Having lived here only seven

years, I am afraid I am a part of the problem, as the overabundance of

hastily-built subdivisions were installed and the roads widened for the

likes of me.

Natives must lament the many

changes, including the loss of a real sense of community. Fayetteville

is going, or has gone, the way of so many smaller towns, especially those

within range of a major metro area.

Not long ago I was in the area

of the square, and squinted to try to imagine it as it might have been

just a couple of decades ago: Narrower streets? Little vehicular traffic?

Pedestrian traffic to and from local merchants? Perhaps a good diner for

hot coffee and juicy local gossip?

But, alas, the city has become

a bedroom community for Atlanta. And the Wal-Marts, Targets and Home Depots

have supplanted so many of the locally owned businesses which have been

outmatched by these monsters.

These days, one large suburban

area in America is indistinguishable from another. Each has its mandatory

Applebees, Barnes and Noble, Wal-Mart (the very fortunate ones have a

SUPER Wal-Mart), Best Buy, and, of course, all the fast food chains.

Shopping the Pavilion, I might

as well be in Denver or Fort Myers or Pittsburgh. It is all the same.

There is no local character.

It is good to see a few small

locally-owned businesses hanging on, especially in the square, where historic

buildings might instead be converted into law offices or the like.

The music store that gave Ms.

Cary offense is just such a business. With all of the flap about sign

ordinances these days, I suppose it was inevitable that someone complain

about some of the displays in the store front.

But this is an individually

and locally owned "mom and pop" music store of the sort that

I seek out when I am in other small towns. They feature a unique, hand-picked

inventory that one could not find at, say, that Wal-Mart of musical merchandise,

Guitar Center.

Fayette Music Merchants is

precisely the sort of local business that stands between Fayetteville

and the characterless cookie-cutter suburb that it so threatens to become.

I aim to encourage and support

this and other fine local businesses. Now if only there was a good diner

on the square for hot coffee and local gossip ....

Mark D. Linville, Sr.

Fayetteville, Ga.