01-27-2006, 01:30 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Registered User
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Have the PCers gone too far?
Quote:
____ Rapids: Pushing for a new name, new image
Some think it is time for Coon Rapids to leave behind a name they say conjures backwoods images, or worse, racist ones.
Some Coon Rapids business cards list their company's address as Minneapolis, which is about 14 miles south of the truth.
Those business owners are among those who support City Council Member Joe Sidoti's efforts to hold a referendum and let residents decide whether to change Coon Rapids' name.
The reasons?
Apparently it can be embarrassing to say you're from a place called Coon Rapids when you're doing business in New York City or Los Angeles. But business owners aren't eager to say that publicly, illustrating the sensitivity of the issue.
Sidoti, who also works out of his home and does a lot of traveling, said he has thought long and hard about changing the name.
"We're a city of 65,000 people," he said. "Does the name Coon Rapids conjure up the name of a thriving city? We've got to start thinking globally."
It's not just the giggles that business people hear after introducing themselves, he said. There's the reaction high school students get when they travel for events. The city has had a hard time getting upscale retail and restaurants, which Sidoti thinks could be subtly related to the image the name projects.
On top of that is the racial undertone. "Coon" has been used as a derogatory word for black people.
"I want a name that reflects the vibrance of this community," Sidoti said.
The council plans to discuss the possibility of a referendum in an upcoming work session.
Mayor Tim Howe said he's heard only from residents who are upset about a possible change.
"I certainly am not in favor of it," Howe said. "I don't think it's a necessity. I think people are happy with the name."
Howe pointed out that the same question was brought to a referendum in 1968 and failed. "We had 'I Love Coon Rapids' buttons we saw people wearing around the city," he said.
The 1968 referendum read "Should the name of the city of 'Coon Rapids' be changed to some other name?" Only 1,977 said yes, while 6,619 said no.
Sidoti said part of the reason could have been that the ballot didn't offer an alternative. He suggested the city could hold a contest and list the winner as the alternative name on the ballot.
A couple of his ideas include River Rapids and River City.
"I'm trying to focus on the Mississippi River because it's a fabulous resource," he said.
Coon Rapids actually got its name from the Mississippi, according to Coon Rapids Historical Commission files. A small village began around the construction of the Coon Rapids Dam in 1913. A spot near that area was known as Coon Creek Rapids because it was one of the shallowest points of the river, had raccoons scurrying everywhere and was next to the rapids. The name eventually was shortened to Coon Rapids.
Part of the name change process requires a majority of voters to approve the change.
Sidoti suggested holding a referendum during the midterm elections this November to limit extra costs. He said the city could phase in changes to letterhead and police cars to keep the price down.
"You've got to start thinking bigger," he said.
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Have the PCers gone too far? |
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