Beaver Cole
from an email


I was born in Henderson, Texas in 1943. From birth to my freshman year in Jr. High School at London, I lived in the Humble Production Camp in New London. I moved to Longview, Texas at the end of my first semester in the 11th Grade.

I have returned to London numerous times and attended many of the school reunions in remembrance of the explosion. I find it sad that so many of today's local London residents do not honor and support the reunions. Just as we are encouraged to honor the dead who have fought and died in wars serving in the armed services, we too should honor in remembrance the death of those lost in tragedies.

It is also sad to see the school being named and called West Rusk. This is highly disrespectful to the remembrance and future of the London Public Schools.

Today the federal and state government awards billions of dollars in grants to cities and private enterprises across America for tourism. It is also a shame that New London, Texas has not been a recipient of a multi-million or billion dollar grant for tourism. New London may never be a Silver Dollar City, but it could be the historical boom town of the petroleum industry as well as Silver Dollar city depicts the life of the Ozarks. Has anyone ever heard of oilfield boom towns, rednecks, cowboy's, timber and logging, agriculture? How many oilfield service companies and oil and gas companies do you think would be willing to build theaters to display and promote their history and services? Who knows maybe a few campuses could be erected for oil and gas technology.

For starters someone in London's city government needs to check out:
http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/tce/developing_tourism/
      developing_tourism_in_your_community.htm
You might find that to be a good place to start at.

You may not send New London to Hollywood, Disney, nor any number of billion dollar promoters, but you might send them to New London. Thousands of jobs have been created at Silver Dollar City by someone's dream. Doesn't anyone have a dream for New London?

Respectfully,
Beaver Cole
Kilgore,Texas