Letters to the Editor

November 13, 2009

Where would Jefferson Co. be without track?

To the editor:

Recent letters to the editor concerning Jefferson County tourism and Charles Town Races & Slots are misleading and inaccurate in claiming that casinos fail to contribute to the local economy.

Charles Town Races & Slots draws in excess of 4.5 million tourists to Jefferson County each year. Tourists bring revenue - revenue that local businesses, restaurants and hotels rely on to remain viable in today's tough economy. Charles Town Races & Slots is directly responsible for bringing consumers into our local economy and not for driving dollars away from local business.

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Jefferson County Development Authority have endorsed table games. I doubt that these groups - dedicated to promoting the economic well-being of Jefferson County - would endorse table games at Charles Town Races & Slots if such an action were not in the best interests of Jefferson County businesses and Jefferson County citizens.

Additionally, West Virginia tourism and Charles Town Races & Slots face a new threat from the neighboring state of Maryland, where we could possibly see up to 8,500 slot machines come online within the coming months. Table games are necessary if West Virginia and Jefferson County want to remain competitive.

My family and I operate a local restaurant and will vote "yes" for table games on Dec. 5 because we have seen how important Charles Town Races & Slots is to the local economy and the tourism it brings into Jefferson County.

When you go to the polls next month, consider where Jefferson County would be without Charles Town Races & Slots.

Ann M. Smith
Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

Sponsors help make dairy shows a success

To the editor:

Another successful series of open dairy shows was held at the Franklin County Fair in 2009, with a supreme champion named.

The shows were made possible through the generous support of a number of sponsors, including Koons A.I. of Waynesboro, Pa.

In addition to Koons A.I., the fair organization would like to thank the following businesses for their support of the open shows - Cumberland Dairy Supply/IBA, Greencastle (Pa.) Veterinary Hospital, Lancaster DHIA, Weller Custom Services, Dennis Crider, Select Sires, William Schnebly, Shawn Meyers of Steiger & Steiger & Meyers, Bob Hoffman Chevrolet, Garry Zimmerman Hoof Trimming, Mid-Maryland Dairy Veterinarians, Fisher & Thompson and Tower Bank.

Carl Hartman
vice president
Franklin County Fair

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