Our View: All a matter of how we define terms

Divergent ways of defining those words make for three capsules of thought at the beginning of this long Memorial Day weekend.

• “Support”: Just what did it mean when Crescent City Council members stood up along with more than 50 people in the audience Monday to demonstrate their “support” for the Visitors Bureau?

The audience members, after all, showed up to back the bureau’s efforts to gain an ongoing source of funding from the council. Dedication of one-quarter of the city’s revenue from the hotel/motel tax is sought. This would provide the bureau with the financial stability to much more aggressively promote tourism in our area, which would in turn produce more revenue from that hotel/motel tax while boosting the local economy.

That will always be the case, and it’s especially true in difficult financial times. But here are some facts: The city won’t get hit as hard as other local jurisdictions by the state budget meltdown. And the city takes in the majority of the hotel/motel tax revenue because most of those facilities are within the city limits.

What we need from City Council members are the vision and determination to decide that tourism promotion is essential to our well-being. It’s time for them to turn their “support” into action by establish an ongoing funding source for the Visitors Bureau.

• “Buying local”: The Del Norte Unified School District continues to wrestle with how it will define this term as it awards contracts for school improvements projects approved by voters last November. School Board members increasingly seem to be willing to go as far as state law will allow to ensure that the paychecks from these projects end up in the wallets of local workers.

They’re seeking a delicate balance as they attempt to boost the local economy while also getting the best possible deals for taxpayers and ensuring the projects are done right.

The school district is confronting on a large scale an issue we all face. We make decisions every day that define our willingness as individuals to “buy local.” Like the schools, we may not be able to afford to do so at any cost. But if we act on the conviction that we should keep our dollars circulating locally whenever possible, we’ll all weather this series of financial storms a little better.

• “Championship”: Last year, the Del Norte High School softball team won it all, taking the Northcoast Section Redwood Empire title despite having no seniors on the squad.

The Warriors begin another playoff quest with mostly the same players, but this season the definition of “championship” has changed. The Redwood Empire and East Bay divisions have combined for post-season play, meaning a wider array of potential opponents stand between Del Norte and a second consecutive title.

Coach Jackie Heuberger welcomes the challenge, figuring it will be good for her players to take on unfamiliar opponents from farther away. One result of the new configuration is that the Warriors may get only one home playoff game even if they keep winning.

That game is today. The first pitch is at noon at the high school as Del Norte takes on Alhambra.