Letter: Florence writer disillusioned
Dear Editor:
Another business in our community is closing its doors. Once again, someone has tried to provide a service and make a living for themselves in a community that doesn't seem to want to support that idea.
Especially disheartening is that this time it was a young person who opened up this business. Instead of leaving town to start his life, he tried to invest his future in the future of his hometown.
I am talking about Travis Parmley who opened Trav's Tire and Auto at the corner of 5th and Main several months ago.
The community was enthusiastic about the station being re-opened. All hailed it as a much needed service, yet the same community continued to take their vehicles to WalMart for an oil change. "Well, I had to go to WalMart anyway and its three dollars cheaper to have it done over there." (Three dollars!)
This community thought nothing of calling Travis after hours for a tow or a tire repair. Yet they would buy new tires somewhere else or take that disabled vehicle out of town for repair.
This young man, with the help of family and friends, made a concerted effort to supply every need that was presented to him. Whether it was finding the right priced tire for those on a limited income, or sending someone to Newton or Salina or wherever, to find the right part at the right price and have today!
No, it wasn't lack of effort that closed this business. Every effort was made to provide a much needed service to our community. Yet the community failed. It failed to support this business as it has failed to support many other businesses.
I have only lived in Florence for 12 years, and in that short amount of time we've lost several businesses: the video store, a flower shop, and the hardware store (since replaced by a branch of Peabody Hardware.) Gone too are Inlow Foam, the Variety Store (twice), Second-hand Rose (twice), the Fitness Center, ABC Daycare, the Gun shop, a beauty shop, and an antique shop.
I've heard many opinions regarding opening a business here. Nearly all of them are negative! "What's the point, it's bound to fail," or "You can find it cheaper/easier/quicker somewhere else." The opinions go on and on and they seem to follow a common theme. What's the point in investing in the future of our community?
Luckily there are some people here who feel that our community is worth investing in. We have a thriving grocery store, our city council seems to be committed to improving our parks and redeveloping a Recreation Commission to provide for our youth.
We have volunteers on our fire and ambulance departments who are committed to modernizing and expanding their services.
So tell me, how can we reconcile the pervasive "doom and gloom" attitude with the needs and dreams of our hometown. I don't know the answer, but it has to come from us.
We have to be the ones to promote our community. To support new businesses and to provide an atmosphere of growth so that Florence will be alive instead of slowly dying.
So goodbye to Trav's Tire and Auto and good luck to Travis Parmley. Please don't be disillusioned; it could be that there is still hope.
Sincerely,
Trayce Warner
