DEAR EDITOR:

I attended the 51st annual Peace Race on Sunday morning. I was not a runner, but rather a spectator supporting friends.

I was shocked to see that none of the restaurants opened early. There were a lot of people, including myself, walking from restaurant to restaurant to see if they were open (around 11 a.m.). Many folks left instead of eating downtown. I stayed and waited for them to open in order to help downtown businesses. The purpose of this message is not to be a problem identifier, but rather a problem solver. Maybe there could be a solution for next year.

I am not sure if anyone communicated with the local businesses and asked them to open one hour early. Given the number of people at the event, opening an hour early could have led to a significant increase in revenue. It would also keep people coming back to downtown.

BENJAMIN PFEIL

Sharpsville, Pa.