This holiday season started with all of us facing the specter of losing our homes and even our beloved city. I am grateful to the firefighters and other first responders who put their lives on the line to preserve our city as we know it.
Many of us who did not lose property to the fire have been direly affected by the fire. So many businesses in town depend upon this holiday season to sustain them through the winter. Restaurants, retail stores, movie theaters — all the places that draw us out and entice us to put down our phones and our computers and go out and socialize with one another have been ravaged by the effects of the fire.
I entreat all of you to take a moment to think what our town would be like without these businesses. Then please step out with friends and loved ones and business associates and eat, buy tickets to a movie or show, and help put the life back into our town. How nice it is to be able to do good by having some fun and spoiling ourselves!
