Tourism Brings Randolph County $16+ Million in 2012


Patrick Carroll, left, owner of Lesmeister Guesthouse, and Red Pearcy, right, president of the Randolph County Tourism Association, present a check to Pocahontas Mayor Frank Bigger, center, representing the $16+ million in outside money tourism brought to Randolph County in 2012.

 

I always wanted to handle one of these over-sized checks, and I MADE this one for presenting to the mayor during our May 4 Ozark Hellbender and Founders Day celebration. Thanks to Dalton Sullivan of the Pocahontas Star Herald for sharing his photo, and for putting it on the front page of last week’s newspaper!

Most folks here don’t think much about tourism, but it’s our state’s second-largest industry, after farming, and when tourists spend money here, it’s taxed. Every local sales tax dollar generated by tourism here is a dollar for local government operations that does not have to be paid by local taxpayers!

I designed this graphic image that my sister has had printed onto tee shirts and caps for sale at Carroll's Variety Store, across Marr Street from Lesmeister Guesthouse.The tee shirt I’m wearing in the image above says “Save the Ozark Hellbender” in recognition of local support for saving this endangered species, the world’s largest salamander that now lives only in the upper Eleven Point River here in Randolph County, as well as in a few spots in southern Missouri.

 

One Reply to “Tourism Brings Randolph County $16+ Million in 2012”

  1. BC

    At 2’+ long, the Ozark Hellbender is North America’s largest salamander. They’re thought to live as long as 50 years, We’re now hoping to become a sister city with the town in Japan that celebrates the Japanese Giant Salamander.

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