Give local merchants

There are going to be a lot of big sales to lure you into the box stores today.

But in many cases, as you travel north to retail central, you pass by a lot of shops in Gardnerville and Minden feeling the pinch as much as you are.

The dollars spent at these shops go to support people who live here and hopefully spend their money here.

We understand the need to stretch a buck as much as anyone, so we're not going to tell you where to shop. After all, there's not much you couldn't obtain in Douglas County, so shopping in the county isn't the issue.

But maybe shopping locally means more than just keeping sales taxes in the county.

Maybe it means keeping our Valley's commercial core alive despite the ease of that trip to the county line.

While the prices may be a touch higher here in town, those extra dollars come back to our community in many ways besides sales taxes. Every week, a thank-you letter we publish acknowledges the support of small businesses, who donate their time and energies to causes right here in the Valley.

All we ask is that as you make your way out to the box stores today, stop and give a local merchant a chance.