GRAFTON, Ill — Greg Brummett is finally working on handmade pieces at his Buena Vista shop on Main Street.
His wife and co-owner, Janey is excited to be back and see foot traffic pick up for the Independence Day celebration, since they just opened their doors on the Fourth of July. "From that time on, it's been a consistent flow for the past 3 days and we hope it stays like that for the rest of the year," Brummett tells us.
Another business owner, Rick Eberlin, isn't just the mayor of Grafton. He also owns an ice cream shop on Main Street.
He knows first hand the decline in sales.
"Business in Grafton was affected 85% to 100, we were down in revenue," Eberlin said. That's why it was crucial to have this weekend. "We’re not only celebrating the birth of our country, but we’re also celebrating a rebirth of Grafton. We couldn’t afford it as a town to miss this weekend."
And Mother Nature wasn't so friendly to Dan Bechtold's pocketbook either, who is the owner of Knotty By Nature.
Even though his hardwood store and guest house faces thousands of dollars in damage, his location along with other businesses were able to finally open up for Grafton's busiest holiday.
Eberlin says the biggest task that lies ahead is getting the west end of town cleaned up.