Been living in Oak Harbor for seven years now. It seems to be the place we were looking for. Although since we moved here, we have heard a lot about how “Old Town” is fading. Now, with the state of the union, the economy, the cutbacks in jobs, budget cuts, ridiculously high store rents, etc., there is even more talk about Old Town dying. For a long time, there has been this question about attracting tourists.

Hence, the big project being kicked back and forth, up and down, and how to revise Pioneer Way, the street traffic, the sidewalks, getting the merchants and stores up to “tourist level,” etc., etc. Which is very good. We are all in favor of doing all that.

However, the city fathers are missing one important item about “snagging” tourists. The tourists driving through have to know Old Town exists!

As Highway 20 comes into town from the south, it turns north at the intersection of Beeksma and SE Pioneer. Most tourists traveling north and south do not even know about Old Town. In traveling around the country, my wife and I noticed something that helped a similar situation in many cities.

The solution: A simple, inexpensive arched sign across Pioneer Way from the Walgreens corner to the Vehicle Registration corner, in a place not blocked by other signs or structures, with just four words on it: Old Town, Straight Ahead.

Use large, legible letters and high contrasting colors so it’s easily and quickly read against background by some driving a car or an RV. It may just help work a miracle after the above-mentioned restorations.

E.J. Fine

Oak Harbor