Dear Editor:

While traveling down south recently, I deliberately passed through many small towns. Most of these with main streets that have boarded up store fronts, clearly no longer the source for jobs or services in that area. On the outskirts of many, strategically located between communities, are the massive box stores and cookie cutter chain restaurants. Close your eyes, drive 50 miles, open them, and it looks exactly the same.

Coming back to Boothbay makes me thankful for our small local businesses that each look different and offer that fun and friendly customer service. As we know, Boothbay is a unique area in which we have both the blessing and the curse of not being on the way to somewhere. It takes an effort to either get here or go somewhere. The convenience of shopping locally helps deter the possible savings elsewhere, which is a good thing if you are trying to run a business in Boothbay.

But trying to get people from away to come shop or dine is easier said than done, especially this time of year. The even tougher challenge for our local retailers is the dreaded Internet; that “one click shopping and free speedy shipping” thingy. Realizing that, in part, this is the big box stores' cyber war on small main street businesses. We need to remember not to fall for that convenience when we have a local choice.

Another thought is that the only people that really know how hard it is to keep a business open in our town are the business owners themselves. The dream, passion, pride, risk taking and sleepless nights of a small business owner is often never thought of by the customer. Thinking, “the lights are on they must be making money!” seems reasonable when, in fact, most small, year-round businesses in town break even or lose money just to keep their employees employed and to continue to offer a needed service or product. This is the seasonality we struggle with.

Shop locally, not just once, but try to make a habit out of it. It really does help our community stay alive when we need it the most.

Edwin Mitchell

 Boothbay