By HDN staff
We may not always realize it, but one of the greatest tourist attractions in the Havre area is the Holiday Village Shopping Center.
More out of town visitors and Canadian tourists coming to our community will be attracted to the shopping center than any other single attraction.
It is indeed common for people who are traveling to stop and shop at those locations where they can find the most stores in one place and the most convenient parking. Havre is no exception to the rule.
Unfortunately, in recent years a stop at the Holiday Village did more to disappoint the visitor than it did to attract dollars into the coffers of our merchants and community.
With the recent announcement of a settlement in the lawsuit over the Holiday Village property, it would appear the tide has finally turned for the future of this valuable community resource.
The prospect of new businesses moving into the Village and a new and cleaner appearance of the building is a dream come true.
Ocwen and Andy Belew, director of asset management at Ocwen, deserve a lot of credit for the work being done to the Village and a grand pat on the back from all of the people in Havre who will benefit from the revived Holiday Village.
As the prospects for the Shopping Center continue to brighten, it is our sincere opinion that the entire community should recognize the asset the Village represents and get behind the project.
The time has come to bury old animosities and recognize once and for all that what is good for the Holiday Village is good for the entire community. More jobs, more choice, and more draw will only improve Havre as a whole.
With the dawn of a new era looming on the horizon, The Havre Daily News congratulates all of those who have stuck with the Holiday Village through the years of hardship and thanks those individuals, like Manager/Trustee John Caven and Promotions Director Tiffany Korb, for all of their hard work and effort.
