It was just a few years ago that we could walk around downtown Suffolk, after the lighting of the multicolored streetlights that crisscrossed our downtown streets and just marvel at these beautiful decorations.

I can still recall clearly the beauty of these lights when I was a kid. They seemed to leave us with a wonderful cheery feeling, as Christmas decorations usually do. Even as a kid I used to think of the beautiful welcome that these lights would offer to each and every citizen and visitor.

Now, our downtown looks like a tree with no decorations. Now, I ask you, how long does anyone look at or spend time around a Christmas tree with no decorations?

I realize someone selected and approved of the decorative banners hanging from the occasional light post. Would you hang these things from your tree? We really need to go back to the multicolored crisscrossing lights of yesteryear.

Business is coming back, and now we need a toy store with a glass showcase, as well as a downtown movie theater. And if it were up to me, I would leave the decorative lights up year-round. This is an idea worth traveling from our sister cities to see.