With only a week before Christmas, it’s time for the final purchases.

Special gifts, special dinners, holiday parties….all these pieces make the season more stressful than anyone ever intended.

Christmas is still a holy day in our calendar, but for many it is full of challenges. For many it’s heart breaking and stressful. For others, we have a chance to provide comfort and joy.

I believe in the spirit of Christmas, a season of love, peace and joy with all my heart. But I still enjoy the decorating, the gifting, and the gathering of families and friends.

I like that Christmas comes during the winter months and that the schools give extra time off around this holiday.

I even like the years when we have snow on the ground, and blizzards that force us all to stop and enjoy the people around us.

I feel it is one of the few ways we are able to slow down.

But of course, it has a cost too.

This year our business community has taken a big hit with the weekend snowstorms that have hit our area. Retailers who count on this season to make their year solvent are scrambling, trying to reduce their inventory, opening additional hours, trying to entice people to come in and make purchases. They need to make up for the days they had to close, or people couldn’t get to their stores.

This is what drives me to shop when I don’t need anything, buy things for people who don’t want anything. The retailers in Webster City and every small town has a hard time competing with the big chain stores and Amazon, Costco and Sam’s Club.

But our retailers do an amazing job.

I urge you to take the time to visit some of our local businesses during the next week. There are so many things you can get here in our city, and a lot of things that you can’t get in the bigger stores.

Like smiles and a greeting when you walk into the store.

Like great customer service, store owners trying hard to find something that will please you.

Like sending you to another local store, because they know they carry what you need.

Like home-made products and Iowa-made items that are made of local products, with loving attention, and craftsmanship that keeps their gift items unique.

Like businesses who sponsor and support hometown events, like Market nights, Christmas in the City and Ladies Night Out that provide entertainment and fun.

You’ll find prices that are competitive, especially when you add in time and travel expenses.

You’ll find business owners who are supporting the children of our community with all their school events and activities.

You will benefit from reduced taxes, when the business owners pay on their commercial properties.

You benefit from shared infrastructure expenses

You benefit when we are able to attract new residents to our community, with their families and their friends, who help make Webster City a real community.

Like retailers who make a deal to help out their neighbors, who encourage other businesses to open up, and build up the downtown areas.

Most of our retail businesses are trying to do more with less, just like most of us in the community. All their costs have risen, it takes more to pay the electric bills, the gas bills, and increased leases. Everyone wants more for an hourly wage.

Everyone benefits when our businesses do well.

When our buildings are full of good quality businesses.

When our parking spaces are full of cars and trucks.

When our stores are full of shoppers.

Over the last 50 years, I’ve seen many changes in the business world. And as we all wish our world was the same as the scenes from “A Miracle on 4th Street”, there is no way we can step back.

Our businesses, especially our retailers, spend a lot to provide products and services for us. They have to live on what they take home at the end of the day.

After they pay all the help.

After they pay all the bills.

Webster City still has many innovative business people providing goods and services.

We have beautiful handmade artwork, crafts and pottery, clothing and jewelry, footwear and furniture.

We have restaurants and grocery stores, discount stores and antique stores. We have second hand stores, grocery stores, a hardware and lumber store.

We have stores that offer and accept gift certificates and chamber bucks.

But most importantly, we have people who care about our community.

They are doing their best to keep this community whole.

If your shopping list still has holes in it, look around. There are so many wonderful surprises in our community. All you have to do is look.

They need us all more than ever.