BikerBoy from Maryville, IL on 2/17/2024 10:05:26 AM:
Leaia and Mark, I am sorry to hear about your family situation and also about the Globe not opening. You should not be disappointed -- we know you did your best; we saw first-hand how much care you put into restoring the hotel and creating wonderful meals.
The truth is that businesses like the Globe provide not only income for the owners and taxes for the area, but they give an incentive to preserve historical places without taxpayer dollars. The Globe started as a railroad hotel, and you can envision the thousands of railroad workers who used it as their layover spot after a long day. Saving that history is what Mark and Leaia have done on our behalf. But they (indeed, any of us) can only take it so far. These are private businesses and properties, but they all need our support to survive.
So pay attention, MO politicians because your decisions have consequences! If you approve the full Rock Island Trail, businesses like the Globe and Bluffton Barn might have the chance to make it. Certainly, the appeal of a 400+ mile loop would bring more active. high-spending tourists to the state. And, the many small towns along the Rock Island have equally historic and interesting businesses. They don't even have their chance to shine in the sun because the politicians are prioritizing extra highway lanes and other unneeded projects instead of taking advantage with what we have already been given.