Celebrating the season & Ike recovery in Bridge City

A hard year of hurricane recovery for Bridge City has turned into a successful season for holiday shopping in the Orange County town.

Ashley Rodrigue learned more in a visit to the community just before Christmas.

This holiday season, business owners in Bridge City have learned if you just have a little hope, joy will soon follow.

Just ask Sherry Hickman.

"Our sales have increased tremendously," said Hickman.

Hickman owns Trendz Floral and Gift Shop on Texas Avenue. She says after cleaning up her shop and reopening following Ike's hit last September, all she had was hope for 2009, because that's all anyone else had, too.

"Everybody here wants to rebuild," said Hickman. They want to be back in their homes and they're supporting the local businesses, which has been great."

And you can tell by just driving down the city's main strip. Shopping centers are filled with tenants taking up every unit, and traffic to and from is bustling.

"I think we're seeing more of a hometown support than we did in the past," said Robert Simonton, the president-elect of the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce.

Simonton says that support is also for incoming business.

"We're seeing some different types of business that we haven't seen in the past, and overall I think we're starting to broaden our horizons."

And whether new or old, Simonton says support from the community is crucial to the continuing recovery of the city.

"People don't have to go elsewhere to find what they're needing now," said Simonton.

"That would definitely just help the whole economy of our town, period."

Hickman says the past year has taken her business to new levels, and new cities, including Lumberton and Houston, but for 2010, she plans on simply sticking with hope.

"Hopefully it continues, and hopefully people continue to shop."

The chamber says one of its goals for 2010 is to bring a national chain restaurant to the community.