What better than the birthplace of Gene Roddenberry?
David Peregrino, of the El Paso Times (and who may be reached at dperegrino@elpasotimes.com) wrote a story that appeared in the January 25, 2003 edition of The El Paso Times (http://www.elpasotimes.com), which states in part:
“Calling El Paso "The Sun City" just isn't cutting it anymore. That's the belief of some business and government leaders who've launched a project to create a new "brand identity" for El Paso.”
The story goes on to explain that they are going to spend $25,000 to find a unique image for El Paso:
“Beginning with research from focus groups, the city plans to create a new way of marketing El Paso to the rest of the world. ‘We have to have a unified identity that no other city can lay claim to ... something that captures the uniqueness of El Paso and all the areas around it,’ to attract businesses and tourists, said Bob Cook, CEO and president of the chamber.”
Well, as we all know, nothing is more unique than being the birthplace of Gene Roddenberry!
So, please write to Bob Cook at the Chamber at info@elpaso.org, and to Dave Peregrino at the El Paso Times and let them know what a great idea this would be, and let’s save them that $25,000! And this would go hand-in-hand with the Gene Roddenberry Memorial Highway!
Thank you for your support!
This message is to Bob Cook, CEO, El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
This message is in regard to the story in the El Paso Times talking about finding a new image for El Paso - wanting to find something unique.
I was just wondering if you had any idea that one of the most famous people in the world was born here in El Paso - a person that has had a world-wide influence - Gene Roddenberry.
I was also wondering if you knew that there was already a movement to get Interstate 10 named the "Gene Roddenberry Memorial Highway". There is a website dedicated to the project (http://www.geocities.com/grmhpetition) and KTSM News Channel 9 (http//www.ktsm.com) is running a web poll on the project as a follow-up to their story on the project (which, the last time I looked about 5pm today 1/25/03, was running 2-to-1 in favor of doing so).
I suggest that you visit the website and read the guestbook, and all the links to all the archived guestbooks. You would be AMAZED at the people willing to visit El Paso just to visit Gene's birthplace. And, on the "E-mails" page, read the one from Russia. And take the link to Paramount Studio's website and see all the publicity El Paso is getting just because of this project.
I can't see why ya'll would want to spend $25,000 of the taxpayer's money when the "unique" is sitting right in your lap! Imagine, driving down I-10 and seeing murals under the freeway of different constellations and other heavenly bodies (nothing directly "Star Trek" without Paramount's permission, of course) - think of how educational that could be! Also, Gene was such a humanitarian (which you will realize once you read the web site's guestbook and e-mails) which would also be a great teaching tool - how to have everyone get along. His biggest dream, one that comes through all of his stories, is one of world (universal) peace. Add to that he is (was? since he passed away) a DECORATED VETERAN (ties in with Fort Bliss) and a DECORATED CIVILIAN FOR UNCOMMON VALOR (how many El Pasoans can say that?) and was a civil servant (police officer) - a stellar man. There is more about Gene's accomplishments on the web site I mentioned (as well as all over the World Wide Web in general).
There would also be a great economical impact on this City if this would come to be. I did a little research and found out the following: On October 4th, there was a dedication ceremony at the El Paso Independent School District Planetarium. Over 120 people attended. It could have been filled at least 10 times over, if not more. The number of attendees was small because it could not exceed the capacity of the Planetarium. There was no real promotion of this event, as it was Invite Only. There was also a convention held the weekend following the dedication. I understand there was very little promotion of this convention (I personally only saw 2 commercials, and they were late night), but over 6,000 people attended. Slanted Fedora, the people who put on the convention, said it was the biggest one-day convention numbers they had ever recorded (and no promotion, remember?) There were MAJOR stars that appeared (and MAJOR stars have appeared in the past - and to the last one, they come because it is Gene's birthplace). The stars that appeared were: Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo. All of these stars were scheduled (named in the commercial), but there were some unscheduled stars as well: Robert Kilpatrick, James Horan and Herbert Jefferson, Jr. All three unscheduled guest stars were "very impressed with El Paso." According to Slanted Fedora, next year they are anticipating 20 unscheduled stars and 30+ vendors (there were only about a dozen this time - most of whom sold out the first day). The promoters also did a quick survey of the area hotels and found out that 88 rooms were booked for convention-goers; guests from Phoenix, Houston, Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Las Cruces, and Coppers Cove, Texas - and that does not include those rooms for the stars, their entourages, the promoters, Eugene Roddenberry, Jr., and the vendors. I've been told this survey was done without knowing where anyone was staying except for the stars - they just called around. Again, this was all with no real promotion of the event.
I would encourage you, Mr. Cook, and your committee to SERIOUSLY look into this matter as a way to promote El Paso. Please go visit the web site, read all the information on Gene and his WORLDWIDE impact, read about all the potential visitors out there, go to the Paramount Studios page and read their story about El Paso. All of this from one person's idea and a web site. Think about what REAL promotion would accomplish and how big the star El Paso would be on the map! It is already obvious that people are out there looking at El Paso from all over the world - and for the main reason that it is Gene Roddenberry's birthplace.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Anne J. Stone anne_j_stone@yahoo.com