PORT TOWNSEND — Snowstorms may have cooled Port Townsend considerably this week, but local boosters say that the town’s “cool” is not a matter of its temperature.
They hope the town can earn the distinction of being the coolest small town in America in the Budget Travel magazine’s online contest going on now.
For the second consecutive year, Port Townsend is a finalist in the contest, in which towns with a populations of fewer than 10,000 compete for a bragging rights distinction that touts their overall hip demeanor.
And for the second consecutive year, online votes — which will be accepted until the end of the month — are lagging after a strong beginning.
Port Townsend — which posted a lackluster 13th place finish in 2011 — had quickly risen to fourth place after the contest began.
By Wednesday afternoon, Port Townsend had fallen to fifth place with just 6.4 percent of the vote.
Port Townsend is the only Pacific Northwest town in the running.
With a population of 9,136, it is also the largest in the top 10 chosen by a panel of judges from 647 online nominations of towns.
Two of the traits that pushed Port Townsend to the top of the pack were its Victorian architecture and its proximity to wilderness areas, according to magazine spokesman Ryan Murphy.
Those leading the contest now are from opposite coasts.
Hammondsport, N.Y., which had 23.9 percent, maintained a slim lead over Weaverville, Calif., which had 23.1 percent.
Port Townsend also lagged behind Beaufort, N.C., with 21.1 percent and Damascus, Va., with 7.1 percent.
Chamber leading charge
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is leading the charge in motivating people to vote, using social networking tools to encourage people to participate.
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t do this,” said Teresa Verraes, chamber executive director.
“It could have a huge benefit on the local economy, bringing people in to town who will support small businesses.”
Verraes acknowledged that many people aren’t supporting the contest because they don’t want new people coming into town, an attitude she feels is shortsighted and selfish.
“I have heard that kind of thing since my family moved here in the early 1980s,” she said.
“But the question is, can we afford to ignore this opportunity to let people know about us, especially in this economy?
“It will give us a little leverage, it’s not going to raise our taxes or make it harder to find parking downtown.”
Verraes said the chamber is using social media, predominantly Facebook, to encourage people to vote.
This includes a series of videos filmed by local media blogger Jack Olmsted that feature local citizens stating why the town is cool, viewable on several local sites.
“People are on Facebook all the time, so they should just vote every day,” Verraes she said.
The contest rules allow one vote each day from each computer or smartphone.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
