Gearing up for First Monday: Lewis vendors express concern on incoming bollards
CANTON, Texas (KETK) – Last week, the City of Canton decided they would install bollards that will split the First Monday Trade Days grounds in two.
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A part of the First Monday grounds belong to the city and the other side to the Lewis family. The bollards the city will install wouldn’t allow Lewis vendors to unload behind their booths.
“It would be a nightmare, because everybody wants to load their stuff and get out of here, we’re hot and tired,” Delores Burleson, 50-year Lewis vendor, said.
The city is reportedly closing their gate to Lewis vendors by pavilion one and two. This change would deny vendors, like Robert Shumate, access to their booths.
“We’re just trying to make a living and go home. We never chose sides, the city forced people to choose, and they get upset when we didn’t choose their side, but they’re wrong,” Shumate said.
The options for Lewis vendors would be to enter farther down of Highway 19 or park in customer parking, which they said would crowd the grounds.
“It will take me three and a half to four hours to just unload get the stuff over here. That doesn’t include the two hours that you add to it for actually setting everything out, getting everything ready,” Shumate said.
Currently, water jugs are in place where the bollards will be installed along the line of the city’s property. The city said this will stop heavy traffic on Highway 19 and ensure the safety of pedestrians.
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Shumate said, from personal experience, that people who need emergency help are at risk.
“The EMTS that were in the ambulance had to park at the gate on Highway 19 and walk down the road,” Shumate said.
Shumate said if his access is cut off it would directly impact, Burleson, who is across from him.
“They’re going to have to have access to some of our booths if we’re already set up before them. We’re going to have to allow them to come in and out through our booth carrying tables and display it to ever to set up there,” Burleson said.
Lewis vendors said it would also cause confusion with customers, ultimately hurting their business.
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“Customers are going to be asking and thinking ‘what’s going on? How do we deal with all of those the posts and things that are happening out here. What’s happening with the grounds?'” Burleson said.
Vendors compare this change to dominos. They said when the first one falls, they will all fall down the line.
Earlier this month, Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett said they don’t know the timeline on when the bollards will be installed.
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