Whats happening to our community

I am a local business owner here in Canyon Lake. We are in our fourth year serving the residents of Canyon Lake a great Pizza both tradtional and an extensive gourmet menu. We have lived her for over 5 years and had very good reasons for choosing the area to both live and work.

Both my wife and I were tired of the big city atmosphere, sick of the uniform look and attitude that is prevelant in todays cities. It doesnt seem to matter which area you live or in which country you live. all local character is being buried under an avalanche of corperate logos and fast food joints.

It makes no difference anymore wether you live in Dallas, Moscow or rome, golden arches are the landmarks now.

so we moved to a small community where we thought we would be safe from the ever increasing spread of these corporate sharks.

Having looked at various small towns around the hill country we settled on Canyon lake because it seemed to us that each of the villages are small enough to not be of any interest to the big stores. We were especially impressed by the small town attitude and laid back way of life. so here we settled intending to work towards retirement and spend the rest of our lives as part of this attractive community.

Five years later changes are hapening, there sre now a couple of national burger chains, ther is a national pizza joint and several othe big company franchises around our community. As our community grows so the corporate sharks circle our community.

Now I hear you say that this is just because a national Pizza chain opened up accross road from my store obviously intending to take away the business I had worked hard to build.

Well 6 months ago when they opened I would have thought you had a point, but the truth is my business has not suffered at all, in fatc it has increased, so whats my problem ?

My problem is that as more and more of these big companies sell franchised fast food in the area, (mainly to the tourists who do not carea about our community) our small towns around the lake will end up looking like strip malls. The same strip malls you see around any big town in America. If thats what we want well ok lets just let it happen. lets sit back and watch as our villages lose all their character and charecters. Lets just watch as billboards appear on every corner ruining the landscape and our community.

I do not believe for one moment thats what we want. so what can we do about it?

Well we cant stop the tourists who visit us in the summer months being attracted like lemmings to the neon lit fast food joints, but that doesnt mean we have to go there. quite simply the only power you the consumer and resident of Canyon Lake has is to just not give them your money. Tell them we don't want them here by simply staying away. Then when the tourists have gone back to the city these monster company's might just realise that they are not wanted here.

The internet is a tool we can use, post a comment on this blog then convince ten people to read it, if we all do that we can send a message loud and clear to the big companies. HANDS OFF OUR COMMUNITY, WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.