The thousands of people that converged on our area for last week's softball tournament at Sweetwater left an indelible mark on the pocketbooks of McDuffie County.
Gas stations were packed. A hotel room was nowhere to be found. Wal-Mart actually sold out of water. And all that means more money into the coffers of local governments.
In many cases, we'd perish the thought of giving the government any more money. But this is one of those circumstances that everyone locally wins.
As residents, we get the benefit of completed projects and added community amenities (like the planned gym at Sweetwater) without the added property tax burden. At the same time, local leaders can tout such building projects without the cloud of a tax increase hanging over their heads.
With that in mind, the Thomson-McDuffie County Recreation Department should be commended for recruiting such a tournament.
We should also pat local businesses on the back for being up to the task of handling the influx. After all, the businesses are often the only impression visitors get of our community. And first impressions mean everything.
