LETTER: New Richmond's new motto is a bit dopey

To the Editor:

I feel moved to join the voices commenting on the change in the City of New Richmond’s motto, although I don’t believe that it’s part of a global conspiracy. It’s just dopey.

“Actively inviting, Naturally authentic” reads like a sign for a strip mall day spa. What does it even mean?

“Our residents will meet you at the city limits to welcome you with a handshake. We aren’t nearly as pretentious as our motto sounds.” It doesn’t fit. Admittedly, there are parts of the city where one might need to explain why it has been called “The City Beautiful,” but perhaps more time and effort could have been put into living up to that motto rather than inventing slogans that have little or nothing to do with the city or its rich history.

I would suggest “So nice, they built it twice” (with apologies to Mary Sather, author of “They Built Their City Twice”), but that might revive the old myth that the city was “Richmond” prior to the 1899 cyclone, and the “New” was added after rebuilding.

Early residents of the city were far more creative than that. I realize that the goal is to attract new business and new people to the city, but does the motto have to sound so foolishly earnest, pathetically desperate?

Mary Hubbell

Star Prairie

(New Richmond

resident from 1974-2001)

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion