LAST WEEK, we opined on the controversy over a portion of the artistic process used to create a model for a proposed life-sized bronze sculpture of a man holding a large salmon that is to be part of Gig Harbor’s not-yet-constructed maritime pier.

This week, we weigh in on another pier-related controversy — the name decided upon by the Gig Harbor City Council for the public pier to be built next to the Tides: the “People’s Dock.”

We admit we’re not exactly thrilled by the name.

True, it made our editor think of “The People’s Court,” television’s original reality court show starring the irascible Judge Joseph Wapner.

It’s also true it made one of our reporters think of communism, as “People’s” is a title often used by Marxist-Leninst governments to describe their state. To be fair to said reporter, however, he did not actually think the city council was naming the pier for communism or socialism.

We just think the name lacks pizzazz. It’s kind of boring, given all of the available choices that could have, in our opinion, done a better job of reflecting Gig Harbor’s fishing heritage.

Still, we would be remiss if we did not shine a spotlight on the thinking behind the “People’s Dock” designation.

Gig Harbor City Council member Derek Young, who suggested the name, provides a valuable history lesson in his Feb. 18 “Public Record” blog, where he wrote:

“The original People’s Dock was at this same site and served Gig Harbor before a land connection could be established. The name itself reflects the populist sentiment of the time, the same sentiment that pushed for creation of the ballot initiative as a check against political party corruption. The dock served as a lifeline for early peninsula residents and the loading/unloading location for the Mosquito Fleet.”

It turns out the name chosen by the city council is, historically speaking, about as far as you can get from communism and socialism.

Others were more upset at what they perceived as a process that didn’t work. It seems many people favored the Parks Commission’s recommendation, “Fishermen’s Pier. “(See the letter from Gig Harbor’s Tomi Kent Smith in Letters to the Editor.)

Young further explained in his blog that getting a consensus on either “Fisherman’s Pier” or another name didn’t seem likely, so he suggested the “People’s Dock,” pointing out that the Parks Commission’s role in the naming selection process was advisory.

He went on to write: “I can’t promise we got this right. I definitely think we could have done a better job with the process, as that seems to be part of the problem.”

Whatever the reason, we’re not excited about the name the “People’s Dock.” But who knows? Maybe it will grow on us in time.