Except for a couple of years while a college student, I’ve lived in Brainerd since 1970. Every single day, I look out the windows of my house at Brainerd Road. While technically I live on Missionary Ridge, Brainerd and Brainerd Road are a sand wedge from my front door and have always been home and likely will always be home to me.
The midTown logo is shown.
Barry CourterWhile I fully appreciate and commend almost any and all efforts to bring new life to the area, rebranding it as midTown is not one of the efforts I can get behind. It didn’t make any sense to rename it Old Town, as was attempted four or five years ago, either.
It will always be Brainerd to me, and I think most other people as well. One problem I’m having is the spelling alone is confusing as you can find it spelled “Midtown,” “MidTown” and “midTown” on websites and social-media sites dedicated to the effort.
Brainerd needs a good shot in the arm, and it will take time. The Southside and North Shore – both new names that seemed like natural nomenclatures for a rebranded area almost from the start – took time to develop. I hope the area does manage to take on a new identity. I’m just not sure it needs a new name, and I do not believe it should be midTown.
* A couple of radio veterans moved on in recent days. Kim Carson left WDEF-FM 92.3 to take a job at Hamilton Place, and Randy “Boner” Smith was let go at WRXR-FM 105.5 after iHeart eliminated his position.
Carson posted on her Facebook page last week, “It is with much sadness and excitement that I share some life-changing news for me! Friday will be my last day at Sunny 92.3. I have accepted the marketing director position with Hamilton Place mall!”
Smith also turned to Facebook to let people know he was leaving. He wrote: “After 15 years at Rock 105, my position has been eliminated. Thank you to all the great people who have allowed me to be a small part of their lives. I love you guys!!”
Officials at the station posted this on the station’s Facebook page: “It’s true Boner is no longer with Rock 105. Our silence is nothing more than our sadness. You listened to him, but we worked with him and bled with him for 15 years. He is and always will be our brother. His position was eliminated, but not by any of us in Chattanooga. So be mad, but not at us. We’re Rock 105 “Chattanooga’s rock station.” Not our rock station, not Boner’s rock station, but YOUR rock station. We’re purposely going MUSIC ONLY in mornings as a thank you to Boner. We love you, brother.”
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.