Ottumwa ready for RAGBRAI

Our opinion

Courier Editorial Board

Attention, RAGBRAI! Come on down! Ottumwa is ready to have you all stay here overnight. That’s the gist of a letter sent to the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa planners.

City officials discussed the action recently and council members learned of the request sent to Des Moines.

It’s a win-win situation, they said, giving a thumbs up to the thousands of bicycle riders who ride Iowa’s highways and byways every summer.

Ottumwa’s last venture as being an overnight stop on RAGBRAI’s week-long adventure was in 2000.

Countless volunteers spent countless hours preparing for our guests. They did a super job.

Many of us remember how exciting the 24 hours were as we watched the early riders enter our city before noon, and all the riders setting up camp all around town, whether it was in a colorful tent on the banks of the Des Moines River, in trailers, hotels and motels and many in Ottumwans’ homes and back yards.

A lot of entertainment was planned for the riders that night, with music blaring from several stages set up just for the event.

Many churches got into the act by offering meals and food for sale, as did all of our restaurants.

The weather cooperated, and it was a great night to be in Ottumwa for all of the festivities.

The deluge of bike riders brought prosperity to our city.

The bicycle invasion was good for our businesses and our economy. It was a jump start to Wapello County Trails.

It was good for all of us, too, as many of us pitched in to make Ottumwa look cleaner and brighter.

Next summer, it will be nine years since we’ve been a RAGBRAI host.

We heartily agree with those that signed the letter extending the invitation — Mayor Dale Uehling, Wapello County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jerry Parker, Ottumwa Area Chamber of Commerce Director Terry McNitt and Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Kathy Speas.

Please come our way this year, RAGBRAI, and stay overnight.

We’ll be ready for you!

And, speaking of visitors, it’s time we had some new signs out by the new Highway 34 bypass around Ottumwa.

Travelers don’t know there are motels, hotels and restaurants right off some of the Ottumwa exits. We need some new signs out there to encourage drivers to visit our local businesses.

It’s been almost a year since the bypass has been open.

It’s time to put up some signs.

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