Show WHAT'S GOING ON ONBy rI w By Sam Taylor Our appeal last week for tor books for Cor addition to the Grey Ladle Ladies Ladles Ladles' hospital library was very well wel taken and we would like to thank those people who have brought us books W We are certain that the books I will be be put to good use by the ladles ladies who have volunteered their services at the local hospital It was Interesting to note that tha textbooks as well as novels have been turned over to the hospital library They will undoubtedly be as widely read as the fiction works and will be serving a much better purpose than gathering dust on a sh shelf in the attic at home the place where so many books eventually turn up I Who can complain about bOut the kind of weather we have been having around here the past post few weeks It seems more like spring than like Uke the pre pre ChrIst Christ Christmas mas season The fact that thelast the thelast thelast last few winters have been a little more severe than this has hasa a lot of people puzzled Actually Actually Actually Ac Ac- Moab has been known for Us Its mild winters and early springs for many years Although the Chamber of Commerce Is taking a great deal of the credit for tor the sunshine sunshine sun sun- shine we have been told from froma a reliable time old-time source that this brand of 01 December weather was here long before Moab boasted a Chamber of Com Commerce merce I think we wo can all agree however however however how how- ever that It doesn't matter who Is responsible lust Just keep up the g good work Our attention was called this week to it an article appearing inthe Inthe in inthe the business section of the Dec 9 edition of TIME magazine relative relative relative rela rela- tive to the tourist Industry The widely read national news newsmagazIne newsmagazine newsmagazine magazine said Americans will spend almost twice as much on domestic trav tray traveling traveling eling cling as on new cars this year The Department of Commerce reported reported reported re re- ported last week that tourism has become a 15 billion t to 20 billion yearly business In the U. U US U.S. S. S and just 24 tourists a day bring as much to a town as a aI I plant with a year a a year payi pay payi roll I These figures show us just how important the tourist Industry Industry Industry Indus Indus- try could be in our own local loca economy and prove to us that tha tourism actually is a major Industry in I II The main raw materials for I this Industry are natural and developed developed de de' developed attractions These raw materials can be refined through the use of oC facilities placed In ir advantageous positions around the attractions tempered with friendliness and courtesy on the part of the people living within the industry Sure weve we've had a lot of tour tour- tourIsts tourists stop in this area in past years and with the advent of a anew anew anew new paved road into the Arches continued talk of development for forthe forthe forthe the Dead Horse Point area and the widespread publicity given us in the past few months we weare weare weare are going to have even more The real problem comes In attempting attempting at tempting to persuade our vacationing vacationing vacationing vaca vaca- visitors to remain with us more than a day or two For those of us who have lived all aU of lives we In this area our L LL L' L realize reaUze how foolish it is to think mm we might be able to see It all In Ina Ina ina a matter of ot hours For an example example example ex ex- ample close to home this writer has spent his entire life In Moab and saw the famed Upheaval Dome for the first time only a afew afew afew few months ago But one of the biggest problems pro problems problems bustness business business busi bust we run into in the ness of keeping tourists here Is what to do with them at night motel We can now boast ample space to house them and good eating establishments to feed them But for evening entertainment entertainment entertain entertain- entertainment ment other than our theatres we have little to offer Some towns have solved that problem by staging colored slide shows at the various auto courts In a town These have been very well accepted by the tourists and serve to keep them happy while In t town I We could suggest several forms of entertainment that could be used to stimulate the tourist Industry industry industry in In- here One thing Is certain we certain we have havea a fortune awaiting us in the tourist industry It is not a are re resource resource source that diminishes over the years In fact the more it is de de' de- de the greater It becomes People are going to be vacationing vacation vacation- ing as long as the system system tem rem of Ilva living g exists There Is no reason why they shouldn't spend their vacations vac in southeastern I Utah J JOne I IOne I One of ot the greatest events Inthe in inthe inthe the way of sporting entertainment that this area could develop would be the establishment of a ay y yearly arly marathon on 01 the Gre Green 1 and Colorado rivers boaters coming from miles around to take part put in the ra rack race which h would be probably between Moab and Gr According to reports I Ia a meeting between officials from I and the Col Colorado do River Skippers of Moab this week will be the first step made I Iby by the two communities tiel in attempting at at- tempting to stage this event We wish wi them success in their endeavor en en- deavor |