Do," it's hard to overcome a bad first impression.
A different view on the mayor
The editorial board of this paper came out Tuesday in opposition to the recall effort under way for Mayor Marv Teixeira.
Another newspaper in the area, however, has a different view. The Lahontan Valley News in Fallon editorialized on the mayor in its Thursday edition, and had a far different view. Why is a Fallon paper writing about Carson City?
"Carson City is not just any city. It is the state capital, our state capital. Indeed this proud city is a shrine that should not be diminished and degraded by getting dragged through the mud of a recall effort over the mayor's public drunkenness," wrote publisher Rick Swart.
And his conclusion:
"If Teixeira cares for the city the way that reasonable people would expect from any mayor, but especially the mayor of a capital city, he will humble himself for the greater good, put down personal pride, let go of his political ambitions and do the honorable thing: resign.
"By resigning, Teixeira will do more than spare the city from a nasty recall campaign, which in and of itself is reason enough for him to do so. More importantly, his resignation will also send a powerful message about the pure folly and tragic consequences of drinking and driving. This is an honorable and necessary message all public figures need to advance. Paying a small fine, attending a driver training class and riding his bike to work won't cut it. Sorry, Marv, we're not impressed."
The return of the Community Awards
The nominations are beginning to come in for The Community Awards, which recognize the people who make our communities special. We're sure someone you know is a perfect candidate for one of the 11 categories.
The nominees will be judged by the Appeal's reader panel and the awards will be given out during a luncheon ceremony on June 20 by First Lady Dawn Gibbons and Appeal Publisher John DiMambro.
It's easy to nominate someone. Just write a letter or e-mail of about 150 words explaining what makes your nominee special. Include your name, address and phone number. Then send it to us at: Nevada Appeal, Community Awards, 580 Mallory Way, Carson City, NV 89701; or e-mail to editor@nevadaappeal.com.
The categories are: Public servant of the year; Educator/school administrator of the year; Mentor of the year; Organization of the year; Artist of the year; Athlete/sportsperson of the year; Student of the year; Heritage award (for those who work to preserve our local history); Boss of the year; Employee of the year; and Citizen of the year.
• Barry Ginter is editor of the Appeal. You can reach him at 881-1221 or via e-mail at bginter@nevadaappeal.com