To the editor:
On Sept. 1, my store put up fall decorations. Several of the other shop owners did the same. We feel it is imperative to help create a wonderful feeling for our guests that start making their way to Brown County.
My home has multiple pumpkins, scarecrows, mums and corn stalks. I place them so that the travelers on State Road 46 can see them and enjoy them as they pass by. We all know how we feel when we go into areas that are all decorated for the holidays. It thrills us, makes us happy, provokes a certain joy — so what is wrong with Brown County?
It is hard to believe that it is Oct. 17, and there are absolutely no decorations put up from our town. Coming out of town last week, I took notice and on State Road 46 coming into town, the only decorations put up for our guests are from Homestead B&B, the Antique Mall and Hills O’ Brown Rentals. The hotels on 46 had nothing out, and there certainly were no decorations from our town.
Our courthouse, which has that beautiful lawn, doesn’t even have a display. You would think that there would be a gorgeous fall presentation there, where families would gather to have their pictures taken, creating warm memories of their time in Brown County.
It is hard to believe that we are a tourist destination and that we are wanting to get new guests coming and wanting them to return year after year. Where is our ambiance? How in the world does a town like Brown County expect to compete for tourist traffic when we don’t cater to them? Where is the pizzazz?
We want them to come to our town, stay in our hotels, spend money in our shops and restaurants; shouldn’t the town be giving them something in return?
To add salt to the wound, I went over to Gatlinburg for a couple of days, and, yes, of course, they had pumpkins, gourds, mums, orange ribbons and bows on every corner. I thought maybe our town is just running behind in getting up decorations, but no, when I returned, there were still no decorations put up to thrill our guests.
Really, how hard can this be? Kelp’s Farm is right down the road. I am sure they would be happy to supply the town with pumpkins and corn stalks. We have several wonderful gardeners and landscape designers like Mother Nature and Bakers who already do a lot of work in town and probably could put up some beautiful displays at a reasonable price.
Over the weekend we had several customers who commented on the “lack of” that they found coming in to town looking for fall splendor, and I am personally embarrassed that from all indications, the town board sees no need to accommodate or cater to these guests. I hope in the future that our town will make an effort to help make our town as enchanting as it could and should be.
On Nov. 1, my shop and others will start decorating for Christmas. I hope that our town will put a lot more effort into beautifying and decorating State Road 46 and the the north entrance to Brown County than it did for fall.
If we want people to talk about our magical town, the town needs to do their part, and we, the shop owners need to do our part. We truly are a magical town; we just need to add some sparkle and WOW!
Vickie Reynolds, Reynolds Leather & Gifts
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