Saving Washington’s ailing cities could require pop-culture makeover

Election season has come and gone, and out of a bevy of turnovers one Aberdeen man is turning heads, with hopes that he can save the ailing city.

KIRO Radio’s Tom and Curley have advice for the new mayor on how to turn things around in Aberdeen. But will it be the city everyone knows today?

With 72 percent of the vote, Erik Larson will become the town’s next mayor. While mayors come and go, Larson is making headlines because at 23 years old, he will be the youngest mayor in Aberdeen’s history.

Tom notes that Larson’s strongest voter support came from people between the ages of 50 and 80; the last generation that can remember a thriving Aberdeen.

Aberdeen is among a long list of Washington cities that previously reached economic heights with a booming logging industry. The industry is on the decline, and so are the places that supported them. Larson recently said he believes Aberdeen still has a lot to offer, such as fishing and hunting, and its proximity to outdoor recreation. He also wants to improve the city with things such as bike lanes.

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Can Aberdeen be saved? The solution may be found in other small Washington cities.

“The little town of Leavenworth … was a big logging community, it had a railroad that went through there but unfortunately snow was always closing down the railroad,” Curley explained. “So they moved the railroad from Tumwater Canyon to Wenatchee in 1910 or 1920.

“And the town was just decimated. There was one point in Leavenworth, on the main street, 20 of the stores were just empty. There was nothing going on.”

Though not exactly Aberdeen, it echoes the experience of losing an industry and lifeline.

“So in 1964 a bunch of people got together and decided to save the town,” Curley said. “They said, ‘Hey listen, we’ve got to save this town. We’ve got to come up with something, some identity, some reason for people to come here. We’re going to go Bavarian. And everything is going to be Bavarian.'”

“And people were like, ‘That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard!'” he said.

But it turned out not to be so ridiculous after all. Leavenworth’s risky move paid off. It was converted to a Bavarian ambiance. The storefronts were remodeled in southern German style. Locals even don lederhosen. Events such as Octoberfest, and the Christmas season draw immense crowds.

“And now a million people a year go to Leavenworth,” Curley said. “Every month they’ve got something going on. It’s pre-Oktoberfest, then it’s Oktoberfest, then it’s Christmas time, then it’s the winter icicle festivals, and they constantly have that to drive people into Leavenworth,” Curley said.

Tom agrees, but wonders what Aberdeen could do.

“I think it’s hilarious and ingenious at the same time,” Tom said. “Everything is fake about [Leavenworth], and yet it is charming, especially at Christmas. It’s spectacular … but do you think a Bavarian Aberdeen would work?”

Curley doesn’t think a Bavarian Aberdeen would be a good idea. But something similar.

“Here’s an Idea,” Tom suggested. “Why don’t they make it the grunge capitol of the world, since it’s the birthplace of Kurt Cobain. And they could turn it into a city with nothing but flannel shirts … and great music festivals.”

Curley said that Tom’s grunge idea proves the notion wrong that when brainstorming, there is no such thing as a bad idea.

“You’ve got to have something that makes people want to come there. It can’t be that Kurt Cobain peed underneath a bridge with a bunch of homeless people. That’s not enough of a reason,” Curley said.

Tom tried again.

“OK, if that was a bad one, here’s my other one,” Tom said. “Aberdeen is actually the name of another city in another country. Let’s capitalize on its Scottish roots. It would be like a little tour of Scotland. You could have golf courses, because golf was invented in Scotland. Everybody could wear kilts. Turn it into a wee bit of Scotland.”

“You could have some great pubs and stuff like that,” Curley added.

It’s a tactic other towns have capitalized on in some form or another; finding a quirky way to attract people. Curley notes that Moses Lake has a giant lava lamp. Winlock has a giant egg. Even South Dakota’s Wall Drug attracts hordes of visitors.

Tom points to Forks, which hasn’t been “saved,” but is another logging city that experienced a downturn. After the popular “Twilight” book and movie series achieved massive success, that success filtered down to Forks where the stories are set.

“You need to come up with some kind of pop culture connection to a dying lumber town to revive it,” Tom said.