It probably helps that I live just blocks from downtown and have lived in town basically my whole life, nonetheless...
Yesterday I took the boys downtown for church, then we went to Retro Eatery for breakfast to support the YMCA Summer Youth Theatre's cast of Peter Pan (go Devin!), I spent the afternoon at the Philipsburg Historical Foundation Museum and Research rooms and then went to Weis for groceries. All in all a great day in historic downtown Philipsburg.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
what i got down town today
Ever see those coupon people? You know the ones. They get $1000 worth of groceries for like $18.56. Of course , half the stuff they got, they can't use but hey- it was free! That is one thing. Wasteful, probably but it not hurting anybody. I think Big Box/chain stores make all of us that way. We get in the car and drive to Wal-Mart to "save" money. We buy things we don't need because we have to navigate through endless" deals". So much so that we probably spend more than we would have going to a store with "fewer choices". They make us think we are saving so much money we can't afford not to buy it. This speaks volumes about who we are, as Americans.
But, I digress. My point was... I mostly just buy what I need. And i buy as much as I can locally. So, from time to time, I am going to post what I "Found In Town". Today I found a yummy lunch at the Gaslight Cafe and Easter candy (the best) at Gardner's Candies.
Carry on.
But, I digress. My point was... I mostly just buy what I need. And i buy as much as I can locally. So, from time to time, I am going to post what I "Found In Town". Today I found a yummy lunch at the Gaslight Cafe and Easter candy (the best) at Gardner's Candies.
Carry on.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
New restaraunt coming to downtown!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Just don't tell me there is nothing in Philipsburg...
You can make all the excuses you want for not shopping locally, just don't tell me its because there is nothing here. I drove through many small communities this weekend as my 9 year old and I meander back roads on our way to a basketball tournament. It made me realize how lucky we, here in Philipsburg, are to have as much as we do. Some of these older, small towns are practically ghost towns. Goes back to a principal I believe with my whole heart- we need to support the businesses we have or we will end up like those other little towns!
No joke, I shop in the "greater" Philipsburg area 90-95% of the time. And I try really hard to do it at locally owned businesses. If I can’t do that, I at least try to stay in town. A small consolation when I have to shop a chain is that local “Big Box” is employing my friends and neighbors. Granted, I am NOT a huge shopper. Not for lack of trying (thanks Ryan) but I do have 3 children who need new clothes and shoes when they out grow them, they need food and medicines weekly, their friends have birthdays for which I must provide a gift, I need gas to run them around, and they will break my kitchens chairs and I will need new ones, and I can do all of those things here. I wouldn’t say I shop a lot, but when I do, I try to do it here. I know you can’t always but if you do it when you can we all win.
I recognize that you cannot always shop local. Something I cannot find/cannot be bought in Philipsburg- Beyblades and Star Wars Galactic Heroes, two things my boys MUST have, lol. I will buy all my Easter candy at Gardner's, get all my prescriptions from Grattan's. My kids favorite choice for pizza is Brother's. Chinese- Main Won. We LOVE the Rowland and and whoopie pies from the Farmers' market. Chicken fries at the Gaslight (while I have the BEST salad ever) and the Little Restaurant for "the mess" for breakfast. Bock's has the best french onion soup in the world and The 1921 in the Philips Hotel offers fantastic seafood! Seriously, why would I go anywhere else? Off the top of my head, these are things you can do just in downtown Philipsburg and I am sure I have missed some. I am also pretty sure a lot of other towns would he thankful to have a list like this.
What can you do in downtown Philipsburg?
