The offices of D'Amico Computing on West Main Street stand empty. A message on the phone says the business has relocated to Alum Ridge Road, the former home of what was once Alum Ridge Computing before Frank D'Amico took over Blue Nova Computing a year ago.

Insiders interior design is gone from the Village Green and new tenants will open a yoga studio there soon. Insiders will operate out of the owner's home

The Book End Christian book store moved from Villiage Green to larger quarters on Locust Street. Under the Sun Gallery in The Winter Sun is closing and a new location has not yet been announced.

I'm told McCabes clothing store in The Village Green will close at the end of the month.

At the Northeast end of Floyd, Harris & Baker Furniture continues its long goodbye with a going out of business sale that is expected to wrap up soon.

Like other areas of Virginia and the nation, Floyd is seeing its share of business shifts, closings and relocations to less-expensive digs.

With traffic down more than a milliion visitors on the Blue Ridge Parkway last year, local businesses that depend on tourists look towards the New Year with concern. Floyd artists who take thier efforts to shows in the East and Midwest report decreased traffic and sales over the past year.

Arts groups feel the pinch with disappearing grants and declining sales. The Jacksonville Center in Floyd is going the barter route.

County government is virtually broke. The school system must cope with increasing budget cuts and residents who worked at plants like Volvo spent the Christmas holiday out of work.

On Tuesday, a new President will take office and offer an inaugural speech of hope mixed with dire warings of harder times ahead before things get better.

Lets hope the New Year gets better.