This week, ladies and gentlemen, is a glorious extravaganza called Shop Across McMinnville Week. For those of you keeping track on your calendars, the week is in its final two days.
The week was declared as such by a city proclamation. This proclamation stated the importance of shopping at home because it helps local merchants who, in turn, help the local economy and the wellbeing of Warren County.
It's a fitting message and one I have taken to heart. If we want local businesses to prosper, shop at them. If we expect local businesses to keep their doors open and maintain a payroll, then spend money there. The concept is not too difficult to follow.
However, I can't help but point out a bit of irony. The city wants us to spend our money here, yet when it comes to hiring city employees the search seems to turn elsewhere. We don't shop at home so to speak.
The city has hired out-of-town residents for its last two big job openings. Our new Park Theatre coordinator and our new Parks and Recreation athletic league coordinator were both found from faraway places. They aren't from our community.
This is not to suggest they aren't qualified individuals. And it's not to suggest they aren't fine, upstanding citizens. That is not the point at all.
The point is we seem to talk about the importance of supporting our friends and neighbors until it's time to hire our friends and neighbors. When that time comes, the city hires from out of town. The dots don't seem to connect.
I should point out the idea of Shop Across McMinnville Week comes to us from new Chamber of Commerce president Mandy Eller. When Eller was hired late last year, she didn't come from some fancy Chamber of Commerce in Ohio. She came from right here in Warren County and without any type of Chamber of Commerce-related background.
It's still early in her Chamber career, but Eller looks like she's doing a fine job to me. She handled the annual Chamber banquet well, has brought back Bologna Day on Capitol Hill, and is focused on improving the level of communication between the Chamber and other organizations. So far, so good.
I'm of the opinion there are many local residents primed for leadership positions in our community, provided they are given the chance.
Try Here, Buy Here. It's a promotion we're firmly behind. But hire here, well that seems to be a different story.
Standard editor James Clark can be reached at 473-2191.