by Cindy Zimmerman

In the front office of Smitty's Service there's a modest photo album, on the desk where the parts catalogs reside. Snapshots inside chronicle the history of the business and how Merle G. Smith (1913-1996) nurtured and grew his Adams Avenue filling station, now a thriving auto repair business.

Mike Magers, Smitty's grandson, displays the album and his grandfather's hunting trophy heads and pelts, in honor of his ancestor and for the interest of customers and neighbors.

The Reanimation Festival banners honor the contributions of craftsmen who bring dead cars to life.

There's also an attempt to show the risk taken by small business owners outside the malls, who challenge the drab sameness of corporate-style public landscape.