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Local leaders from city government to the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce were delighted.
But quickly following news of these rankings was a small but vocal chorus of cynics pointing out that the surveys included the "Torrington area," not just Torrington itself.
They were saying, "See, we knew it couldn't be true. We knew nothing that good could be said about Torrington."
For those who take that view, and for the leaders of city government and business in Torrington, I'd like to offer a different take on the "it doesn't count because it was regional" razzing of our recent moments in the national spotlight.
Why not embrace that regional strength as a huge positive for Torrington and find a lot more ways to take advantage of it?
Are high personal income levels and strong school test scores in Litchfield, Harwinton and Norfolk supposed to make Torrington feel worse about itself?
Why, when Torrington is and has been in a position to serve as a regional hub of commerce, dining, arts and entertainment?
Torrington is the "micropolitan" center of Litchfield County, and Litchfield County has a heck of a lot going for it.
There is no shame in building a downtown dining and shopping district with a key marketing strategy of attracting visitors from Goshen, Harwinton, Norfolk, Litchfield and Sharon.
These towns can't match the urban amenities that Torrington can offer, or they wouldn't be what they are - charming, rural, lightly populated suburban communities that naturally attract a wealthier demographic.
Torrington can build wealth by looking outward to better serve the region, by tailoring what it offers with this in mind, and by projecting an image that is welcoming.
The possibilities, when you start to brainstorm, are endless. Torrington, because of its big box retail shopping and rural surroundings, already ranks among the top communities in the state in total retail sales, despite having far less population than many cities that fall behind it.
If downtown were attractive to these visiting shoppers in its own way, a huge piece of community revitalization could be achieved. And Torrington has several key regional attractions to build upon - the Warner Theatre and the Torrington Twisters to name two. Has the city and business community really made a concerted, specific effort to build around these anchors and help boost them in the process?
And even beyond the private sector, the concept of Torrington as a regional hub could extend to thinking about not limiting city services to the city limits. A key to property tax relief for Torrington might be to take advantage of its overhead and infrastructure to partner with surrounding towns who can't afford a paid fire department, a large police force, a full-time parks and recreation department, etc.
Matt DeRienzo is publisher of The Register Citizen. He can be reached at 860-489-3121, ext. 350, or by email at mderienzo@registercitizen.com.
