My View – February 2021

With 2020 mercifully in the rearview mirror, I have high hopes for the new year and feel Jacksonville will emerge from the pandemic a better place. As more of us line-up to get our COVID-19 vaccine shots, we come closer to seeing light at the end of the tunnel—and closer to returning to normal, whatever that will be.

One reason for my optimism about our town is the outpouring of support our citizenry just showed our local business community during the holiday shopping season. Merchants whom I’ve spoken with personally shared a common thread with me—as never before, locals shopped LOCAL and made a point of making sure the proprietors knew their shopping trip was intentional. One reason for this spike in spending local was a bogged-down delivery network—think of the strain on UPS, Fedex and USPS—along with the uncertainty of not knowing if online shopping orders would arrive in time for gift-giving. This silver lining may have resulted in saving some local businesses from closing their doors. No matter, the fact that so many of YOU chose to support main street, made a difference.

Like our retailers, state-mandated guidelines are impacting our restaurants, who’ve seen an uptick in local support as more of us spend our dollars right here in town via takeout orders. I’ve heard dozens of reports of supporters purchasing gift cards—with no immediate plans to use them until long after the pandemic is over and our eateries are again on solid footing. Wow, what a testament to the generosity in our community.

As we start off 2021, please join me in keeping up this most-welcome trend by continuing to support our local businesses. Although online shopping is convenient and not going anywhere, it’s critical to keep our dollars in town when we have a choice. For a decade plus, I’ve said there’s a huge difference between “residing” and “living” in Jacksonville—part of the distinction is the relationships one forms with others—notably, the people who operate the establishments that line our historic streets.

In this new year, let’s all redouble our commitment to shopping and eating LOCAL in Our Small Town with Big Atmosphere!