I am not sure why, but I have never been crazy about street names that utilize a person's full name. Rosa Parks Way is probably our newest example in Lincoln. Many communities have a Martin Luther King Jr. Street, which always seems like a tongue-twister. Why do I prefer Parks Way and King Street instead? I have no idea, considering I have no problem with street names like Rolling Hills Boulevard. The brain's reasons are a mystery.
I do fear that personalizing streets too much could lead to a "vanity war" of sorts, where groups try to prove that "their" person is just as deserving of a street as those other people who already have streets. For now that fear is mostly hypothetical in Lincoln, but let's keep an eye on it.
I also generally don't care for renaming existing streets. It is a pain in the neck for anybody with property along the street, and for anybody who needs to access that property. Certainly there could be exceptions, but the exceptions should come only in exceptional circumstances.
With that in mind, I am inclined not to support Mike Scholl's family's request that West Stanton Street be renamed Mike Scholl Street. The request just doesn't sit right with me. Putting aside my own personal quirk about full-name streets, it appears to be a small but fairly significant step toward the "vanity war" I worry about. If Mr. Scholl gets a street, why shouldn't all local soldiers killed in action get a street? (Well, maybe they should, but that's a different discussion.) And certainly other local contributors are just as deserving, no? Or so the argument may go.
I would feel much more comfortable with the request if we were talking about naming a new street after Mr. Scholl. New streets are named all sorts of wacky things; giving a street a name with meaning would be a nice change of pace. Alternately, if I were Mr. Scholl's best friend I think I would be rooting for Scholl Street to pass directly in front of Schoo School. I'm ornery that way.
As I write this I can feel my position changing a little. Now is your chance to make the case that will push me to change my mind, or that will get me to reaffirm my original opinion. Have at it.
For what it's worth, if anybody ever feels the need to name something after me, I think I would like it to be a park. Preferably a park with the best playground in town.
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I like the Schoo School on Scholl Street 😊
Although Mr. Scholl and others are certainly deserving of honors and recognition, I don’t think we should start (re)naming our streets. It sets the stage for the “vanity war” you talk about. Where do we stop? How much does it cost to rename a street and change all references to it? What about the people who live on a street that is to be renamed - do they have a voice?
There are other ways to honor people that are less disruptive than renaming streets.
Mr. Wilson Way has a certain ring to it, however.
We could be sure that Mr. Wilson Way is adorned with the infamous no left turn/no u-turn signs you were so thoughtful in finding for the city.
How about a soccer field?
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