Dear Editor,

I seldom voice, but it is time again.

I see that the City is moving forward again with the downtown area. I still ask, why? Yes, we are becoming a year-round tourist area and working to improve. I can't really argue that even though I'm against the main street overhaul. Have we forgotten how this city was born and created? We still have several big corporations that require expansion. Salt River is gone. We still have Yamamoto from the early days, which has expanded to another billion-dollar corporation that needs employees. Many others want to grow. Where is it that they can afford to live or even find a place? Let us not forget the roots of growth from earlier days. The City of Page - Our City - needs to rethink things for inner and outer growth, and Page needs it before moving on to making things look nice. You want growth, Page will still need employees to live and function here. Every business is lacking from that. I only suggest that the City of Page spend the taxpayer’s money more wisely. Build affordable housing and also earn from it. We have a big lack of teachers in our schools. We have people looking to move here and grow, raise a family, work an honest job and go home. Yet there is nothing available at an affordable price. Bad pun but true. How many still have children living at home in the age group of 25- to 35-plus because they can't afford it on their own? Yes indeed. Let us spend money on our main street instead to make it look nice? I don't understand it myself. Fix the inner core growth and the new outside incoming growth before we lose the foundation it was built on. We need so many other things instead of a new main street.

Stephen Shouse

Page, AZ