Letter from the Editor

from the EDITOR

What’s happening around the Lake

THERE’S NO STOPPING CHANGE, AND THERE’S NO ESCAPING IT. Look around and it’s obvious things are different at Lake of the Ozarks.

For those of us who have been here awhile we’ve been watching and have become accustomed to these changes. Much of the Lake looks different than it did even 10 years ago. Highway improvements, large-scale businesses, new entertainment venues, not to mention an increase in population, have all made the Lake a different place than it was when I was growing up. And it appears even bigger changes are on the horizon.

When I look around it’s exciting to see more shopping and entertainment opportunities planned in the immediate future. As much as I love the Lake life, I personally think we need more options for tourists and full-timers. Not everyone who visits owns a large boat and Lake house, so we need more family-friendly establishments.

As more and more people discover our recreational gem, the demand for new businesses also increases. Developers have taken note.

Many big projects are underway in the area including one thing I never thought we’d see — gaming. Two casino projects are proposed in Lake Ozark, one of which will almost certainly get the approval needed to start construction within a year.

Other developers are planning multi-million dollar projects to bring in more family-friendly entertainment, shopping, sports facilities and additional lodging. They are wanting to bring in the same type of businesses that you might see in other tourism-driven markets such as Gatlinburg, Tenn. — a place that my family visited in October last year. Everything was within walking distance. We spent plenty time and money stopping into wineries, stores, restaurants, arcades and other businesses along the main drag, often commenting “why can’t this be at the Lake.” Yes, we had to endure heavy traffic and crowds at times but there was never a lack of things to do.

Growth can be a controversial topic. Some people don’t want the Lake to change or want it to go back to the way it once was — when there was nothing but mom and pop resorts and every boat was under 25 feet. While not much can be done about the size of boats these days, thankfully there are still plenty of resorts and small businesses where you can get one-on-one service. I hope those businesses continue to keep the nostalgia alive.

Moving forward there will no doubt be a mix of old and new at Lake of the Ozarks. Check out our cover story which goes into detail about the changes to come. There are some exciting things happening in the foreseeable future!

charis.lakesun@gmail.com