A utopian sort of dream

No, I didn't see a Walmart in B'ville. I am not personally a fan of Wally World. However, I can see it usefulness on a few levels and I like to think that there is a place for stores such as that. I am completely against box stores wiping out the Mom and Pops and small businesses of America.

So, here is my wish list for B'ville:

A small bookstore/newsstand
an ice cream parlor
a REAL deli
a shoe store (but not like Foot Locker)...something more well rounded

I would love to have a wine bar. I mean me, personally. I would love to just open a small, narrow spot downtown that had several bistro tables inside, a few just outside in the 'open air,' that served good wine (including local muscadine and scuppernong vineyards), affordable wine, as well as cheese and fruit plates. Just a nice spot to relax, go on a date, or meet friends/colleagues after work.

Some people may say that this is not a town for something like that. Explain to me the large wine section in our largest supermarket then.

Thank you for the compliment on the dream. Perhaps we can all work together to make it a reality!

Absolutely on the compromise. I agree 100%. There are things that box stores will always be more suitable for. For instance, socks, undies, tshirts, etc....those are things that are far more economical at a box store than a boutique or Mom and Pop could ever provide.

To elaborate on my utopian dream...I envision these things for downtown proper. It would have to be a socially conscious decision on the part of consumers and citizens to populate mom and pops when possible. If you can buy a few greeting cards at a local store downtown, then why drive all the way to Walmart and spend money on gas and spend time needed in other areas just to get a few things?

You bring up another good point. I don't see my utopian dream being populated by the folks that have traditionally opened up downtown. It would require more effort on the part of the Chamber of Commerce and a revamped Downtown Business Association to help, council, and guide young businesses owned by normal people. Perhaps what I describe is more of a modern village. It is not somewhere where retail stores would be hobbies for the "haves". They would be real commercial locations for those who still have some entrepreneurial dream left in them.

It is interesting that you would ask this 'H B'. I understand that not all change is growth. I realize some change can hurt. However, in the case of a town like Barnesville where Main Street can hardly sustain a business or where corporations seemingly run from rather than run to and where youth anticipate the day they can leave, change may just be necessary.

The changes I envision are changes that will help usher Barnesville into a new, more healthy, time of growth and cultivation. It is not change for change sake and it is not change that I think will hurt anyone.

You mention I should change the place I came from. Well, here I am. I may not have grown up here but I was born here as was my father's entire family. My family roots run deep in Barnesville and Lamar County in general and I will do what I can to ensure that generations to come will see the promise in Barnesville that my previous relatives saw.

All personal attacks aside, I find that you are and I are talking about similar situations.

I wish to see things progress and change so that Barnesville is again a viable marketplace that is poised for the future without sacrificing the resources around it. It is a bit of a Catch-22 in that people will continue to go out of town to larger retailers because B'ville offers no alternative. However, alternatives (small boutiques, restaurants, retail shops, etc) cannot open without some tangible sign of potential interest and income.

The change that I speak of is one that will preserve our environment, make the most use out of our current buildings and facilities, and lower our overall city expenses. I am not suggesting we we rip it all down and build some pre-planned pedestrian community. I am suggesting we improve upon what we have and make changes that will (and I cannot say this enough) permit Barnesville to have an economically viable, energy efficient, sustainable future.