I was all ready to rant and rave and bitch and moan about the street closures downtown.

And then we did --- average, straight down the middle average for a Saturday. No harm no foul? Well, it is a lot more work, and there is a bit more damage and disruption. Fair trade for the extra promotion?

Except I don't think the promotion really works. Nor do we really need it, anymore. To me, it's the equivalent of a restaurant closing on a Friday night to promote Monday and Tuesday.

Let us have our 12 weeks of summer without interruption. Don't do me any favors.

O.K. I like my routine. Street Closures disturb my calm. I don't like crowds, but I understand that some people seek them out. I can guarantee you, we'd do great business every weekend of the summer. Then...in the middle of October....lure people back downtown. Whatever.

Just let me have my summers to be a retailer.

But I don't have to feel like a killjoy anymore. The Old Mill District would be glad to host all these events. In fact, it's my understanding that we lured the BITE away from them.

For years, I was able to document that street closures cost me about 1/3 business. I'd talk to other merchants, and almost all of them would report lower sales. Some were disgruntled under the surface, but unwilling to say anything. I had one prominent merchant, just before he moved out of downtown, mutter that he wished he'd never started one of the major events in the first place. Another merchant mentioned the street closures as one of the reasons she left downtown. One said it was her worst day of the year, followed by the comment how 'great' it was for downtown -- and she was gone a few months later. (Victim of higher rents; watch out what you wish for.)

Even when merchants admit sales are down, they always add but its 'great' for downtown.

But I've never seen any proof of that. In fact, I've tried to look at the customers over the following weeks and figure out if they've come back....or will mention that they've come back. Nada.

Lately, probably because I've made a real effort to mainstream my store, the street closures have been pretty much a wash. So, I'll cop to that.

But I still don't like them.

I'd like to keep the Pet Parade (which I participated in when I was 5 years old with an ant farm -- I've always been weird.) As well as the Christmas Parade and Tree lighting.

If we have to have other events, I'd like to seem them in the OFF SEASON when they might do some good.

I still think its crazy to close the streets, invite a bunch of outsiders, ON THE BUSIEST SHOPPING DAYS OF THE YEAR! (Other than Christmas....)