Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

As predicted, the downtown intersection replacements have been a bit of a nightmare for many of the local merchants. The detour signs, supposedly, are deterring would-be customers. Well, the city hopes to change the merchants' fortunes by changing the signs.

The timing may not have been ideal. Sure we're heading into the holiday season, but any time is going to create problems, and most would have eventually run into the holidays anyway.
New signs will say welcome, say excuse our mess, say please don't turn around. But despite it all, the fact that the signs are there at all will still say detour, construction causing problems.
At this point, however, there is little the city can do, since it is still unconstitutional to require everyone in the city spend money in downtown Rogers.
I will go on record as saying the city is no longer the cause of ills in downtown Rogers. When there are no improvements in the historic district, the people complain. When the improvements begin, the people complain. If the downtown was doing well, the city would not have considered such a grand scheme as brick harvesting. That customers are still not coming in should be no surprise.
Maybe this is the time to revisit the last year, in which a lot of progress was made since — I'll say it — Marge Wolf left Main Street Rogers and Kerry Jensen took over. The merchants have been more willing to work together and with Main Street, but the downtown is still just hosting events, not drawing people in. With all this cooperation, maybe it is time to encourage a few more people downtown with some actual, shopping-related events. I know it's hokey, but perhaps it's time for a district-wide sale. A blowout holiday event to rival anything going on at the Promenade. Just, for the love of god, don't try to compete directly with the Promenade.
Happy shopping.