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With the holiday season under way, there is no reason to let gift buying become overly complicated (who wants to get into a fight at a big box store over a “Cabbage Patch Doll” Thanks Mom! I still wonder what ever happened to that doll...) One of the easiest ways to keep it simple is to shop locally. What does it mean to shop locally? Shopping at local owned and operated stores instead of chain stores.

Co-owner Alice Tibbetts says that Silver Bay has been underappreciated and encourages people to come and explore. “I think we have a really amazing opportunity to build visibility for Silver Bay and Lake County. There is a lot of momentum in Silver Bay and it is more than a half-way drive to further north, it is a place to drive to.” Alice believes in small-town local and is a vocal advocate for the city’s new projects and for local entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Part of a family that has been doing business in Lake County since 1935, Scott Seagren says that making a priority of shopping local is the only thing that makes sense to him. Saving on gas and time instead of traveling to bigger cities, and knowing the people you are doing business with are just a few of the advantages of shopping at Seagren’s. “Why go anywhere else?,” Scott asks, “We will match or beat anybody’s price within 60 miles.” On top of that compelling reason, Scott says that “if we don’t have it, we will get it!”

Gifts and crafts at the Bee’s Knees include personal hand-crafted items of both owners with Louise and Jackie. Louise, a multi-decade veteran local business owner, has lived her dedication to a localized economy. Infusing her every interaction with caring for her customers, employees and other area small businesses has earned her the reputation of being a first-rate example of community supporter. Louise says that while the shop does have some Holiday specific gifts, they shine with their huge variety that would make wonderful Christmas gifts.

Frequently known as an antique shop, local resident John McCarthy says he’d like to expand understanding to include his shop as a place to find solid, quality options to what locals might travel to big box stores to buy from tables to sinks and shelving. “Here you can find a 100-year-old oak table instead of a particle board table ordered online for the same price,” said John. In the business of rehoming local and regional furnishings, John says that he buys local whenever he can,“If you spend money here it supports local jobs and supports programs for the community from soccer teams to the food shelf.”

Christina Schroeder’s massage therapy has become well-known as a healing and relaxing in historic downtown Two Harbors. “Shopping local helps everybody in your community, it keeps shops alive in town and helps keep your neighbors thriving,” says Christina. Connected to Lake County for her entire life, Christina says that in addition to offering gift certificates for massages her shop has many “metaphysical” gifts like agate bowls, carved jade and Eagle’s eye bracelets.

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Letters to the editor, columns, and cartoons are the opinions of the contributors and not necessarily the Lake County Press. While we encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues they feel strongly about, we encourage writers to be respectful to one another. Your message is more likely to be heard if it is delivered in a civil manner. We also ask that letters include name, address, and phone number. Anonymous submissions or letters of questionable credibility will not be published or acknowledged. The Lake County Press also asks that letters be no longer than 350 words; however, at the editor’s discretion, longer submissions may be published occasionally. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity, and libelous content. Letters can be submitted to editor@lakecountypress.news.