Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Stacy Mitchell is a researcher with the New Rules Project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit organization that provides research, analysis, and innovative policy solutions for building healthy communities and strong, sustainable local economies. She is author of The Home Town Advantage.

Wow. I can't believe it's my last diary day. Many thanks to Grist for the opportunity to spread the word about what we're up to. It's a great magazine and it's been fun to be a part of it.

And thanks to all the people who've written to me this week. I love getting feedback and hearing about what's happening in your communities. You can drop me a line at smitchell@ilsr.org.

One letter came in this week from a former employee of Horizon Books in Traverse City, Mich. Chris writes that in the early 1990s a mall opened south of the city, triggering a spiral of decline in the downtown. Some businesses closed altogether. Others, including a big department store, moved out by the mall.

Horizon, a 40-year-old locally owned bookstore, decided to take a big gamble. It bought the vacant department store and opened a three-story bookstore, complete with cafe, Internet access, and space to host local artists, speakers, and community events. Horizon opted to do what no national chain would have done: invest in the future of downtown Traverse City.

Today, Chris writes, downtown is once again flourishing. Horizon became a gathering place for the community. Other stores in turn began to open in the vacant spaces. Now the main streets are once again filled with businesses and activity.

In 1997, Horizon experienced several rocky months when Borders Books opened out by the mall and sales dropped sharply. But things turned around within a year. Perhaps customers realized that Horizon's service is unbeatable. The book-loving staff has been around for years and really knows their stuff. Perhaps they also realized that Horizon, unlike Borders, is rooted in the community. It has made a commitment to Traverse City that extends well beyond just selling books.

The story of Horizon reminded me of another bookstore, one I visited this year, MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, N.H. The bookstore opened two years ago with two interrelated goals: to sell books, especially those with a local connection or appeal, and to create a space for community events. The store is located in a 250-year-old house with an attached barn. The barn has been beautifully renovated to accommodate author readings, lectures, concerts, art exhibits, college courses, and music and art classes.

MainStreet BookEnds wants to turn a profit, but that's not all. "Our bottom line," says coowner Katharine Nevins, "is to make an impact on where we live, something that gives back to the community."

And therein lies the reason it's so important to support our homegrown businesses. The tragic truth is that for every Horizon Books and MainStreet BookEnds, there are other stores, equally rooted in their communities, that have been forced to close their doors in recent years.

It's time to reverse the tide. The future of our communities and local economies depends not only on the choices we make as consumers, in terms of where we spend our money, but on the choices we make as citizens. We need to demand that antitrust laws are enforced, that local officials stop courting chains with taxpayer money, that Internet businesses be forced to play by the same sales tax rules that govern local stores, and that land use policies be changed to keep chains out and support locally owned, humanly scaled businesses.

If you'd like to stay informed and participate in our efforts to do this, send me an email. I'd love to sign you up for any of our free electronic bulletins or The New Rules quarterly print journal ($15/year). You can learn more by visiting the New Rules website.

Thanks again.