Drycleaning… Marrara’s and Shamrock
Auto Repair/Towing… Price Parkway, Choice Bumper, Flathead Dan's
Food… Bock’s Dining and Tea Room, Snappy’s, Subway, Minit Mart, Brother’s, Main Won, Little Restaurant, Retro Eatery, Gaslight Café, 1921 in the Philips Hotel, BTO
Hair- Jackie Mostyn’s, Elaine Adams, Sharon and Kelly’s, Sarah Miller, Bill Spanogle
Retail… Bock’s Village Store, Grattan’s, National Furniture, Gardner’s, Front Street Jewelers, PSR, Rothrock’s, Transfer Express, Jackie’s Vintage Hairloom, Olenick’s Printing, Steiners’ Hometown Appliance, Dollar General, The Gaslight Café, Elaine’s Beauty Salon, Wicker and Brass Works, Katey’s Korner, Universal Furniture, Universal Square, Ricotta Jewelry, Fisher Auto Parts, Philipsburg Electric, Bordas TV & Electronics, YBC, Weis Markets, Philipsburg Electric
Entertainment/Recreation/Fitness… The Rowland Theatre, Shaw and Ghaner School of Dance, DJ Studios Karate, Williams’ Billiards, Curves, Ultimate Weight Loss Center
Doctors…
---2 Podiatrists
---Psychiatrists- Dr. Mary Hart; Spaw Counseling Services
---Dentists- Dr. Piniuk, Dr. Chintella, Dr. Mackin, Dr Irwin
---Chiropractors- Casteel Chiropractic
---Ophthalmologists- Central Penn Vision
County/State Government/Non-Profits- Philipsburg, Historical Foundation, Senator John Wozniak, Stat Rep Conklin, Holt Memorial Library, Tapestry of Heath, WIC, Community Action, Philipsburg Area Daycare, Philipsburg Elks, Philipsburg Masonic Lodge, Philipsburg Main Street Program, VFW, AMVETS, Moshannon Valley EMS, Hope Fire Company, Reliance Fire Company, United States Post Office,
Attorneys…Mason Law Offices, DeBoef & Lucchesi, Joann Y. Parks Mackin, John Carfley, The Closing Company
Insurance… All-State, Nationwide, Simler Insurance, Jones Insurance, State Farm Insurance
Professional Offices… Professional Satellite Repair, Surferquest, ECMG Marketing
Banking… M&T Bank, CNB Bank
Financial Services/Accounting… Pappalia Financial, Central PA Tax Doctors, H& R Block, Jackson Hewitt
Newspapers…The Philipsburg Journal, The Progress
Churches- First Lutheran, St Thomas of Canterbury
Other… Jay Krause, Hurwitz Brothers, Guenot Builders, The Towers, Philips Place, Philips Court, RP Supply,
Auto Repair/Towing… Price Parkway, Choice Bumper, Flathead Dan's
Food… Bock’s Dining and Tea Room, Snappy’s, Subway, Minit Mart, Brother’s, Main Won, Little Restaurant, Retro Eatery, Gaslight Café, 1921 in the Philips Hotel, BTO
Hair- Jackie Mostyn’s, Elaine Adams, Sharon and Kelly’s, Sarah Miller, Bill Spanogle
Retail… Bock’s Village Store, Grattan’s, National Furniture, Gardner’s, Front Street Jewelers, PSR, Rothrock’s, Transfer Express, Jackie’s Vintage Hairloom, Olenick’s Printing, Steiners’ Hometown Appliance, Dollar General, The Gaslight Café, Elaine’s Beauty Salon, Wicker and Brass Works, Katey’s Korner, Universal Furniture, Universal Square, Ricotta Jewelry, Fisher Auto Parts, Philipsburg Electric, Bordas TV & Electronics, YBC, Weis Markets, Philipsburg Electric
Entertainment/Recreation/Fitness… The Rowland Theatre, Shaw and Ghaner School of Dance, DJ Studios Karate, Williams’ Billiards, Curves, Ultimate Weight Loss Center
Doctors…
---2 Podiatrists
---Psychiatrists- Dr. Mary Hart; Spaw Counseling Services
---Dentists- Dr. Piniuk, Dr. Chintella, Dr. Mackin, Dr Irwin
---Chiropractors- Casteel Chiropractic
---Ophthalmologists- Central Penn Vision
County/State Government/Non-Profits- Philipsburg, Historical Foundation, Senator John Wozniak, Stat Rep Conklin, Holt Memorial Library, Tapestry of Heath, WIC, Community Action, Philipsburg Area Daycare, Philipsburg Elks, Philipsburg Masonic Lodge, Philipsburg Main Street Program, VFW, AMVETS, Moshannon Valley EMS, Hope Fire Company, Reliance Fire Company, United States Post Office,
Attorneys…Mason Law Offices, DeBoef & Lucchesi, Joann Y. Parks Mackin, John Carfley, The Closing Company
Insurance… All-State, Nationwide, Simler Insurance, Jones Insurance, State Farm Insurance
Professional Offices… Professional Satellite Repair, Surferquest, ECMG Marketing
Banking… M&T Bank, CNB Bank
Financial Services/Accounting… Pappalia Financial, Central PA Tax Doctors, H& R Block, Jackson Hewitt
Newspapers…The Philipsburg Journal, The Progress
Churches- First Lutheran, St Thomas of Canterbury
Other… Jay Krause, Hurwitz Brothers, Guenot Builders, The Towers, Philips Place, Philips Court, RP Supply,
Monday, February 28, 2011
I honestly shop local as much as I can
I have wanted to talk about local shopping opportunities for awhile and it occurred to me this weekend (as I was shopping) that maybe the best way for me to do that is to talk about where I shop locally and what I buy there.
