In another SayWA moment, Wenatchee has changed its slogan from "Apple Capital of the World" to "Wenatchee. Meeting Rivers. Meeting Friends. Meeting Needs.".
Whatever. More apropos would be "City of Ridiculous. Trials.".
But seriously, I like "Apple Capital of the World". And it pays homage to an important and beloved local industry.
What do readers, especially those from Wenatchee, think?
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at November 19, 2006 02:54 PM | Email ThisOh, God help us.
Posted by: ScottM on November 19, 2006 03:13 PMJust like ''SayWA'', hopefully this will get enough ridicule and objection from the sensible citizens of Chelan county that this latest bureaucratic marketing idea will go the way of SayWA.
Posted by: Methow Ken on November 19, 2006 03:23 PMSay Wa
WA Mu
Wenatchee: MR,MF,MN
May I humbly sum all this up? PLOP
Pathetic losers on parade
Posted by: Hank on November 19, 2006 03:55 PMThe new one sounds like someone from Seattle created it (like, metronatural, BAA-by!)
Posted by: Michele on November 19, 2006 04:03 PMIf I were planning a trip, which would interest me enough to include Wenatchee?...probably not MR, MF, MN. It's sad and pathetic.
Not a resident of Wenatchee, but we visit occasionally.
Posted by: dl on November 19, 2006 04:04 PMI'll take Apple Capital - it goes with the Apple Blossom Festival.
I do recall Wenatchee's brief flirt with "Prozac Capital," which seemed pretty appropriate at the time.
Posted by: thor on November 19, 2006 04:08 PMGood grief, says I.
"Barf", from our 6 year old.
Which begs the question, how much did they pay for this slogan?
Posted by: Shaun on November 19, 2006 04:20 PMThis sounds like something an old P.R. flack would write. I used to work at an ad agency in Freeland and the ex navy P.R. flack who ran it convinced the folks in Freeland to use "It's a Freeland kind of day." After 20 years I'm still not sure what that is supposed to mean. I don't think the kind folks at Freeland do either.
Anyway, I gotta wrap this up, I have to meet some needs.
Posted by: G Jiggy on November 19, 2006 04:56 PMIllustrator
Graphic Designer
Now a Sculptor
And a Slogan-meister!!
Is there nothing David Clemons cannot do??
Ummm...yeah
Write a slogan that is worth a SH*T!!!
Wenatchee couldn't even find someone local to do this work????? Sheesh.
I'll bet Clemons threw in the f*cking slogan for FREE as part of that $83,000 sculpture.
In recent years, buyers have sqitched to cheaper apples grown in China, Mexico and South America. As a result, many of the farms that once had large orchards are either changing crops to grapes and pears or selling the farms to developers.
Changing crops takes a long time to get the trees or vines started and mature enough to produce fruit, so if the farmers can't take a few years to adjust, then they don't have much choice.
Next time you drive through the area notice how many houses are now where orchards used to be.
I'm all for capitalism, but I also don't want to put all my eggs in the foreign market basket.
But the "Apple Capital" slogan is perfect, and it is idiotic to give it up.
And, despite what you may have heard, Washington still produces lots of apples: 10-12 billion each year, according to the Apple Commission, enough, they say, to circle the Earth 12 times if they were placed side by side.
Posted by: Jim Miller on November 20, 2006 04:29 AMApple orchards may not be all over as they once were but the new slogan is just stupid as was "Say WA". Hopefully, like the state, they will soon drop the new slogan and go back to the old.
Posted by: Bill4728 on November 20, 2006 08:52 AMIdaho - Famous meeting rooms.
Illinois - Land of conference rooms.
Utah - Best meetings on Earth
Virginia - is for Meeters.
I gotta go meet someone.
Posted by: Steve on November 20, 2006 09:47 AMForging Rivers.
Bringing Friends.
Meeting needs---and All For Free!
During a recent visit to a major juice co-packing facility east of the cascades, I was informed that it is now less expensive to purchase apple juice concentrate from China, than it is from the Yakima valley. And yes, that includes delivery from overseas.
Even more sad is that I was told the customer service from the Chinese is better and more reliable, even considering the potential delays and other issues of getting containers through our ports. The Chinese brokers speak perfect english, and provide daily status on your delivery, letting you know exactly what hour it will be delivered to your dock.
