tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29659542.post115928329266146800..comments2023-09-16T05:45:47.214-05:00Comments on The Adventures of Elizabeth: Sign LanguageElizabeth Maxsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15301271156213625334noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29659542.post-1160023540229504542006-10-04T23:45:00.000-05:002006-10-04T23:45:00.000-05:00Thank you Dawn for your support. It means so much...Thank you Dawn for your support. It means so much to me. The email address came directly from city hall -I called them for it myself. <BR/><BR/>Try this address: mark@marklangston.us<BR/><BR/>Thank you!Elizabeth Maxsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15301271156213625334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29659542.post-1160009304463781102006-10-04T19:48:00.000-05:002006-10-04T19:48:00.000-05:00Dear Elizabeth,I, too, was outraged at the lack of...Dear Elizabeth,<BR/>I, too, was outraged at the lack of cooperation from your city government. I felt so lead to email your mayor:<BR/><BR/>Dear Mr. Mayor,<BR/> <BR/>As a store owner in a very small town, I felt it necessary to email you to request your attention to the matter of the Elizabeth House signage issue. We all are one in saying that without the city government behind our small shops, our future is bleak.<BR/> <BR/>Giant corporations like Wal-Mart will consume us and that is so sad. The small store owner, with all the sacrifices and attention to detail, deserves your concern and determination to look out for their best interests.<BR/> <BR/>Please walk down the street that Elizabeth House is located on. Please recognize her need for proper signage to direct her customers to the store. Please do this for all of us.<BR/> <BR/>Thank you so much for your time,<BR/>Dawn Edmonson<BR/>Plum Tree Antiques<BR/>McDonough, Georgia<BR/>www.plumtreeantiques.blogspot.com<BR/><BR/><BR/>The Plum Tree Antiques & Gifts<BR/>58 GRIFFIN STREET ~ MCDONOUGH, GA 30253 <BR/>770-954-1928<BR/>"Nurture Your Vintage Soul"<BR/><BR/>I must tell you though, my email was returned to me. He must have changed his e-mail address. I'm so sorry for your troubles and do hope that you will find a solution soon. I so look forward to every post you make!!<BR/>Take care,<BR/>DawnThe Plum Treehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17015756230966660626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29659542.post-1159939413937989682006-10-04T00:23:00.000-05:002006-10-04T00:23:00.000-05:00Hi Keith and Anita,Thank you so much for your kind...Hi Keith and Anita,<BR/><BR/>Thank you so much for your kind words. I am truly amazed at how total strangers are so supportive of my little business! You are so right about what it takes to make a community a real community. Right now, I feel like I have this wonderful "Elizabeth House Community" of friends around the world who care for this little store owner in Maplewood, MO. I feel very blessed and I hope someday I get to meet you both.<BR/><BR/>Sincerely,<BR/>ElizabethElizabeth Maxsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15301271156213625334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29659542.post-1159732754242230252006-10-01T14:59:00.000-05:002006-10-01T14:59:00.000-05:00Hi Elizabeth,I was outraged to read your post, and...Hi Elizabeth,<BR/><BR/>I was outraged to read your post, and immediately wrote to your mayor--copy below. I discovered your shop in Romantic Homes and it is something that I aspire to! I have had a shop for almost four years and know only too well the struggles we face in doing what we love, and how very draining someone's pettiness such as this can be. I am rooting for you! Don't give up. If I ever get to St. Louis, your store will be the first place I will go! Thanks for doing what you do!<BR/><BR/>Letter I sent...<BR/><BR/>Dear Sir,<BR/><BR/>I am writing to you after reading of the troubles that the Elizabeth House<BR/>shop has been having with your city's sign ordinance. You may not be aware<BR/>of this, but Elizabeth House has put your city on the map for much of the nation.<BR/>I am in Michigan, but I became aware of this shop through reading the extensive<BR/>press coverage that it has garnered in such popular publications as Romantic Homes and Home Companion--national magazines that are read by women like me who love<BR/>shops like this and make it a point to visit the cities they are located in and<BR/>spend money in those cities. It is shops such as this that make a downtown thrive. <BR/><BR/>I know this firsthand because I own a shop very similar to Elizabeth House in my own small town, where we faced many similar problems about usage of signs in front of our stores. After many discussions between merchants and the village council, all businesses were finally allowed to use these signs, resulting in improved business for everyone. Sometimes the public just doesn't "get it" that a shop exists unless<BR/>there is a sign on the sidewalk staring them in the face. We're not Wal-Marts<BR/>or Lowe's--we don't have massive ad budgets to spend to educate the public 24/7<BR/>about our existence. We have to rely on outside-the-box thinking in order to<BR/>earn a living.<BR/><BR/>A sign on the sidewalk is such a simple thing, and adds to the charm of a downtown.<BR/>And people spend money in charming downtowns. If no one knows that these businesses<BR/>exist, they will fold, resulting in stagnant, run-down towns that haven't a snowball's chance of bringing in tourists or new businesses and the tax revenue that goes with them. I have seen it happen in small towns in Michigan.<BR/><BR/>Let Elizabeth House keep their sidewalk signage, and you will continue to see your<BR/>town put on the map as a destination worth traveling to.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/>Amber A. Sears<BR/>Frivolities, Ltd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29659542.post-1159323067492569882006-09-26T21:11:00.000-05:002006-09-26T21:11:00.000-05:00Wow, I had no idea this was going on! Hang in ther...Wow, I had no idea this was going on! Hang in there. <BR/><BR/>I can thoroughly empathize with what it's like to work the bureaucracy. The big issue I had with my business related to double taxation not signage. As soon as I pointed out that I was being taxed twice on my kitchen equipment (once through real estate tax and then, again, in personal property tax), I had inspectors in the building who found other items to tax that hadn't been taxed before . . . so rather than alleviating my burden, they actually added to it. (Sadly, it doesn't pay to open your mouth in the City of St. Louis either.) <BR/><BR/>The irony is that there is all this talk about revitalizing the city and making it easier for new women and minority-owned businesses to launch, but I actually found the contrary to be true. I wish I could offer more optimism, but maybe the shared experience will give you some comfort in knowing you are not alone.<BR/><BR/>Love, JulieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29659542.post-1159312584842286552006-09-26T18:16:00.000-05:002006-09-26T18:16:00.000-05:00Hi Tracy,I have many options. As of now, I have n...Hi Tracy,<BR/><BR/>I have many options. As of now, I have no idea which route to take. I've decided to do the "wait and see" for a bit. For now, I have no plans other than to continue what I am doing, and continue to grow. How and where I grow remains to be known. Thank you for sending an email. I know your time is valuable.<BR/><BR/>ElizabethElizabeth Maxsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15301271156213625334noreply@blogger.com