It has long been a dream of many to turn Covington’s picturesque downtown square into a true destination.

To achieve this dream, the square needs a variety of restaurants and boutique-type businesses to complement its current lineup of specialty shops.

This fall, the Mystic Grill is scheduled to open. If this restaurant/bar with a "Vampire Diaries’’ theme draws the patrons that its owners envision, then the door will be open for other entrepreneurs to follow.

One local family is taking a leap of faith by opening a wine-tasting establishment downtown; we wish them well.

To assist and help others who might follow this lead, Covington’s City Council is proposing modernizing the city’s alcohol laws for the square. We endorse this effort.

The truth of the matter is that we will not be able to attract first-class restaurants unless they can make a profit from liquor sales.

We are looking forward to the time when, instead of driving to Atlanta or Athens for an evening of fine food and entertainment, we can travel just a few miles to our own town square.

When that day comes, we can be assured that the taxes we pay will stay right here in our own community. And the cost of a cab ride home, if needed, will be reasonable.