November 25, 2004

EDITORIAL

Support your town this holiday

One of the brighter spots of the ongoing debate over growth in Yellow Springs, sprawl and strip malls is the village’s vibrant downtown. Many people are rallying to support our downtown by emphasizing the crucial role the Central Business District plays in Yellow Springs’ economy, how it helps define the village’s character and its important status as a gathering place, or, as the Village Comprehensive Plan calls it, a “community focal point.”

The attention downtown is garnering as a community asset underscores the need to support Yellow Springs businesses year-round and especially this holiday season. Indeed, this time of year is essential for many of the village’s shops, a time when they bring in a significant portion of their annual income. Robust holiday sales can help downtown businesses survive in what remains a slow economy and allow them to keep the lights on during the slow months that follow the holiday season. Though some people say that downtown is mostly a tourist-based economy, many Yellow Springs businesses still rely on a core group of customers: people who live or work in Yellow Springs.

While villagers may be drawn to the big lights of the mall, or the closeness of the Internet via your computer, they should not overlook the gifts and services provided by the many, many businesses in downtown Yellow Springs. This holiday season, consider spending more of your hard-earned dollars in Yellow Springs, where you can get special gifts and support many small, independent business owners.

Patronizing local businesses provides vital support for the community’s economy, and a healthy economy helps Yellow Springs remain an engaging, interesting town. Every dollar spent in town helps merchants run successful businesses and maintains people’s jobs, which, in turn, helps the Village and Miami Township governments and the Yellow Springs school district provide essential services that all Yellow Springers enjoy.

Regardless of where you stand on the issues of growth and sprawl, development and green space preservation, we should all agree on the importance of a healthy downtown for Yellow Springs. Shopping at home, here in Yellow Springs, is a direct way villagers can support their community. Contributing to health of Yellow Springs’ economy makes a great holiday gift.

—Robert Mihalek