There’s something happening in downtown Moscow, and it’s good!

Last month, the Co-op co-sponsored, along with Buy Local Moscow, a showing of the movie “Independent America” at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center. The film, part of our Good Food Film series, follows a couple of journalists as they toured America, keeping only to the “blue” roads and making their purchases only with locally owned businesses. Along the way, they asked the people they met about the effects of Wal-Mart on their communities, and the resulting sad changes to their downtowns.

While everyone I know has their opinion about Wal-Mart and other big box stores, it’s shown that locally owned businesses help build a sustainable community. Quoting Louise Todd in an op-ed piece from the “Daily News,” March 6, 2009, “Researchers have discovered that increasing sales at local business keeps more money circulating within the community, builds local charitable giving and increases the number of jobs available to local residents.”

I know that Moscow Food Co-op intentionally decided with each move to stay in downtown Moscow, partly in an effort to be the anchor store (that’s what they call those big stores at the mall) and to help provide the energy and customers that would in turn encourage and support the successes of the other small businesses located near us.

Recently, there has been a spate of vacant downtown storefronts and word of area businesses closing. Not a very encouraging atmosphere for anyone, and yet, just this week, I heard some good news: several new businesses are opening and there’s a new aura of hopefulness percolating thru our town.

MaryJane Butters has opened “Sweet Dreams,” an organic linens and lifestyle store on Jefferson Street, across from the Farmers’ Market. On Main Street (so appropriately named!) will be a new lighting store, “Main St. Lighting,” focusing on lamp repairs and sales, in the space recently occupied by Marco Polo Imports. Across from the Co-op on 5^th Street, in the space previously occupied by Howard Hughes Video store, will be Greg Kimberling Insurance, with additional space for two more small businesses. Further north on Main Street where Wild Women Traders used to be is the newly relocated fly-tying shop with an art co-op in front. As part of a University of Idaho project, designed to help potential owners build their own small businesses, regional artists will sell their own works and at the same time learn the ins and outs of running their own business. Again, to quote Louise Todd, “In a recent study from Maine (http://newrules.org/retail/midcoaststudy.pdf), researchers found that three times as many dollars spent in locally owned businesses were circulated within the community in comparison with dollars spent at corporate retailers. Local businesses relied primarily on local suppliers and local services use banks, attorneys, architects and Internet providers.” Thus, when downtowns are thriving, the ripple effect is felt thru the whole community. In fact, I’ve had several people tell me that while their spouse was interviewing for a position at the university, they were checking out the rest of the community — they were looking for a good place to live. The Co-op and other downtown stores played a large part in their decision-making process. I think living in a community that supports the arts and small businesses as we do goes a long way towards folks viewing Moscow as desirable.