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Hot Jobs: Canoe renter
Ruth Bender remembers how her family was always lending their boat to neighbors when she was growing up in Wisconsin. She turned that memory into a business, renting canoes on the Wisconsin River.
Ruth Bender, the Canoe Lady (Brian Bull)
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From Columbus, WI, 08/23/2008
This really took me back to Boy Scout days! In an age of jetskis and high-powered boats, it's good to know people are still enjoying quiet glides down the river. And I've hiked along the Wisconsin River near Sauk City, it's gorgeous. Thanks for the fun story and the nostalgia.
From Chelmsford, MA, 08/22/2008
When I was searching the web to find out more about the Wisconsin canoe business you reported on I found a far more interesting business-related story there.
According to Ruth Bender in court documents one of the biggest problems faced by her canoe business is nudists! Apparently she's been in the courts for years trying to shut down a local naturists' organization which she claims is ruining her canoe business because she and her customers don't want to see naked bodies. According to news reports on the web the fight involves Ms Bender, the police, various state agencies, and even a local conservative religious group that regularly sets up a portable pulpit to preach modesty to the sun worshipers.
Businesses in America face many challenges but this one is unique. I think Marketplace should have made more of an effort to, erm, uncover the facts on that story.
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