Hillsdale's smoking slogan

Four of us sat around the corner table at Baker & Spice today coming up with a catchy name for a community fund-raising drive.

Some of money will go to light up a three-story-tall “Hillsdale” sign and tower light on the new Watershed Senior Housing building here. (I’ll get back to the lights in a moment)

The rest will go to establishing a Hillsdale Community Foundation.

My goal was to coax a campaign name out of my three colleagues. With these three, it didn’t take much coaxing. Ted Coonfield, Don Baack and Mike Roach are hands-on, outspoken leaders in the Hillsdale community.

With the lighting bit in mind, we played with “Brighten Hillsdale,” “Hillsdale in Lights,” “Hillsdale, Light it up!” but finally, with vague reservations, decided on “Light up Hillsdale.”

The reservations had to do with a perceived cigarette connection, but then we figured, what the hell, how many people smoke here anyway?

Afterwards I got to thinking that we shouldn’t hide the smoking reference; we should “culture jam” (i.e. steal) it by using the insidiously clever slogans that the advertising industry concocted to promote sucking on cancer sticks.

So here is where the “Light up Hillsdale” campaign goes with slightly modified smoking slogans attached:

Light up Hillsdale — Come to where the flavor is. (We have a half dozen excellent restaurants here)

Light up Hillsdale — One cool (and wet) place

Light up Hillsdale — Just what the doctor ordered (OHSU is right up the hill)

Light up Hillsdale — Tastes good just like a community farmers market should. (We are known for our market)

Light up Hillsdale — I’d walk a mile to get to Hillsdale (especially if we had sidewalks — which we don’t. Trails, we have.)

Light up Hillsdale —You’ve come a long way, baby. (especially if you’ve confused us with Hillsboro and had to backtrack to get here)