Not enough room at the Inn
Sandy Munyer, manager of Northern Lights Inn, has already fielded over 300 calls seeking motel room reservations for next July as visitors plan to flock to Rugby for the all-school reunion and Pierce County-Rugby 125th anniversary celebration.
There is one problem, though.
There just aren’t enough rooms to go around. Not enough at the Northern Lights Inn, nor Rugby’s Oakwood Inn or Hub Motel.
“We only have about 100 rooms in town, so there needs to be other accommodations,’ said Don Sobolik, member of the Greater Rugby Conventions and Visitors Bureau and director of the Rugby Chamber of Commerce.
So event organizers are seeking the public’s assistance in determining if there is other available housing to cater to former Rugby residents and other visitors who are coming back next July.
“Possibly someone has a sleeping room, an apartment, a trailer, or other type of place to stay,’ he said. “Maybe they even have a camper they can fix up. If we get a list now, we can get that information to people who have expressed interest in coming next year.”
Some motel reservations won’t be accepted until July and it’s likely they will fill up fast.
Sobolik said not every motel room will be available for visitors, pointing out that some have to be reserved for some of the entertainers coming to perform.
While a good number of returning alums will stay with family or friends who still reside here or in the area, there are others who don’t have that option.
And that’s why event organizers are trying to get a jump on other accommodations available to help those who won’t be able to find a room nearby.