Sound Off highlights anonymous, brief takes on the news offered via telephone by Daily News readers.

I am so very glad that I, a new transplant to Washington, do not live next door to the writer of the vicious diatribe in Tuesday’s Sound Off. It’s a shame she is unable to view her northern neighbors with the true Christian neighborliness that we are inclined to display. Her attitude, I believe, is not usual for this community. We have numerous friends that are thinking of retiring here with their savings, their pensions and their talents. They ask us how we have found this area. I believe she is in the minority and I am hard-pressed to encourage their interest in Washington, North Carolina if she was going to be their new neighbor.

In the great editorial from Wednesday’s paper about the affair downtown with the police and they were trying to save the life of somebody, you left off an important point. Those people that jumped towards the police were thinking Rodney King all over again. Our police people are here to help us and they need to think twice and not just react as though it were Rodney King all over again.

I work on Water Street and I’m grateful for and love our Festival Park. Our beautiful park does bring us business on Water Street from historic and ecotourism to locals, rich and poor. A hotel in the green space would’ve just filled the pockets of the contractor. There are other waterfront properties discussed over the past 10 years that are still around for a hotel. What would help Water Street, or any local businesses off Main Street, would be three-hour parking instead of all-day parking. By and large, the city has tried to help any problems for us businesses by the park. Over 40 people’s lives depend on our businesses on our little block. We might not be a rich contractor, but some of us weathered lots of storms and we work hard and are grateful for our customers from the Festival Park and for those who worked so hard to get the Festival Park for the public.

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