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St. Elmo project shows initiative

It’s no secret that our country is going through some difficult economic times. In the midst of that climate, many small, rural communities are doing whatever they can to preserve and attract jobs. In St. Elmo, city officials and residents are joining an Effingham man to take on a project that could greatly enhance their community.

City officials joined developer David Campbell on Saturday afternoon for a groundbreaking ceremony for the President riverboat. The boat, now being disassembled in Alton, will be brought to St. Elmo, where it will be reassembled and renovated into an 80-room hotel and convention center.

The city is working with Campbell on this project because it believes it will lure tourists and other travelers on Interstate 70 to stop in St. Elmo. Theyre also banking on other businesses becoming interested in coming ashore in that community.

While the project is not without controversy, it is also not without widespread support. A number of individuals are showing that they are not relying solely on city officials to make things happen in St. Elmo.

Just how successful the venture will be remains to be seen. But the fact that theres a team effort to enhance the community is noteworthy in itself.

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