Follow the link for a great example of a** kissing the dubs.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/2001/June/15/LNspot.htm
The only reason people do it is because of all the money the dubs bring to town. Be more interesting if they reported on how the society puts the screw to local businesses. That's just my opinion though. See what you think. In case you are feeling lazy I have pasted the text...Witnesses spiff up Arena for event
6,000 delegates of Jehovah’s Witnesses will gather for annual convention
By BOB WITHERS - The Herald-Dispatch
[email protected]
Tim Johnson/The Herald-Dispatch
Ruth Morris of Athens, Ohio, trims petunias Thursday as she and dozens of volunteers helped get the Huntington Civic Arena ready for the three-day Jehovah's Witnesses convention this weekend.
HUNTINGTON -- They swept. They scrubbed. They painted. All to soothing orchestral music that doesn’t sound like the customary arena repertoire.
And now, they’re ready.
A small army of Jehovah’s Witnesses descended on the Huntington Civic Arena on Thursday to prepare it for the 6,000 delegates arriving at the religious group’s annual District 12 convention today.
"This is our place of worship for three days," says spokesman William "Pat" Thompson. "So we have to clean Jehovah’s house."
Such meetings -- to which the public is invited -- are loaded with benefits, everyone agrees. Attendees are looking for a recharging of the old spiritual batteries, and Huntington is anticipating an economic shot in the arm.
Thompson says the witnesses are particular about the condition of the places they meet.
"The Civic Arena does a good job, but our standards are higher," he said. "Gum, cigarette butts, cups, all types of trash might have been missed. If we meet outdoors, the grounds would be swept."
Tim Johnson/The Herald-Dispatch
Jessica Shafer of Winfield cleans seats Thursday in the Huntington Civic Arena to prepare for the three-day Jehovah's Witnesses convention this weekend.
Business leaders are glad the Witnesses are coming.
"We’re happy to have them here," says Richard Monga, general manager of the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites. "They have a positive impact not only on the hotels, but also on the restaurants, all the shops in the downtown area, everybody here."
Not many Jehovah’s Witnesses are registered at Monga’s hotel, he says, but that’s only because people connected with the Mrs. West Virginia pageant and several assorted wedding parties beat them to it.
"Our hotel is full," says Peggy Deardorff, director of sales and marketing for the Radisson Hotel Huntington, who says the Witnesses are staying in 188 of the hotel’s 202 rooms tonight and Saturday night.
"We do leave a few rooms available for airline pilots who stay here 365 days a year," she says.
Deardorff likes the way the Witnesses do business.
"Two days after they announce the dates for the following year’s convention, we’re full on those days," she says. "You know your hotel is going to be full a year in advance. And when they reserve, they come. They don’t cancel."
Restaurant managers sing a similar tune.
"I’m sure it impacts all the businesses in Huntington," says Harold Wilson, a manager at Red Lobster. "It has to. You can’t bring 6,000 people in here without it increasing the economy."
Wilson says his restaurant won’t benefit very much directly because his customers usually have to wait after 4 p.m. on Fridays, 1 or 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. on Sundays.
"And a lot of people leave if they have to wait," he says.
J.R. Ousley, assistant general manager at Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurant, says a weekend convention of that magnitude increases his already-busy weekend business by 10 percent to 15 percent.
"It makes everybody busy," he says.
Government leaders make it unanimous.
"They ought to be welcomed because they have selected Huntington as a place to meet and they’re going to spend money here," says Jerry McDonald, president of the Huntington Area Development Council. "And that money turns over at least seven times."
Gerry Krueger, president of the Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the impact of such a convention is dramatic.
"We’ve found that the average expenditure for lodging in Huntington is $40 to $75 per person per day," he says. "The average expenditure for food and beverages is $100 to $150 per person per day and shoppers spend between $26 and $75 per person per day."
The figures are based on a survey done about a month and a half ago of 380 people from 21 states -- excluding West Virginia -- who requested information from the bureau. So far, Krueger says, 58 people have responded.
"Wouldn’t it be nice if we had groups like this in here every week?" Deardorff asked.
The admiration is mutual.
"We like Huntington because it’s convenient, centrally located and we like working with the people, who are always friendly," says John Poindexter, who works in the administration office. "The hotels are cooperative and the Civic Arena is comfortable. And the city is just the right size -- not too big, not too small."
Convention activities likely will not be confined to the Civic Arena.
"There’s always preaching going on," Thompson says. "There will be informal witnessing going on in hotels or restaurants, wherever we meet a stranger."
Scheduled door-to-door visitation is not a part of the meeting.
"But sometimes people go out in the morning before the meeting," he says. "Or sometimes they get information from the platform and they want to use it right away."