To the Editor:

Kris Baker of Layton UT admonished “Mesquite businesspeople” last week to be more like Ukiah, CA or St. George UT, what with their “Costcos, Home Depots, Michael’s crafts, Targets, J.C. Penney’s and much other shopping” he wondered aloud if Mesquite  might benefit from with some of the same things. Ukiah even has a “LES SCHWAB!” he so rightly notes. This all sounds wonderful, I suppose, but until the population reaches critical mass these are merely pipe dreams. I suggest we Mesquitoes, in alliance with our local business community, would do well to focus on the things we already have in order to attract more full time residents to the area. This in turn attracts the business that will ultimately sustain our community.

A golf course for every traffic light, 5000 miles of ATV trails and hiking wilderness in our backyard, wonderful special events throughout the year like the ReMax World Long Drive Championships for example, three top notch casinos and all the entertainment they sponsor, two state-of-the art movie theaters, enough sit down and fast food restaurants to have us eating in a different location every night for over a month, enough stores and services to provide any and all our basic living needs, quiet well kept streets with clean air surrounded by spectacular scenery all work to give Mesquite a unique resort like atmosphere that we should strive to foster and maintain. It brought my wife and I here as full time residents just over a year ago and it will inevitably bring more to the area.

The day will come when the population will be sufficient to support something like a Costco and when it does you can bet the big box and strip-mall chains will be falling over themselves to build here. Then we will be just another Ukiah or St. George with one important difference I hope. Much of the infrastructure is already in place and ready to sustain an orderly growth that will hopefully allow Mesquite to maintain the unique atmosphere that sets it apart as a destination. In the meantime I’m going relish what we have right now because this place is bound to grow. It practically sells itself after all.

Just for the record, I think navigating the streets of Mesquite is quite functional and pleasant, islands and all, and, while I like Les Schwab as much as the next guy, Big O, Mesquite Tire Center and A.C.T. aren’t exactly chopped liver.

Sincerely,
Cliff Randle
Mesquite