Report Card

First thing out of the box I must correct a mistake I made in last week’s column. I inadvertently said the Scotch Eggs were from Heidelberg, they were not. They came from the Highlander right here in North Augusta. I am so sorry for the error.
There is a distinct difference in criticisms voiced or written in hopes that eyes and minds will open to the possibility of change and those uttered just to be heard. For the past few weeks it seems that every place I go I hear negatives about North Augusta. Finally, I decided to question these nay sayers. Asking them where they were from, how long they have lived here etc. From my calculations 96% of the people did not live here, were just visiting or were here due to business in the area. The theme was the same; nothing to do, nowhere to go, no where to eat. The good things were the beautiful parks, the landscaping throughout the city, the friendliness of the residents and the fact that Southern Hospitality was alive and well. All and all I think it was a good report card for us. We all know the improvements that have been made and those yet to come. We can be very proud of our accomplishments.
Last week I made it a point to walk up one side of Georgia Avenue and down the other visiting the businesses on both sides. With only one exception everyone was welcoming and friendly. I climbed the stairs to the photography studio admiring the beautiful pictures lining the walls as I went. Visited law offices, insurance companies, the payday loan stores even the recruiting office; everyone, well almost everyone, was nice. The girls in the beauty salon were a hoot; full of energy and laughs. The girls in one of the payday loan establishments had me in stitches as well. I had a purpose for my trip however, my purpose turned out to be secondary to what I learned; we do have a friendly bunch of people here.