Last week the Vampire Diaries began its third season of filming here in Covington. Having a production of this size and caliber generates a lot of revenue for our community in the form of taxes and the tourism. A side benefit of a production is it markets our town and brings in tourists and outsiders that make purchases from local merchants and restaurants.

Recently we have heard rumblings from some in the community who are claiming some of the members of the Vampire Diary crew have been rude. The malcontents also claim that when the production crews are in production, which is not a great deal of time, some of our local business and merchants are inconvenienced.

There is never an excuse for someone being rude. If this is true, we would hope that the staff and crew of the Vampire Diaries address this situation.

The inconvenience caused by the filming of the Vampire Diaries is a very small price to pay for the benefits those films or TV series bring to our city and county.

The money being spent by movie and TV industry in our community during these depressed hard economic times and the foot traffic that is being provided to the square merchants is an economic boost during a period when it is needed the most.

We are disappointed some downtown merchants feel this type of activity in our community is burdensome. In these times of economic hardship we should open our doors to any and all business, and show outsiders what true Southern charm looks and feels like.

Some members of the city council are now leading a negative charge against the movie and TV industry. This is foolish and reckless behavior. Instead of trying to tear things down, we would suggest adopting an attitude of support for our community. Work together with the chamber of commerce and Main Street Covington boards and figure out how we can attract even more of this good Hollywood money to town.

Covington is blessed with a good location, close to Atlanta, and the foresight of those who came before us, to build and maintain a charming downtown square and community. These are assets that have appeal to those in the movie business, and let’s continue to leverage those assets for our community’s benefit. Let us not also forget, that we are not the only community that has the assets. As quickly as we became the "Hollywood of the South," we could lose this title to other communities that welcome the film industry with open arms if we begin projecting a negative attitude.