Guide getting update

By next week, tourists passing through Putnam County will have an easier time of finding hotels.

On Tuesday, Putnam County Convention and Visitor Bureau Executive Director Karla Lawless told the nine board members in attendance that CVB's Putnam County Hotel Guide should be printed soon and the bureau could have it back as early as Tuesday.

"This if the first time we've had (a hotel guide)," Lawless told the board. "I'm real excited."

Lawless said CVB planned to have 5,000 copies of the guide printed by Putnam Solutions.

The hotel guide will feature hotels located in the county, including what rooms appear like and costs. Lawless said the guide will be advantageous for tourists.

"We don't have anything like that," she said. "This will give everybody an idea (of what is available)."

Lawless said the board began discussions to print a hotel guide in April. She said they will be available at all county hotels, the Putnam County Welcome Center, and the CVB office, 12 W. Washington St., Greencastle.

In addition, Lawless said the hotel guides will be mailed out to citizens per request.

"We've never had any requests (for a hotel guide) in the past years," Lawless said. "We hearing it more and more now, with people paying higher prices for hotels.

"People want to see what they're getting."

Meanwhile, Lawless informed board members that the One Lap event was a success.

"It turned out to be fantastic," Lawless said. "I'm going to hope they come back next year."

"They were extremely grateful," board member Don Gedert added.

The event, which took place at Putnam Park on May 11, featured nearly 100 souped-up cars of many makes and models.

CVB gave out a basket of goodies, courtesy of the county, which was won by Curt Krempa, Blasdell, N.Y.

Local businesses who donated gifts to the basket included Red Leaf Creativity Center, Wildwood Country, Treasurer's in the Cellar, Almost Home, Candles and Confection, Harris Sugar Bush Camp, and Fine Print Book Store.

Board member Eric Hayman was not present at Tuesday's meeting.

In other business, the board:

-- Learned from Lawless that the Days Inn Hotel has caught up on its inn keeper tax.

-- Learned the Victorian Day Spa opening day went well.

-- Learned the Putnam County Museum had called CVB expressing interest in the board scheduling a meeting at the new museum location. However, Lawless told the board she informed museum officials that the board has an easier time of having its meetings at its own location.

-- Learned that CVB's annual audit was recently completed by Bray and Associates. Lawless said a final report should be ready for the board's next meeting.

-- Learned from board member Dick Wells that two bus loads of tourists from Effingham, Ill., paid a visit to Greencastle recently on a "mystery trip." Wells told the board members one of the buses broke down on its way and both got to Greencastle later than expected. However, Wells said his business, Hilltop Orchid, gave all the women on the trip an orchid bloom.

"They did not want to leave," Wells told the board members. "They had a wonderful time."

-- Discussed a possible change of meeting time, but decided to keep meetings scheduled for 7 p.m.

-- Changed its July meeting date to July 18 because of the Putnam County Fair.

The board meets regularly at 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Meetings take place at the CVB office on the south side of the courthouse square in Greencastle and are open to the public.