Help Sussex find a new slogan

Sussex officials are searching for a new slogan. The current one, as revealed on signs welcoming people to Sussex County, is “Your business partner,” apparently selected through a contest about 10 years ago. If you never noticed it, you're not alone.

The county's process for developing its new slogan has yet to be defined, but a slogan proposed by staff, “Discover our roots,” received a less than enthusiastic reception. One county councilman said it sounds like a garden, while another suggested making official the county's popular if unofficial slogan, “Lower Slower Delaware,” already enshrined on many oval auto stickers.

The proposed slogan didn't seem to catch on, but the thinking behind it shows officials want a slogan that captures today's Sussex County. They are aiming for something that “provides a sense of place and a sense of identity for Sussex County. We have deep roots in agriculture, and we have new people putting down roots.”

That's a tough message to capture. Our long history is at times overtaken by the onslaught of newcomers, and Sussex County has deep roots not only in agriculture but also in shipbuilding and other maritime endeavors, not to mention wide marshes and some of the most beautiful beaches on the Atlantic coast.

Knowing that Cape Gazette readers have the creativity and inventiveness key to a good brand, we've launched our own contest. Online suggestions range from “Room for all,” a reference to the origin of the name Rehoboth, and “Sussex, a way of life,” playing on the slogan of Dewey Beach, to “Life's a beach,” “Biggest is best,” and “Sussex County: Fast growing, slow going.”

We're searching for the slogan that best captures who we are and where we're going, and we hope finding it will spark conversations and debates in homes, fields and offices throughout Sussex.

Entries from online and print readers will be accepted until Sunday, Dec. 1.

Email entries to contests@capegazette.com or mail to Cape Gazette, PO Box 213, Lewes DE 19958.