Can Bowling Green be a pathway to adventure? If so, do you want it to be? And, if yes, how do we make it so? A “needs evaluation” would have to be determined. The Bowling Green City Planning Committee has done such. 1) Recreational needs would have to be constructed. Features that would attract young and old and families. 2) More housing and apartments are needed just to meet our current status, not even taking advancement into consideration. 3) More small manufacturing or industry would need to be created from within or recruited from outside. (Recruiting from outside is very competitive in rural America, including Missouri and tax incentives and land are almost always required). 4) More publicity/promotion of historical opportunities within our city and surrounding areas which would attract historians, adventurers, tourists and visitors. For instance, how many know about the Civil War Battle of Ashley? This needs to be promoted and developed for tourist attractions to Bowling Green and Pike County. Adventure opportunities like our lakes for boating, kayaking, camping sites and walking trails need promotion. Sadly, our lakes are not developed for more than for water supply and some fishing. Our walking trails around the lakes are overgrown with trees and weeds…but Bowling Green does offer trails plus camping, kayaking, and fishing too. Travelers are looking for relaxing yet exciting outdoor getaways for day trips and weekends. Even in the coldest months spectacular events, (Eagle Days), and activities bring crowds into small rural cities like Bowling Green. Entire towns get excited and prepare for visitors and events to celebrate their heritage and traditions. Pilots and their families will even fly into our Municipal airport as Bowling Green expands and develops as a “pathway to adventure.”

As you may know, after each season like the summer months and Christmas time, I go around to many of our retail businesses asking, “How much of your business was from out-of-towners verses locals?” Since we are basically at the end of summer due to schools starting, I have gone around several businesses and what they have stated is that about 95% of the summer business was from out-of-town customers. That is amazing reports since this pulls in revenues not from you residents but out of the pockets of visitors and other consumers. This then insinuates that they might have purchased fuel, eaten a meal or two, stopped at our historical sites, (which the Genealogy and Jail Museum verified), and maybe even stayed in our motels overnight. However, the off-season non-peak reports are concerning because these same businesses tell me that only about 50% of their business comes from locals. That implies that many citizens of Bowling Green go out of town to do your shopping. We must support our LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SERVICES, or new businesses will not invest in our town or the businesses we do have will go out of business! I understand that not all our businesses offer everything we need or want. Yet, what Bowling Green does offer, we need to patronize and promote!