While politicians and builders spoke for an hour and a half last Thursday, praising her for her vision and business acumen, Maria Dawson sat quietly in the audience in front of her newly expanded hotel.
Maria’s by the Sea, the speakers explained, started out as Maria’s Restaurant in the 1970s after Ms. Dawson, who was running her family’s eatery at the Seaview Motel, decided to establish a restaurant on Wickhams Cay I. In 1979 — after a frequent patron joked that Ms. Dawson should add guest rooms because he always felt like taking a nap after his lunch — Ms. Dawson built a 10-room hotel, her daughter Julia Dawson said at a ceremony unveiling the facility’s 36-room expansion.
Opposition Leader Ralph O’Neal said that the expanded facility, which now totals 70 guest rooms, is a welcome development, especially because it includes 9,200 feet of additional conference space.
See the March 7, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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