Christmas is just weeks away and millions of Americans will be perusing for bargains at their favorite retailers. For those of us who have chosen to live in small communities the drive to a large mall or box store might be hours away and not very convenient when the roads are bad and daylight hours are few.

Some will take solace in front of their computer screen while sipping their hot cup of coffee to shop from the convenience of their home and not venture out into the cold.

Amazon is now the go to place for many when it comes to shopping. It is so successful that its creator and owner, Jeff Bezos, is one of the richest men in the world. Good for him and good for Amazon.

But beyond delivering your orders, what has Amazon done for our community here in southern Minnesota?

How many people does Amazon employ in our area?

How has Jeff Bezos given back to the community here?

Simple answer, he hasn’t.

This year, we urge you to support the many local businesses that support our beautiful, prideful, community. There are numerous locally owned businesses that support your neighbors and friends.

They provide jobs, benefits, and convenience for us so we don’t have to travel long distances to shop in a store. And these businesses and those that work in them give back to the community. They support your schools. They pay taxes here. They donate to local food pantries. They’ve raised generations of their families here. They are pillars of the community and we need to do our part and pay it back because these small, locally owned businesses are what make our community a special place to live.

Merry Christmas!