I guess you have noticed there’s a recession on? We have at our house, times are tough. We eat out less and buy very little. Years ago, when I had my business it was even worse.

I was a small business man, actually that would be an understatement, I would have had to grow exponentially to have been considered small. Small business is what is taking place on Shepherdstown’s main streets. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of being in business for yourself let me try to explain. You know that feeling when you have more bills than money and you write a check that you hope will not process before your pay check gets deposited? Well, imagine that you can’t even guess what that pay check will be or even if it will be. Imagine living on credit, that should not be a stretch for most of us. When we live on credit we have a safety net the worse that could happen is we declare bankruptcy there is little likelihood of loosing our whole ability to support ourselves.

Small business does not have that kind of security.This is why the incompetence of the Shepherdstown street scape sidewalk / road contractors is so annoying to me.

As I stated, I have very little money to spare these days. However when I do spend it I try to spend it as close to home and with as small a business person on the food chain as I can find. That Wally World place does not need my cash that badly. So when the businesses of Shepherdstown are once again put upon by the Streetscape project I worry about them.

On Monday, June 22, I could not even find a parking space. We have also lost parking spaces, yes I know it has been said we would not but we did, didn’t we? I hope the pain ends soon the businesses and front end alignm ents of Shepherdstown cannot take much more. Good luck Shepherdstown, the funds may have come from outside sources for theeclectic patchwork ofside walk thatare being installed, but small business is paying the real price for so fine and timely anexecution.

Tom Glennon

Brierly Court