editorial

Here’s what you can do

In the recent visioning workshop, participants were asked to identify three Yellow Springs “strong places,” those local spots where villagers most like to be. In my small group of about 12, each person chose “downtown” as one of their places. People spoke with pride of the vitality of our local downtown, where people can almost always be found shopping, dining, meeting or just hanging out.

As this holiday season begins, it’s timely to consider the important role our lively downtown plays in our community life. And it’s essential to remember the single thing we can do to keep it strong.

That single thing, of course, is to shop Yellow Springs. Shopping in local businesses not only strengthens those businesses, but also strengthens the town. The business owner we frequent most likely hires local people, and those workers buy their groceries at Tom’s, their prescriptions at Town Drug and on and on, as our money ripples through the local economy. According to a 2003 study by Civic Economics, a dollar spent locally can be multiplied three times to gauge its total impact on a town.

There’s more. Shopping in town is good for the earth, since we don’t have to drive. And shopping downtown brings us together. When we walk into a business, chances are that we catch up on each others’ kids and jobs and pets. These small moments of connection pay off in a big way: they strengthen the bonds that help us move forward together. Best of all, shopping in Yellow Springs — with its rich assortment of goods and services that make unique gifts for those endlessly unique relatives — is just plain fun.

We’re extremely fortunate to have such a lively downtown. Shopping in Yellow Springs is an excellent way to invest in our community.

—Diane Chiddister