Letter From the Julian Merchants Association

The 2007 Firestorm was frightening, to say the least, with nearly everyone in the county evacuating - we all have our own "war stories" to tell of narrow escapes, evacuating animals, traffic snarls, power outages and water issues. Early in October, the Julian Merchants were telling stories of setting sales records, busy days like we remember before the Cedar Fire.

The freeze earlier this year damaged a good portion of the apple crop, but not the enthusiasm of our fall visitors; we were in for a great Apple Days season. Now we have had to endure a week away from our shops, and the slow return of business to our mountain community.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those friends and neighbors who were affected by the wildfires. And our heartfelt gratitude to the firefighters, law enforcement, volunteers, friends and neighbors for their heroic efforts for our communities.

The Julian Merchants Association sponsors the Julian Country Christmas Celebration and we encourage everyone to visit historic Julian during the holidays. Invite your friends from down the hill to enjoy the crisp mountain air, stroll through town and sing along with the Christmas carolers. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, we will be lighting the 85-foot Christmas tree at the Julian Pioneer Museum, with old-fashioned festivities going on all day.

For all the small businesses in San Diego County, we remind you that we can all help each other recover quickly, with random acts of kindness and shopping locally.

Thank you

Tracy Turner, President

Julian Merchants Association