And what are the Chinese doing now? Furiously planting hundreds of thousands of orange trees in the South, from what I undertand. I wonder what Florida will be famous for in ten years.... Disney World maybe?
Posted by: Splinter on November 20, 2006 10:06 AMIn all seriousness, this is simply another example of marketing "professionals" trying to justify their existence. Style over substance. Plus, from what I understand, the artist was out of area, was late, ran over budget and cost close to $100 large. All for what?
Posted by: jimg on November 20, 2006 12:32 PMWenatchee is a lovely area, and if a new title is necessary they deserve alot better than MR, MF, MN.
Posted by: dl on November 20, 2006 02:57 PMThis is so disrespectful of the settlers of over a hundred years ago who came here to grow apples and other fruit. And it is disrespectful of the next generations of growers who loved growing fruit as this special Valley can do. If my Grandfather could see what has been done, I wonder what he would think/say as he recalled proudly hauling a load of apples to town with a beautiful team of horses in 1913?
Sure, the City part of Wenatchee has been given over to mostly housing and city life, but the areas surrounding the City are covered with orchards of apples and other fruit. This new "slogan" is disrespectful of our present growers as well as previous growers. It is also disrespectful of the HISTORY of the beautiful Wenatchee Valley with the Columbia and Wenatchee Rivers flowing through and irrigating many miles of fertile Valley land. And how about the many miles of canals dug in the early 1900's to irrigate the lands around the foothills?
For this person, born in the 30's raising apples, this will always be The APPLE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD! No other "motto" will do!
Posted by: Robert MacPhail on November 20, 2006 11:05 PMi trust business to do so, but our tax-crazy legislature and anti-business climate here give me reason to pause. i honestly dont think we LIKE business here, but treat it like a dental checkup--tolerate it as a necessity but dont get excited.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on November 21, 2006 05:17 AMYou could eliminate the taxes entirely for apple growers, but I don't think you can just blame Olympia and an "anti-business" climate for this. When you have to pay apple pickers in Washington $7 to $9 an hour, and the Chinese pay $7 to $9 per month, it's going to be hard to compete. And all the tax relief in the world isn't going to get Washington businesses to provide better customer service, so we can at least compete that way.
This is going to take a concerted and cooperative effort between our business community, our schools (business and agricultural colleges specifically), and our government. The government should not just cut taxes for the sake of cutting taxes, they should offer tax incentives to those businesses that invest in processes and technologies that result in a more efficient and competitive company.
It may already be too late at this point... at least for our apple farmers. Sad to see this happening. I wonder how much longer it will be before it's not just a small percentage of juice concentrate coming in, but cases of finished product, ready for the grocery store shelves.
Posted by: Splinter on November 21, 2006 08:25 AMFor example, a few years ago Cessa was looking for a new location to manufacture their small airplanes. Washington's attitude was "how much will you give us" if we allow you to build here and provide jobs and income to Washington. Another state (southern I believe) won the contract with the approach of "what temporary concessions can we make for Cessna while they get this enterprise up and running" to provide jobs and income for our state.
Unfortunately, WA state appears to view businesses as a necessary evil and a limitless source of "shake down" dollars, while remaining fairly blind to the concept that businesses provide jobs and a livlihood for citizens.
Posted by: dl on November 21, 2006 08:49 AMFor example, a few years ago Cessa was looking for a new location to manufacture their small airplanes. Washington's attitude was "how much will you give us" if we allow you to build here and provide jobs and income to Washington. Another state (southern I believe) won the contract with the approach of "what temporary concessions can we make for Cessna while they get this enterprise up and running" to provide jobs and income for our state.
Unfortunately, WA state appears to view businesses as a necessary evil and a limitless source of "shake down" dollars, while remaining fairly blind to the concept that businesses provide jobs and a livlihood for citizens.
Posted by: dl on November 21, 2006 08:50 AMCan you provide any more evidence other than one company that decided not to move to Washington?
As far as small businesses go, Washington was actually ranked near the top of the list from a business policy perspective (#5 specifically):
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061101/dcw037.html?.v=70
And if you're talking about big business, did the State make major concessions to Boeing to keep it in the Northwest?
The last time I looked out my window around the Seattle area (where the highest taxes and most regulations are found) I did not see a bunch of "for sale" signs or boarded up windows. I saw a dozen cranes putting up expensive new housing and high-end office space.
Posted by: Splinter on November 21, 2006 09:44 AM