Rev. Heather Brown, Lansford
My husband's parents came to visit us this past week so that they could attend Minot State University Summer Theater. Since we live in a FEMA trailer, they booked a hotel room out by the mall for three nights, which turned into a stressful experience.
They stayed in the hotel for one night, and the next morning they were informed that they had to leave. A hotel representative told them that they had booked the room for one night only not three.
The representative called around to find another hotel for them in Minot only to report that all the hotels were already full. My mother- and father-in-law were grateful to finally find a hotel room at Metigoshe, but as senior citizens were not looking forward to the drive later that night.
That evening we were eating at Primo's and I stopped at the Grand International registration desk and shared my in-laws' story. Jim Mello, the manager, heard what I had to say. Though the hotel was fully booked, Mr. Mello said he would find a place for my in-laws. My in-laws were relieved to get a room for the next two nights at the Grand International.
My husband and I are grateful to Jim Mello for finding a place for my in-laws to stay. We are thankful that Mr. Mello showed concern for them, especially since they had travelled over 700 miles from Iowa to come here. We hope that others in the Minot hospitality industry will follow Mr. Mello's example.
With the increase in traffic and higher cost of living here, there are times when we long for the "old Minot." People like Jim Mello remind us that there are folks who still care about maintaining a friendly community atmosphere and not letting visitors "fall through the cracks."