To the editor:

I read with interest Conrad Henderson’s letter to the editor on Feb. 1 in which he responded to Downtown Lawrence Director Cathy Hamilton’s remarks about needing a visitors center downtown to provide “maps, brochures and friendly people.” I, too, was very surprised that she said that because that is exactly what we have at the Lawrence Visitors Center.

When I was moving to Lawrence several years ago, the Realtor who was showing me around drove by the Visitors Center in the renovated train depot. It was spring, the flowers were blooming, and a birthday party was going on in the beautifully restored old building. “To me,” the Realtor said, “this typifies Lawrence: history, community spirit and service.” And he might have added, ample parking.

I was so impressed that I visited the center and now, following in Mr. Henderson’s footsteps, I volunteer there once a week too, where it is a real pleasure to work with unbelievably knowledgeable on-site staff Debbie and Keith and meet the interesting people who come in.

Maybe the solution is to have more in downtown aware that everything visitors need is just a very short trip across the bridge.