Seminole's Identity (an open letter)

Dear Seminole City Council,

I recently read a proposal for creating an identity for our city using American flags and a red, white and blue theme. While I do not question your or any of your supporters’ patriotism, I think that plan creates not so much a unique identity as it enters our city into a fraternity of hundreds, if not thousands, of towns and small cities throughout the state and nation seeking the exact same identity.

If you drive US 19 from Pinellas to the panhandle, you will see perhaps half a dozen water towers painted with American flags, and a number of towns decorated in red, white and blue. I grew up next to Cocoa, Florida, a city that in the early 80’s had one of the largest American flags in the country painted on its water tower. This is not a new or original idea.

But you know what I've never seen anywhere else in my travels, at home or abroad? A water tower painted with local birds designed to look like a bird cage. Wood storks and roseate spoonbills winter literally in our backyards. That iconic artwork and our beautiful city (and county) parks seem like a much better starting point for creating an identity that will attract visitors and commerce.

Mind you, I say this as someone who was entrusted with a clearance while working for the defense of this country, someone whose father and uncle served during the Korean War and WWII, someone whose grandfather held an equivalent commission for his work on the Manhattan Project, someone married to a (civilian) Cold War Veteran. I don’t object to the flag, or patriotism in general. I just don’t find it a compelling kernel around which to craft a meaningful identity for our city.

Cocoa did not forge an identity or re-energize its economy by painting a flag on its water tower. It changed its fortunes by focusing on the city’s assets and revitalizing its historic downtown and waterfront, where they host a superb annual art show along with other events (and advertise on I-75). I also can’t help but notice the explosive growth in once-moribund downtown St. Petersburg over the past decade. A lively arts scene, varied events, exciting restaurants, beautiful parks and public amenities (many of which we already have) are the makings of a vibrant and growing American community.

Our city name alone seems a rich source of inspiration, along with the annual Pow Wow we sponsor. Or the variety of Music in the Park concerts we host. Or even the Welsh language taught at one of our local churches (Dunedin has met with great success supporting its Scottish heritage). In a different direction, we could tap into the unique pioneer history of the area on display at Heritage Park (just beyond our borders). We could sponsor a niche book collection in our local library (Montgomery County, Maryland, has had good success with that). More radically, endowing an annual scholarship open to Seminole residents attending either SPC or USF would create an indelible identity as well as serve the needs of our residents for less than half the cost of a proposed consultant. A local friend of mine recently created Florida Bookstore Day (held this weekend) with nothing more than determination and a handful of donations. Even focusing on something as simple as lining our streets with flowering crepe myrtles would create a colorful and memorable impression on anyone passing through.

For the past thirteen years, nearly every township and municipality in this country has sought to outdo one another in demonstrations of patriotism with displays of the American flag or red, white and blue. It is not fresh. It is not new. It will not set us apart. It is not an identity. But we can craft a unique, memorable identity from our many assets which will both attract visitors and enrich the lives of our residents. All it takes is a little imagination.

Sincerely,

Edward P. Morgan III

Seminole