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Wednesday, November 22, 1995     Page:

W-B should take notice how deep tourism runs in Stillwater’s economy
   
I was impressed with your editorial about tourism in Luzerne County (Oct.
25),
    and I share your view 100 percent. Unfortunately, we have government
leaders who are stuck in a rut. They have no idea of what the “ripple
effect” of tourism is and how it can improve the economy of an areaI was
fortunate to travel to Stillwater, Minn., recently. Stillwater has many
similarities to Wilkes-Barre; however, it is not a depressed area.
   
The government officials have used their resources to create a tourist
industry. Just as coal was the main industry of Wilkes-Barre, lumber was the
main industry of Stillwater.
   
When the lumber business collapsed, Stillwater developed their tourist
industry.
   
As in Wilkes-Barre, Stillwater has a major river, the St. Croix, running
through it. However, the St. Croix has paddlewheelers traveling back and
forth, some with Dixieland bands on board, and on the banks of the river are
open-air restaurants.
   
They have a small sightseeing bus that tours the streets while tourists are
introduced to the Victorian homes along the way and the history of Stillwater.
   
Wilkes-Barre has 10 blocks of historic buildings registered with the
national government, as well as the Kirby, the Luzerne County Courthouse, the
Stegmaier Brewery, etc.
   
Stillwater has a small train which is another tourist attraction and takes
passengers back and forth to St. Paul. They use everything as a resource:
There is an old grain elevator that is used to give mountain climbing lessons.
We could use our old coal breakers.
   
There are many antique shops and gourmet restaurants that line the streets
of the town. One of our Stegmaier buildings could serve that purpose.
   
I might add that the town attracts many rich and influential people, and
recently three movies were filmed there.
   
The Poconos presently attracts many summer visitors, and I am sure they
would be happy to “come down the mountain” if they had something to come down
to.
   
We must use the resources that we have on hand and maybe, just maybe, we
will be able to pull ourselves out of this depression that we have been in for
too many years.
   
Sandra Hooper
   
Courtdale