Merchants look for a response to spate of tough news

Brady Winter is the new president of the Eldora Chamber of Commerce board, taking the job right in the wake of the Shopko’s store closing, and as a second bulletin arrived days ago from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It plans to close the main Pine Lake State Park Campground. Only temporarily, but for a critical tourism portion of the summer.

“Yes, I guess you could see it as a tough time to come on board, but all you can do is react,” he says.

Winter says that the chamber, which is still newly reorganized, will be trying to come up with some ideas to lure the weekend crowd – locals and others – into town.

The summer shutdown in the park represents a challenge, he says. Winter says that there is no specific response in mind yet, but he believes a lot of the chamber membership are like-minded in that: “Every man for himself isn’t a solution.”

For the full story, see this week's Index. Subscribe by calling 1-800-558-1244 ext 122 or email Deb at circulation@midamericapub.com or by clicking here.