Icons for Sale: Two Yout's' First-Person Perspectives on Geneva's Downtown Legacy

Prologue: What I Learned About Tara Knott and Garrett Lance During Their Summer Vacation

In this business, there are writers and there are reporters. Every once in awhile, you find someone who does both extremely well, but for the most part, journalists tend to lean in one direction or the other.

Garrett's talent tilts to the reporter side. He's a digger and a thinker. He likes to get to the bottom of things and understand how they work. I thought he showed savvy and offered solid analysis in his "" piece last week—giving us some insight on just how difficult it will be for the  to become reality.

Tara's the storyteller. She likes the human side of the journalism yin-and-yang, and that will serve her well as she advances her career. The best in our business know how to tell compelling stories about real people. As a writer, Tara has a voice—and that's rare.

Tara felt her best work was the . I liked the , but they're all Tara-ific.

Neither reporter missed a deadline. Each were self-starters who required little hand-holding and turned in clean copy—qualities that would put them on any editor's dream team. I hold them both in the highest regard, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to shamelessly exploit their talents this summer.

Congratulations to our "two yout's" from Geneva. With these final, first-person essays, you have . 

Garrett Lance

Geneva is a city in transition.

As Tara Knott and I reported on the “Icons For Sale” series the past three months, I was genuinely surprised by the number of landmarks that were for sale, or likely to be. Some of these vacancies seemed depressing—like the closing of the renowned , yet all offer an exciting opportunity for Geneva to stay a relevant and vital community.

All the properties highlighted in the “Icons” series tell a riveting story about the history of Geneva. What becomes of these sites will undoubtedly help shape the future of the city.

Among the issues discussed in the series, the potential “musical chairs” between , the and the seems most significant because it affects so many sites. The potential swap would also have ramifications for taxpayers who would have to foot the bill for a new library, or a new city facility. Whatever happens to these prominent buildings is likely shape the form and function of Geneva's historic downtown business district for many decades to come.

Their future should not be taken lightly.

Thankfully, at a time when the economy and development have slowed, the city has the ability to take a step back and work to assemble a plan for a verdant future. That’s exactly what the city has done with the most recent Master Plan that considered input from elected officials, community members, and businessowners.

Geneva has a great history. I believe this type of planning for local icons is absolutely necessary to ensure that the city continues to grow in its rich history.

In order to remain a vibrant community, the city must always be looking toward the future.

Tara Knott

NASHVILLE, TN—I’ll admit, when Rick first asked me to co-write a news-feature series on Geneva’s iconic buildings, I was a little skeptical. At first, it didn’t sound like there would be much of a story to tell, especially about the buildings that weren’t on the market yet.

But I’m a features girl at heart, and I trusted Rick—after all, he’s a , and I’m . So I agreed.

Thank goodness. 

I learned more writing the this summer than I have in some of my college classes. (Not all my classes … don’t worry, Mom and Dad!) 

I learned to be a good reporter, you have to ask questions people might not be happy about. That was difficult—I have a deep-seated need for people to like me. So when I had to tell the superintendent of my former school district that if he couldn’t give me more information about , I’d have to run a story with a quote he gave me five years ago, I was a little nervous. 

I learned that if you say that sort of thing with a disarming smile and an innocent voice, most people still like you anyway. 

I learned when you’ve got a deadline breathing down your neck, you’ve got to take what you have—even if it’s not much—and write the best story you can. 

Because aren’t for sale yet, that piece was packed with background information and peppered with a few vague quotes from city officials. I’ve never written a piece like that—I love using colorful quotes to tell my stories. 

But nothing has been set in stone with those properties, so there was no color to be found. Just plain-and-simple, black-and-white reporting. To my surprise, it didn’t turn out half bad.

And I learned to tell the human side of any story, even when it’s hard. 

Writing about the fate of the  was by far my favorite piece of the series—it’s the only building I was assigned to that was both on the market and still in operation. 

It broke my heart to talk to the employees, to hear the uncertainty and sadness in their voices. But it drove home the point of the Icons for Sale series—nothing is sacred in this economy. It was a little sad, really.

Thankfully, when Garrett and I met with , Ellen Divita and Dick Untch, my faith in Geneva’s future was restored. Their optimism about the gave me hope, and I’m excited to see what Geneva looks like five, 10 or 15 years down the road.

It will always be my hometown, whether I live in Nashville or New York. And writing about the  I grew up with, the ones that make our town so special? I’d say it was a pretty fantastic way to spend my vacation.

So, until classes kick it for the summer once again, I'll be staying up-to-date on all things Geneva via Patch.

Thanks for reading my columns!