Not too late

Precious few days remain for getting ready for Christmas. Gifts, food, decorations and everyday chores are just a few of the tasks ahead. Some people are done and ready for the celebration. For the rest of us, a lot remains to be finished.

It is not too late, however, to gift your local town. Last minute shopping is something that is easy and important. Most local merchants take pride in providing for their local customers.

The local businesses may not have marble floors and fountains, but they do have much of what is wanted and needed for the holidays.

And, shopping your hometown is not a contact sport. It can be leisurely and done among neighbors and friends.

Shopping locally is actually more than a gift. It is an investment in your community and its future. Not only does local shopping keep you off the roads, which may be crowded and snowy, it gives your community a boost. Local businesses have all year supported local projects and provided local employment. They are the first to give a hand to community activities, and most of the money spent stays local.

In many ways, hometowns are the very heart of a community, giving it amenities that tend to bind residents together. The personal service cannot be beat, either.

It is not too late to make sure that local businesses are not forgotten. Neglecting them can only lead to a neglected downtown and a shrinking community. Whitman County towns have suffered through drought periods when essential goods and services suddenly disappeared. Most have been able to rebound, but the threat of negative changes are always in the background.

This is the season to be generous, but it is also alright to be a little selfish. Shop local for your own benefit. You’ll feel the rewards all year.

Gordon Forgey,

Publisher