Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Savor the season


Shop local.

Valley residents have heard this exhortation again and again, but in the wake of the economic damage inflicted by the Castle Rock Fire, it's especially important this holiday season.

Valley retail stores and restaurants lost one of the biggest business weekends of the year when the fire prevented Wagon Days—the Labor Day holiday's signature event that attracts thousands of visitors.

The valley learned last fall that a little smoke and flame are real vacation killers. Tourism-based businesses like those in the Wood River Valley are particularly risky because they depend on the weather. Visitors are like the fabled Goldilocks and the Three Bears—they want their porridge not too hot and not too cold, but just right. Anything else and they make other plans. Some local businesses have turned to staff cutbacks and long-term government disaster loans just to keep the lights on.

To complicate matters, competition outside the valley—catalogs, the Internet and big box stores—continues to be fierce. Residents should remember that when it comes to community needs, far-flung businesses rarely step up to fill them.

On the flip-side, the valley's businesses should continue to try to provide the best shopping, service and dining experiences possible with a wide range of products and prices. Together, they also need to be open for business at convenient times—just like their far-flung competitors.

Doing business locally is a "green" thing to do. It saves gas and saves time that could be spent with friends and family. So, think local, shop local, dine local and trade local—and savor the season.




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