As residents of our respective “small towns” I think we often forget how valuable the “small town service” is that we have access to.
In Gillett we have dental office that, in my mind, sits on the cutting edge of modern dentistry. We have a skilled and accomplished optometrist. We do not have a Home Depot, but we have something much better: A hardware store filled with merchandise and a knowledgeable staff that knows exactly how it all works! We have banks that understand rural concerns, a greenhouse that draws people from “big towns,” and a craft store where the owner will show you how to make anything you want! We also have a top notch upholstery shop, not to mention a first class library, a boutique store that would rival the best in Door County and lest we forget that we, Gillett, are home to the “Best Pies in the State”! And they are.
Gillett is filled with shopkeeps and business owners, and your communities are, too. The hair stylists, groomers, gas stations, mills, and factories are all the best our areas have to offer, and we are fortunate to have them. For those of us that own our own businesses, our livelihoods depend on providing quality service to our patrons. Nobody provides servcie better than small town businesses. So I would urge us all to take a moment and consider how blessed we are to have these businesses in our communities.
Note: This blog post was written as a letter to the editor and was published in the Jan. 31 edition of the Oconto County Times Herald.
