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Organizers are now gearing up for the town of Washington’s traditional Fourth of July celebration. We all need to give this year’s festivities our best effort.
The Independance Day country fair provides an example of small town life at its best with a day of fun and patriotic celebration in the historic and scenic town of Washington. This year, it’s a county-wide occasion as well as Rappahannock observes its 150th year.
In addition, it’s one of the major sources of income for the Washington Volunteer Fire Department, a small but dedicated group of men and women who have chronic difficulty raising enough money for yearly operations.
But probably most important of all, it is a step in the direction of improving the county’s dismal economic picture.
Figures on gross sales just released for the past year prove what local merchants have known for a while: business is bad. The county recorded a negligible increase - just .6 percent - in retail sales, the lowest in the five-county planning district. An increase in sales revenue below the inflation rate is the same as a decrease in terms of keeping local people in business.
93.9%