I know I have been writing a lot lately, but I figure someone has to spread good tidings when they are due. That might make it easier to read letters when the comments are not so positive.

    A few weeks ago, we experienced this season’s first ice storm. Many of us found ourselves ill-prepared, having been spoiled by the unseasonably warm fall. I was without adequate batteries for flashlights and no oil for my hurricane lamps.

    However, how heartwarming it was to find that Maddy and Tom Simpson, owners of Shoppers True Value Hardware in Mill Creek, were behind the counter holding flashlights and a hand held calculator, serving the neighborhood. Without power themselves, they were undaunted. A paper sign in the window read “Open” and inside, darkness filled the aisles but good moods prevailed. Little spots of light were seen as they helped us find what we needed. All sales were calculated by hand; they accepted checks, credit cards and good ol’ cash. Everyone was chatting to one another, realizing that the neighbor who is your local business owner cares enough to ‘go the extra mile’ on such a day. This is why we must shop locally.

    Please remember, my friends: Think globally, act locally. These are the people we want to support, lest we see the doors locked someday if we always shop big box. Shop your local hardware, your local bookstore, your grocer or fish purveyor. Use your local sole-business owner who is a carpenter, plumber, electrician, snow plower, garden center, lumber yard, wood man and more. Don’t be tricked into thinking that you always get a better deal when you shop big; it is often not the case. On Christmas Day, when my boiler stopped dead, it was my local plumber who came over to help me out—not big oil.

    Thank you, Maddy and Tom (and Peter too!) for caring enough to be sure your friends and neighbors were safe during challenging weather.

Rosemarie De Angelis

South Portland