Editorial of December 5, 2024

Who Wants To Be a Hero?

We are on our way to the holidays and a new—who knows, it might be better—year. Whether 2025 turns out to be better, or not, we most probably won’t ever forget just how difficult, sad and tumultuous, and not-so-better 2024 has been. We often feel these days that we are going somewhat bonkers—or it might be that we are staying sane and the rest of the world is going bonkers. It’s all pretty much the same thing.

But there is a bright side, if we look hard enough. Next door, in Vermont, among the most vernacular and charming institutions that scenic and mountainous tourist attraction of a state has is the country store. These quaint, ancient, family-owned emporia can, or at least could, be found in all the tiny villages spread through the hills and dales of the state, providing their residents with just about everything they need to live, eat, and work, without the grueling voyages to the bigger stores over the mountains and far away. These country stores are ingenious. Not only do they provision and provide for their people, they are also the meeting place for their communities, and many serve as well as the post office, lost-and-found, bake sale venue, bookstore, farmers’ market, babysitter, chatroom, and coffee shop.

Unfortunately, the owners of these gems do not live and work forever, and the country stores often come up for sale. Some, too many, simply close. One is in the throes of this endeavor now. Coburn’s General Store lies in Strafford, owned and run by Melvin Crawford and his wife. They have been at it, happily, for 47 years. Melvin is 80 and ready to retire, but he has been unable to find a buyer to take over the business. So the town has jumped into the fray: A group of residents has established a nonprofit trust, and it is well on its way to raising the $1.8 million to buy, repair, restore, maintain, and keep its village treasure. These people are heroes.

And now it’s our turn. Here in our Otsego County we have quite a number of small businesses—clothing shops, hardware and construction stores, bookstores, cafés, art galleries, crafts outlets, antiques shops, specialty food stores, farmers’ markets, cider mills, jewelry and accessory boutiques, houseware and gift shops, museum shops, breweries, restaurants, and liquor stores—that cater much of their merchandise to only us, the residents—very like Coburn’s General Store (which miraculously carries pretty much all of these things under its roof). These businesses are locally owned, locally staffed and are very often stocked with a locally-made inventory. They are unique, and they add greatly to the uniqueness of their villages.

The stores and their owners and staffs make myriad contributions to our villages. By their very nature they are investing in their local economy. They purchase goods and services from local suppliers, they hire local people, they do business with local financial institutions, and they live among us. A significantly greater portion of the proceeds from their shops is cycled back into the local economy, which includes many local charitable and needy organizations. This ultimately strengthens the base of the community, which, enhanced by these local businesses, becomes more prosperous, and more connected. None of these good things happen when goods and services are purchased through national chains.

So, when it’s time to buy, buy local. You, and your village, will be pleased. And you will be a local, and loyal, hero.