TURNOVERS

by Alan B. Gibson

The return of summer – it’s gonna get crowded out there . . . again

Last weekend’s arrival of the Memorial Day holiday coincided with graduation at Clinton County High School, and thus I opted to postpone for a week my annual warning to local readers about the onslaught of tourists and instead go into my annual congratulatory column to the graduating senior athletes (and the parents/guardians).

With that behind us, it’s now time for the reminder that comes this time of year to remember that as we begin yet another summer season, this first of the three “big three” tourism holidays mean not only better weather to enjoy the outdoors, but a reminder that we can expect things to get a lot more crowded around this area for the next three to four months.

This time around, with the completion of the Wolf Creek Dam rehabilitation project, we could be seeing numbers of visitors that reach levels we haven’t had in more than half a decade.

If predictions are right, with Lake Cumberland some 20 feet higher than in the past six years, and with Dale Hollow continuing to be in good shape to our south, tourism numbers should jump dramatically.

With summer traditionally arriving with the Memorial Day holiday regardless of the fact that the calendar says we’re still three weeks away from the real start of the summer season on June 21, local boaters and water enthusiasts will be flocking to both lakes.

The important thing to remember during this busy summer season, is that we’re not alone out there when we’re headed to the lake or taking the boat around the next corner. Thousands of tourists come our way each summer to enjoy our waterways, and it’s important to remember their presence is not only important to our local economy in terms of tourism dollars, but their presence also means that we need to give ourselves a little extra time, and room on the lakes and roadways.

We invite the visitors to come to our area, but they don’t always understand our driving habits, and I’ll be the first to admit that I seldom understand all of their driving habits – both behind the wheel of a car as well as behind the wheel of a vessel.

Secondly, try to remember that the tourists are also eager to get in every possible minute of vacation fun and often times, many of these boaters are either operating a vessel for the first time, or at best, on one of the two or three times they use their boats each year. Same assumption should hold true when we see tourists arriving towing a boat behind them – likely they only tow a few times each summer, so give them some extra room on the highway.

Thirdly, our economy needs these visitors. They come here hoping to get in a weekend or week of fun. They bring pockets full of money that they plan on leaving with us when they go back home. Our gas stations, marinas, restaurants, grocers and repair businesses all benefit from the money they spend here, and a host of local jobs are dependent on the dollars they leave in our county when their vacation is over.

How can we make sure they come back next year, and maybe bring more family and friends? Be nice. When you see some tourists at a gas station or grocery store, speak and perhaps even stop to chat. If you see a car on the side of the road looking at a map, stop and offer your assistance. We can all be good stewards of our community.

We’re proud of where we live, why shouldn’t we be eager to share what we have – especially given the fact that they are willing so help boost the Clinton County economy.

So – summer is here, let the game begin, but remember, we’re not alone out there, at least until sometime in September when we get it back all to ourselves.

Have a fun, and safe summer, and remember – be nice,

More importantly, in the words of Sgt. Phil from Hillstreet Blues, “Let’s be careful out there.”