The barricades are removed. The trappings have come down. Traffic has returned to normal. The helicopters no longer are circling my neighborhood. Kellogg Avenue is open to the public. St. Paul residents have come out of hiding and returned to work. Access is no longer restricted. Peace and quiet have been restored. St. Paul has survived the elephant madness!
Ironically local businesses did not all experience a boom in business as they had hoped. The restriction of traffic, protestors, and tight security discouraged convention goers from wandering too far from the secured area. Although some restaurants were prepared for an influx of business with extra staff and extra food, they were disappointed. Tom Reid's, Cosetta's, and Mancini's, all downtown landmarks that normally profit from the Xcel Center traffic, did not benefit from the Republican National Convention as much as they hoped. Normal traffic was absent because local St. Paul people avoided the congestion by vacationing during the convention.
The residual effects of the Convention may multiple. St. Paul's facilities and people made a positive impact on delegates to the Convention. Possibly future business will occur if delegates return as tourists because of this first positive contact with our beautiful city
Despite the business impact, St. Paul as a whole is breathing a sigh of relief. The elephants have left the building!
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