Smokin' tractors bring big green

CHAPEL HILL -- The tractor pull here last weekend attracted about 5,000 people to town where more than $250,000 was brought into the local economy, according to figures released this week.

"The money that came in Saturday night was good," Mayor Carl Cooper said Monday evening while reflecting on a series of figures he had with him at a town meeting, "but it's down some... by about $2,000" for Friday and Saturday combined.

Cooper says:

$95,100 was the gross revenue from ticket sales at the gate Friday, and;

$99,770 was the gross from gate tickets sold Saturday.

"This does not include the numbers from pre-sales or any advertising, or totals," said the mayor, a loyal Lion and defender of the charity work funded by the annual event.

For the rest of the story, pick up a copy of Wednesday's Tribune.