I would really like to ask something of everyone here. Recently, I have had several people tell me that my family should not vacation in Corolla, due to the fact that percentages of the money we spend there goes to Currituck County.

I want to let you all know that we are going to continue to stay in Corolla long into the future. However, I would like to explain my feelings toward this once, and then have the subject be dropped permanently.

My family has been vacationing in The Currituck Club, a subdivision in Corolla, since 2000. We have spent 12 weeks in the community since that time, with reservations at this moment for two more - over Easter and in the summer.

Over this time, we have come to know many members of the community. At TCC, there are many people who live in the community year-round, probably a higher percentage than most others on the OBX. We know the golf people, the sales people, the fitness centre people, the neighbours, the shopkeepers, etc. We have built a sense of community while on vacation.

We also have several houses that we rent often, and love. This summer will be our fifth in our "summer house". Perhaps some of you, in your or your childrens' childhoods, had the same situation, where you always went to the same beach house every year, and wouldn't think of going to another.

As you can see, we really like staying in Corolla. And yes, we spend a lot of money in the county. However, I also feel strongly against the "no money" plan because of those people who we have become friends with along the way.

Being a business owner on the Outer Banks is difficult. Buisiness is great in the summer, but the other 9 months of the year, not so much. Many great stores and restaurants have left, and are missed.

When you spend money in Currituck County, a lot of it goes to the shopkeeper. And, even if as Dave said earlier, it gets cycled around the county, it gets cycled around more local businesses. It's a vicious cycle.

The ratio of Wackos or equal-caliber lighthouse lovers to regular tourists to Corolla is greatly in favour of the latter. Also, the "no money" theory only works when a lighthouse lover is on the Outer Banks. When you take that small percentage of that small end of that ratio, it pretty much doesn't make a difference.

That money that we aren't spending doesn't just hurt Currituck County. It hurts the restaurants and stores that we love. It hurts the farmers on the mainland, who already are not as well off as those on the Banks. It hurts everyone.

One day, we hope to own land in Corolla, and maybe even build a house on it. We don't care that it's in Currituck County. It's the town and the people that are the reason.

I would like this to be the end on this subject, and would like no rebuttals to this post. We have much more important things to do than argue over this.