One rural town known as Boring, Oregon may get a tourism boost after Oregon House lawmakers officially decided this week to commemorate a Boring and Dull Day in the state.
Based on their mundane names, Dull, Scotland and Boring, Oregon formed an international partnership last year to build cultural and commercial connections, the Associated Press reported. Lawmakers took that further by voting in favor of the Aug. 9 Boring and Dull Day in the state, putting the name of the U.S. town first despite mild objections from their European counterparts.
The plan, now heading to the state Senate, is aimed at boosting tourism, Aug. 9 marks one year from the day the towns were officially dubbed a "pair for the ages," AP reported.
Republican Rep. Bill Kennemer, the proposal's sponsor, gave a speech announcing the measure -- but his talk never included what Oregon residents should do in observance.
"While some might be inclined to call this frivolous, the reality is that this attention is attracting tourism and commerce to this Boring section of Oregon," he said, pun intended, AP reported.
When a fellow Republican. Rep. Kevin Cameron, said he saw an intern falling asleep during the address, laughs broke out across the chamber.
Stephen Bates, the unofficial mayor of Boring, said the idea for the international partnership between Boring and Dull came about after a Scottish biker cycled through the Oregon town last year.
Bates said that he's amazed at the international attention the partnership garnered. He noted that Boring residents aren't quite like the name of the town indicates.
When tourists "come to Boring I think they realize people aren't so boring or dull," said Bates, the chair of the town's Community Planning Organization.
The town's namesake, Bob Boring, a former resident, said he's thrilled about the town's new designation.
"It enjoys all the teasing it gets, and it does get a bunch," said the retired math teacher.
"A Boring math teacher," he quipped. "What could be worse?"
AP could not immediately reach anyone in the Scottish village of Dull, but one resident and business owner, Donald Riddell, told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper, "People see it as a daft joke, but there is a very serious side to this."
"We employ 30 local people here, on a (side) road, in a recession," he added. "Anything that can put us on the map and keep our staff in jobs has to be a good thing."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
