On the basis of the available evidence, the organizers of last weekend’s Linden River Front Festival would almost certainly have fallen short of persuading residents to buy into the vision of the once thriving mining town being able to offer a tourism option. And if there are plans to repeat the event next year it is going to have to take place against the backdrop of significantly improved marketing, far greater community involvement and – perhaps above all else – a healthier economic environment in Linden as a whole.
The truth is that Linden is waiting to exhale from what has been a protracted and grueling period of economic hardship that has affected every facet of life in the community. If accurate statistics are hard to come by, it is not difficult to believe the view expressed by residents that the unemployment rate exceeds