I will preface this by saying that I don't shop a lot. Not only is retail therapy not in my budget most weeks, but it isn't something I enjoy that much. I am sort of a "get in, get what you need, get out" kind of person. However, this weekend I had to pick up prescriptions. I get our's filled at our local, independent, downtown pharmacy. Grattan's Pharmacy and Gifts in downtown Philipsburg. I got groceries at Weis this weekend too. Now, I am aware Weis is not locally owned, but it IS in our Main Street District and the store employs a lot of local folks. Friday I ate lunch at The Gaslight Cafe. I also stopped in and got a few things at the Dollar General. Again, I know this is not a local company, but our Dollar General is downtown and generates (by our counts) about 35 people an hour. They too employ locals and if they are that much of a destination all of our businesses benefit. Better than visiting the Family Dollar in the plaza, in my mind at least. Last, but not least, I visited our locally owned distributor for a case of my favorite brew.
So, you can see that I didn't shop a ton, but I put money in the registers of businesses that are going to turn around and pay wages with my money this week or spend that money at other locally owned businesses. Next time you get in your car to go out of town to do these things, challenge yourself to find it locally. It matters!
I will preface this by saying that I don't shop a lot. Not only is retail therapy not in my budget most weeks, but it isn't something I enjoy that much. I am sort of a "get in, get what you need, get out" kind of person. However, this weekend I had to pick up prescriptions. I get our's filled at our local, independent, downtown pharmacy. Grattan's Pharmacy and Gifts in downtown Philipsburg. I got groceries at Weis this weekend too. Now, I am aware Weis is not locally owned, but it IS in our Main Street District and the store employs a lot of local folks. Friday I ate lunch at The Gaslight Cafe. I also stopped in and got a few things at the Dollar General. Again, I know this is not a local company, but our Dollar General is downtown and generates (by our counts) about 35 people an hour. They too employ locals and if they are that much of a destination all of our businesses benefit. Better than visiting the Family Dollar in the plaza, in my mind at least. Last, but not least, I visited our locally owned distributor for a case of my favorite brew.
So, you can see that I didn't shop a ton, but I put money in the registers of businesses that are going to turn around and pay wages with my money this week or spend that money at other locally owned businesses. Next time you get in your car to go out of town to do these things, challenge yourself to find it locally. It matters!
Monday, February 21, 2011
High Cost of Low Prices
So I watched the video today, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices. The video is from 2006 but is in the news again because Wal-Mart is trying to build inner city stores in New York City. As usual, Wal-Mart is saying they will create 1200 new jobs and generate $10 million in tax revenue. These are true but they are misleading. What they don't tell you is, for every job they create 1 1/2-2 jobs will be lost in the community because other businesses will close. They also omit the fact that these tax revenues aren't new, they are just being shifted from other businesses. Not to mention, real estate values will plummet causing a decrease in property tax revenue.
As Al Norman (founder of Sprawl-Busters) says in the film "They (Wal-Mart) don't get it. When we start talking about quality of life, they start talking about cheap underwear. I keep saying, you can't buy small town quality of life at a Wal-Mart. They don't sell it. But, once they steal it from you, you can't get it back at any price."
Need a local example of this? Clearfield, PA. Clearfield "welcomed" their Wal-Mart Supercenter over a decade ago.Today, there is no place to buy groceries except Wal-Mart and their downtown and other locally owned businesses are struggling. Because everything in Clearfield has closed, and Wal-Mart has no competition, their prices are really high! People think they are getting choice when Wal-Mart comes to town. People think they are getting a "great deal" on stuff. Trust me, once the competition is gone, we all pay more!
I would encourage anyone to watch the documentary, you can find it here: http://thefightback.org/2011/02/yes-says-no-to-walmart/
As Al Norman (founder of Sprawl-Busters) says in the film "They (Wal-Mart) don't get it. When we start talking about quality of life, they start talking about cheap underwear. I keep saying, you can't buy small town quality of life at a Wal-Mart. They don't sell it. But, once they steal it from you, you can't get it back at any price."
Need a local example of this? Clearfield, PA. Clearfield "welcomed" their Wal-Mart Supercenter over a decade ago.Today, there is no place to buy groceries except Wal-Mart and their downtown and other locally owned businesses are struggling. Because everything in Clearfield has closed, and Wal-Mart has no competition, their prices are really high! People think they are getting choice when Wal-Mart comes to town. People think they are getting a "great deal" on stuff. Trust me, once the competition is gone, we all pay more!
I would encourage anyone to watch the documentary, you can find it here: http://thefightback.org/2011/02/yes-says-no-to-walmart/
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