"Apple Capital" no more; city gets new sign

WENATCHEE — Wenatchee will no longer be billed as the "Apple Capital of the World" to people rolling into town.

The venerable welcome-to-Wenatchee sign sporting the esteemed slogan is coming down, signaling a change in how the city presents itself to outsiders and, for some residents, reflecting an evolution in the way they think about their home.

Call it a sign of the times.

New sculpted monuments went in recently, depicting the surrounding mountains and valleys and bearing the words "Wenatchee. Meeting Rivers. Meeting Friends. Meeting Needs."

"It sounds more like an outreach program than a city," said Shana Munch, one of many Wenatchee residents who responded by e-mail to a Wenatchee World newspaper survey.

"This new [slogan] is too New Age touchy feely. [It] leaves me feeling like a phony," said Ben Knecht, of Wenatchee.

Some said they felt a sense of loss at the 30-year-old "Apple Capital" sign coming down.

Others said the nickname is worn out and that it's high time for a change, especially since Wenatchee has lost the bulk of its orchards in recent years.

"I'm happy the 'Apple Capital' stuff is going away. All things considered, Wenatchee is so much more," said Richard Thody, of Wenatchee. "The rock carvings look right on target — real nice, real descriptive. Kudos to the designer."

The designer is Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, artist Dave Clemons, who came up with the slogan. Suzanne Gladsjo, of Wenatchee, applauds his work.

"I like the new slogan," Gladsjo said. "I think it depicts what our valley stands for and what it should continue to stand for — unity."

The city OK'd the welcome-art project more than two years ago, expecting that work would be done by November 2005. Clemons also missed a deadline set for spring of this year. He said his studio was too cold to work with some materials. The project's price went up from $50,000 to $83,348, due to rising costs of materials, said Clemons.

Cities across America are pouring money and time into developing new identities in order to capture tourist and business dollars, said Eric Schwartz, a city-tagline expert based in San Mateo, Calif.

Last March, Washington rolled out its "SayWA" slogan, which cost $200,000 to develop but was scrapped recently because of harsh public criticism. Seattle just branded itself "Metronatural."

"You want something indicative of who you are, not what someone else is," Schwartz said, explaining that bad mottos are those playing off common themes. "I would say look harder, identify your values, vision and history. The key to effective branding is to embrace an appealing slogan that promises an experience that can't be duplicated anywhere else."

Roger Clute, executive director of the Wenatchee Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, thinks that's exactly what the "Apple Capital" moniker does. Clute says he is OK with the new slogan but added that it lacks "sizzle."

"To me, Wenatchee will always be the 'Apple Capital of the World' because it is the historic and iconic symbol of the place we live," Clute said.