COMMITMENT PROGRAM."
IT WILL CONSIST OF CLEANING UP
COMMUNITIES AND OFFERING
RESOURCES TO THE HOMELESS TO
ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
***GLEN***
TO SOUTHERN UTAH NOW, WHERE
AFTER WEEKS OF CONTROVERSY
SURROUNDING THE NAME "DIXIE",
THE DIXIE CONVENTION CENTER IN
ST. GEORGE WILL *NOT* CHANGE
THE NAME FOR THE FORESEEABLE
FUTURE.
ABC4 SOUTHERN UTAH CORRESPONDENT
KATIE KARALIS REPORTS ON THE
VOTE.
THE DIXIE CENTER'S BOARD VOTED
TUESDAY TO KEEP THE NAME, EVEN
THOUGH IN JUNE THEY VOTED
UNANIMOUSLY TO REBRAND IT TO
GREATER ZION... IN LINE WITH THE
COUNTY'S OVERALL TOURISM
MARKETING. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
SAY THE PUSHBACK FROM THE
COMMUNITY PROMPTED THIS
REVERSAL.
IT'S A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO THE
ECONOMY - THE CONVENTION CETNER
BRINGS ABOUT $60 MILLION DOLLARS
TO THE COUNTY EVERY YEAR.
THE BOARD SAYS WHEN IT FIRST
VOTED JUNE 23 TO REBRAND THE
CENTER TO GREATER ZION... IN AN
EFFORT TO ATTRACT A GLOBAL
AUDIENCE... MANY IN THE
COMMUNITY BELIEVED IT WAS AN
ATTACK ON THE WORD DIXIE... A
RESPONSE TO THE NATIONAL
MOVEMENT TO REMOVE TRIBUTES TO
THE CONFEDERACY.
TIM ANDERSON, DEFENDING
SOUTHWESTERN UTAH HERITAGE
COALITION: "TURNING IT INTO A
PEJORATIVE FOR OTHER ISSUES THAT
JUST AREN'T ISSUES HERE."
SO THE BOARD HELD A MEETING A
WEEK LATER ON JUNE 29 -- HOLDING
OFF FOR SIX MONTHS ON THE NAME
CHANGE TO CONDUCT MORE RESEARCH
AND GATHER PUBLIC OPINION.
COMMISSIONERS SAY TUESDAY'S
VOTE, APPROVED 5-2, WAS HELD
FOUR MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
BASED ON THE COMMUNITY'S
FEEDBACK.
VICTOR IVERSON, CHAIRMAN,
WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSION:
"SOME OF OUR CITIZENS FELT THAT
MAYBE WE WERE JUST KICKING THE
CAN AND WEREN'T REALLY LISTENING
TO THEM. SO WE JUST DECIDED TO
MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE WERE
LISTENING TO THEM AND WE
INTENDED TO KEEP THE NAME."
ONE BOARD MEMBER WHO VOTED
AGAINST THE MOTION SAID HE
DISAGREED WITH CUTTING THE
RESEARCH PERIOD SHORT. HE SAID
HIS DECISION WAS NOT
POLITICAL... BUT ECONOMICAL...
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS NEW
BRANDING.
SHAYNE WITTWER, BOARD MEMBER,
DIXIE CENTER: "NOT TO STOP USING
THE NAME DIXIE, BUT TO SPEND THE
TIME TO RESEARCH."
IN A STATEMENT TO ABC4 NEWS,
GREATER ZION TOURISM DIRECTOR
KEVIN LEWIS WROTE IN PART,
"TOURISM RESEARCH AND INPUT FROM
VISITORS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT TO
PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THIS
AREA, THE WORD "DIXIE" IS EITHER
UNKNOWN OR CONFUSING... THAT
DOESN'T HELP YOUR MARKETING
EFFORTS."
LEWIS SAYS HE RESPECTS THE
BOARD'S DECISION AND HE'LL
CONTINUE. MARKETING THE BUILDING
AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT
PROVIDES IN THE BEST WAY
POSSIBLE.
IN ST. GEORGE, KATIE KARALIS
ABC4 NEWS.
***GLEN***
