Lacey has a PR problem

Many people, who don’t live in Lacey, have a somewhat less than positive view of the City of Lacey.   OK – let’s face it.   Many people who don’t live in the city have a negative view of Lacey.

That was brought home to me recently at the public meeting to change the name of the school district to – Lacey.   Dozens of opponents stepped to the microphone and made statements about Lacey that were , short-sighted, uneducated and just plain wrong.

As the soon-to-be largest city in Thurston County – – Lacey has a lot of work to do to educate and inform non-residents about the joys and the pleasures of living in the city.  The time is long past when Lacey was nothing more than a strip mall and freeway off-ramp.

Lacey has nearly 45,000 residents.   It is the most diverse community in Thurston County and maybe in the entire state.  More than half of the students in Lacey schools are minorities.  That in itself does not mean anything.  But, the accomplishments of the school district rank at the top of the scale of excellence.

The city has 1200 acres of park land, more than any other city in the county.   The parks are well-developed and maintained and used hundreds of thousands of times during the year.  The Regional Athletic Complex draws sports teams from around the state and from all over the Northwest.

St. Martin’s University is a gem and located right in the heart of the city.   Students from around the world attend the school and bring an element of internationalism to the community.

Lacey has protected its heritage and has the only history museum in the county, open to the public on a regular basis.   It is in the process of expanding its historical footprint.

While Lacey does not have a “downtown” as pointed out my many critics, it also doesn’t have the problems associated with a downtown area.  Instead, Lacey has a number of “retail centers”  located at strategic points around the city, where shopping is convenient and accessible.

Lacey is a city of more than 50 individual neighborhoods, each with its own personality and each a part of the greater community.   It allows for individualism and a sense of freedom.

Lacey also has a responsive city government that allows a variety of opinion and doesn’t march in lock-step with untried ideas.

Lacey is a great place to live and raise a family.

It just needs a better PR effort.