Dear Editor:

I would like to note the closing of Yoga Firm Studio® on Townsend Avenue across the street from Seagate Motel. The property was purchased by a developer and the tenants are required to move out by Oct. 31. The small, unattached building in the rear of the complex houses the yoga studio which has been run by Romee May for the past 12 years.

Romee has built her yoga and massage space into a vibrant and positive business in our region. Although small by recent new business standards, Romee’s studio became a safe and nurturing place for many people both local and from away.

The loss of this space and small business will be felt by all of the people who went there. Romee has graciously made plans to move forward teaching and mentoring in other venues without complaint. However, I feel the public has a need to know that she and many others contacted the developer personally and through mail asking if there were a way to maintain her space and her business in that location. She was not successful in this endeavor, unfortunately. It would not have been a stretch for the developer to keep that small building intact and maintain its current use.

I am not against progress or economic development. However, those people who choose to make changes in our town would be wise pay attention to the small businesses and the people who run them and benefit from their services. These small businesses are built and sustained by our community and are a very important part of our community infrastructure. Let’s pay attention and support them.

Lisa McSwain

Edgecomb