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Downtown merchants debate car show

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Story by Chris Graham
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downtown.gifA survey conducted by Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc. shows strong support among downtown business owners for the continuation of the annual Main Street Muscle car show, with one notable exception.

Tim Spears Music City owner Tim Spears has suggested that he will consider taking legal action regarding the conduct of the show, for which the city has agreed in each of the past two years to close portions of Main Street to allow classic-car owners to display their vehicles.

In an e-mail response to the WDDI survey, Spears indicated that he will “contact my attorney immediately, as I have lost big money the last two years while trying to politely debate (the) issue. Some entity needs to stand for all the losses of revenue (during) this event.”

The polling was done by WDDI as part of the nonprofit’s work to answer questions posed by Waynesboro City Council at its Feb. 25 meeting regarding the Main Street Muscle Show that is tentatively scheduled for May 17.

John Denton of Denton Jewelers responded to the survey with the comment that Main Street Muscle was his “best day of the year” last year. “Of all the events, (Main Street Muscle) is the best crowds and folks into my shop. Cancel any event but this one. If anyone wants, they can call me,” Denton said.

Stacy Strawn at Blue Moon Gallery offered a similar sentiment. “I love the Muscle Car Show,” Strawn said.

Don Morris at Valley Framing Studio and Gallery did make one request. “Closing the street at 9 a.m. hurts me. If you can close at 11, it would help,” Morris said.

But Morris also reported having a good experience with the car show last year.

“I sold two prints to people in the Muscle Car Show last year,” Morris said.

City council is expected to take up the matter of the request of WDDI related to the show at its meeting on Monday night.

  

Chris Graham is the executive editor of The Augusta Free Press.

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