Tourism, Gilkey Square and loving community

The latest “Love La Conner” design for Gilkey Square seems a better one; it is shorter and includes a place to sit and ponder the Channel, Fidalgo Island and the Swinomish Reservation across the water. The “Love La Conner” theme, however, confuses me.

The designers apparently believe it is important to tell visitors to "Love La Conner." If the design doesn't include those words, visitors might not know that Loving La Conner is the right response.

Many people who visit La Conner do leave loving La Conner, I’m sure. But, I imagine they end up loving La Conner on their own without help from a sign. In fact, they may resent the order. I sorta’ love Port Townsend, but if I were faced with “Love Port Townsend,” I would be thinking that the unrevealed subtext is “spend your money wildly.”

Visitors love or like La Conner because of their time here; a dreamy glance at life in a small town, La Conner’s separation from cities, the happy all-comers parades, a unique and beautiful natural setting, proximity to farmland, within striking range of mountains and islands and, we hope, friendly encounters with people who do live here. Then too, there is shopping, eating and drinking in pleasant settings and amiable and comfortable overnight accommodations.

There are additional reasons to love La Conner not usually apparent to the visitors: the rewards of volunteering with schools, serving with the fire department, the food bank and other community-minded organizations, a friendly post office, a real community newspaper that covers, celebrates and worries about the town, neighbors chatting in the streets, families with long histories in this place, a strong and stronger connection with a vibrant Swinomish community.

Do I love La Conner? I do for the reasons just cited and as an extended family homeowner for several decades. But it is more complex. My love is at times tempered by disappointment by what we allow to happen here when we don’t pay attention as the real reasons to love La Conner slip away.

Back to the design: There is no information imparted by “Love La Conner” that would lead anyone to love La Conner. That reminds me of “Channel Passage” the shiny metal structures on our street ends. It is most likely visitors know that there is a channel or slough out there and they can figure out how to get to it on their own – as they do with loving La Conner. They will figure it out on their own.

Bob Raymond

La Conner