CANADENSIS, Pa. (AP) — For a region so dependent on tourism, the headline could scarcely be worse: A survivalist charged with ambushing a Pennsylvania State Police barracks eludes hundreds of law enforcement officials pursuing him in the woods.
Yet tourism officials in the Pocono Mountains say that while visitors are calling to ask about the manhunt for Eric Frein — now in its third week — very few of them are canceling their hotel and outing reservations during one of the busiest times of the year.
"They think it's off limits, it's shut down," said Elizabeth Richardson at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. "But it's not. All of the hotels are open. All of the resorts are open."
That's because, while police are narrowly concentrating their search on a heavily wooded, 5-square-mile area around the village of Canadensis, the Poconos region of northeastern Pennsylvania encompasses 2,400 square miles.
For most of the resorts, restaurants and attractions that rely on day-trippers and overnight guests from New Jersey, New York and the Philadelphia area, it's largely business as usual, Richardson said.
Brilliant foliage and temperate weather are primary attractions this time of year in the Poconos, where tourism is the No. 1 industry at $3 billion annually.
While most businesses that cater to tourists seem to be unaffected by the lengthy manhunt, it's a different story in the tiny villages that make up Barrett Township, where Frein is believed to be hiding in the woods around his parents' house. From the 10-room Brookview Manor Inn to Capri Pizza, business is down as tourists avoid the area and locals stay home.
The last busy night at Capri was Friday, Sept. 12 — the night that police say Frein, 31, opened fire outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks, killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and wounding a second trooper.
"This has been catastrophic," said Joe Kastrati, surveying his empty pizza shop at dinnertime.
He hastened to add his loss doesn't compare to the loss suffered by Dickson's family. The Capri is "collateral damage," he said.
At Brookview, a Victorian inn less than a mile from the search zone, October is typically one of the two busiest months of the year. But room reservations have dropped by perhaps 50 percent, with many guests calling to cancel because they're afraid, said co-owner Martin Horowitz.
Nearby, Camp Canadensis lost a booking as Lehigh University decided to move a retreat for student leaders out of the area.
"I think it was the right call," said grad student Leah Paulson, 22, saying her parents would have "freaked out" if she were near the manhunt.
Meanwhile, deer hunters gearing up for this weekend's opening of archery season will find some areas off limits. The Pennsylvania Game Commission on Wednesday banned hunting and trapping in seven townships after police announced they had found two pipe bombs they say were left by Frein.
"While we realize this temporary closure might disappoint some of the hunters and trappers it affects, we're certain, too, they understand the gravity of the situation," said R. Matthew Hough, the game commission's executive director.
Several miles north of the search zone, regular visitors Tom and Lori Makalusky are undeterred.
The couple rent a cabin at Promised Land State Park every fall. They've been coming to these woods for decades and didn't even think about staying away this year — even with Frein, whom police call armed and dangerous, still at large.
"He's not going to ruin my life," declared Lori Makalusky, a 64-year-old school nurse from Drums.
Yet the manhunt does weigh on them. Makalusky said she won't walk in the woods — at least not alone — and idly wonders if Frein might be hiding in the waist-high ferns or crouched on a tree limb. Her 67-year-old husband said he's been "hyper-vigilant."
"We've come up here in a (fall) snowstorm," said Tom Makalusky, a career counselor. "This is the first time for a manhunt."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.