To the Editor:

It has recently been stated that, People from outside the town should keep their noses out of town business.

I lived in town for twelve years until moving to the township last summer, so I reserve the right to say a few words about our wonderful little town. &bsp;

Tryon has changed a lot since I moved here in 1997. Some things have improved, some have turned for the worse. And we still have a long way to go. But all in all, this is where I want to be. Here are locally-owned stores like Cowans Hardware, Goodyear Florist, Owens Pharmacy, Green River Frame Shop and The Book Shelf, just to name a few, that have weathered the storms and remained available to us.

Let us eschew the big box stores and give them our trade.

Recent changes for the better include new businesses and some that have been revamped. Tryon House is a fine example. Mary and Bill have brought a different kind of retail to Tryon with upscale apparel for men and women, and they seem to be thriving. Lilac Wine Bar has brought a new level of sophistication to our little town, with great music and food.

The addition of the Caf at Lilac in the Shops of Tryon has added a much-needed dining alternative. And speaking of the Shops of Tryon, my hat must go off to the Gargiulos who rescued the old Cowans Grocery building and turned it into a lovely retail complex that they generously share with area non-profits for special events.

The relocation of Upstairs Artspace, not a recent event but certainly a fortuitous one, to the heart of town is a good addition.&bsp; Kathleens, previously Simply Irresistible, has finally found a way to move off the hill to Trade Street, and I cant wait to see the new store.

Although we regret the loss of Isadoras Consignment Shop, we applaud the new, larger location for St. Lukes Thrift Shop, a Tryon institution.&bsp; Now they have more spacious quarters to offer even more of the things we cant do without.&bsp; They have been a backbone of Trade Street.

About ten years ago, Tryon Downtown Development Association commissioned a masterplan for downtown Tryon. Implementation has been slow, but we have sidewalk improvements, new streetlights, new signage, an upcoming pocket park beside Bills Jewelers (theres another of those locally-owned businesses we depend on), as well as plans for downtown street trees. &bsp;

Two aspects of the masterplan that have been more difficult to accomplish are these: 1) establishing a town plaza as a meeting place and an event anchor; and 2) finding alternate locations to our limited retail area for incoming service businesses. Service businesses dont entice day-trippers for dining and shopping, nor do they typically cater to walk-in customers. Really good retail does. &bsp;

We have the disadvantage of only one side of Trade Street available for retail, and a town needs a thriving retail district to generate sales tax revenue as well as property tax income. So our limited retail area is precious.&bsp; Tryon has many non-profits, which we treasure. But face it: they dont pay property tax and most dont collect sales tax.

Polk County, much to Tryons advantage, has the priceless resource of St. Lukes Hospital with its easy accessibility, state-of-the-art diagnostics and world-class emergency department. We are so very fortunate to have such a facility in a small county. &bsp;

St. Lukes Hospital actually owns the building recently vacated by the Thrift Shop. Rumor has it (and how reliable is rumor?) that St. Lukes has plans to keep the old Thrift Shop building and use it for office space or doctors offices. &bsp;

Can this be true? Would they really turn the heart of our little town into more service business? Dont get me wrong, we need service businesses. We just dont need more of them in our retail area. There are many other places for them.

One old, well-established retail business, a pillar of our community (think books), is begging to rent, lease or buy the building to relocate to Trade Street. From what I understand, this is not the only retailer who has expressed interest in the space. The parking area in front sings out as a location for our downtown plaza. In fact, it was our downtown plaza on the masterplan.

By the time this is printed, the axe may have fallen. We may have still more service businesses on Trade Street.

St. Lukes has a new CEO, and I can only hope that he, as well as the Hospital Board will think long and hard about the disposition of this valuable town location.

Linda Pressley Campbell