Printable VersionA recurring theme in this space has been to review the progress Lake Havasu City made toward becoming a truly excellent city.
Today is a timely day to revisit the topic of excellence because of a key dinner this evening focused on the future opening of an Arizona State University campus in our city.
The opening of an ASU campus would directly and positively affect all four of the key cornerstones of excellence in our community.
1. Economic diversification: Our city has run primarily on real estate and tourism for decades. A college offers the potential for millions of dollars a year in economic growth. Jobs are created and students spend money. That’s a pretty good formula for economic success.
2. Improving education to lead to a better quality of life for all as well as a skilled, knowledgeable work force: As measured by the number of bachelor’s degrees, Mohave County is ranked among the lowest attainment areas in the country. A college not only provides educated graduates who want to enter the work force but its presence serves as a magnet for businesses wishing to open or relocate where higher education and graduates are available.
3. Tourism: College students mean family and other visitors, all of whom demand top-flight places to eat, stay and play. A supply of those visitors would help drive improvements in the hospitality category.
4. Improving the sense of community and identity in Lake Havasu City: This is an intangible area. A college, though, would certainly improve the self-image as well as the outside image of the city. Lake Havasu will always be known as a great place to get away and play, but it can also become known as a great college town where the academic year is warm and suntans come free of charge.
The Havasu Foundation for Higher Education dinner this evening is focused on fundraising to help make the campus a reality in 2012.
When the community does make it happen, it will be a home run for our city.
— Today’s News-Herald
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