To The Editor:
We all know that it has been one of the worst winters (or should I say nonwinters) on record. Many Valley businesses and residents are really hurting financially.
You may wonder what you can do to help ease the pain. If you are thinking about buying new skis next year but can afford to get them this year, now would be a great time to buy them. If there is a new restaurant in Burlington you’ve been wanting to try, please eat out in The Valley instead and be sure to leave a generous tip. How about buying some fresh flowers to cheer up a friend who has been laid off or had their hours at work reduced? If you need something for your home or yard, how about buying it locally? Now, more than ever, your local purchase will mean so much more here than it would at a box store or Amazon. Please make all your local purchases with cash or a check so that every bit of the hard-earned dollars that you spend locally stays local rather than sending a percentage to the credit card processors.
When you pay your incredibly small bill for plowing this season, how about including a tip? Even if you don’t feel you “got your money’s worth” on your Mad River Glen, Sugarbush, Ole’s or Blueberry Lake pass this year, please buy one for next season anyway. Money from pass sales will be vitally important to our local ski venues as they try to rebound and it may convince Mother Nature that we deserve an epic winter next year.
Finally, how about making a donation to the Mad River Valley Food Shelf, the Mad River Valley Interfaith Council or the Mad River Valley Community Fund? Those groups are supporting our neighbors with the greatest need.
If we want our local businesses and our neighbors to make it through this tough economic time, we all need to offer our support. Whether that support is in the form of a purchase, a tip, a helping hand, a kind word or even just a friendly smile, our support of each other is what makes The Valley such a great place to live. This kind of support is what makes The Valley “The Valley.”
Laura A. Caffry
Waitsfield
