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STRUCTURE FIRE - According to reports, a house fire broke out in the 1800 block of Houston Thursday morning. Two occupants were extracted from the residence with one being treated for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical in nature. The Red Cross has been notified of the residence loss. (Staff Photo by DeeLaine Ruiz)
As the holiday season is in full swing, the emphasis of shopping local has increased for community businesses and shoppers who are looking to make holiday purchases.
The revitalization of the Levelland downtown area has been one of the biggest tasks for the Main Street program and Tania Moody, Mainstreet Manager who is overseeing those efforts.
Moody explained that the support the program offers to downtown merchants assists and helps downtown business owners find success.
In turn, the help the program is able to offer also aids in their overall initiative of creating a welcoming downtown area.
As the Main Street program hosts events such as Ladies Night Out and Christmas on the Square, community members are given the chance to spend free time in the downtown area and witness what the area has to offer.
Moody explained that the efforts of creating an inviting space downtown is not intended to be the only aspect that draws crowds.
“We are working to create a wonderful and inviting space that includes our local businesses, the beautification of our downtown area and let all the aspects of the area help each other,” explained Moody. “For a community such as ours, we can achieve our goals and find success when every aspect we focus on complements one another.”
While the program benefits from these events, local businesses also see increased foot-traffic in their stores.
For Sandra and Toney Cowan who own and operate T&S Craft and Antique Mall located west of the courthouse in the downtown area, the holiday season traffic is always noticeable.
“With the several events that have been downtown this holiday season it is nice to see the continued support of our customers and community members who like to stop by our store when we join in on the fun,” said Mrs. Cowan. “Being here for our sixth holiday season, the buzz around downtown has steadily grown, and it has definitely benefitted us.”
Mr. Cowan added that business has been great for the month of November for the antique mall despite the economic struggles most are still feeling.
“November has been a good month and it’s been interesting because of the cost of gas increasing, price of groceries increasing and that has been tough on many,” explained Mr. Cowan. “With that being said, traffic has been good. People that are coming are probably not making big purchases like they used to, but they are still showing support.”
They both agreed that customers are being a little more careful with their money as expenses in everyday living are increasing, but the willingness from community members taking the time to still visit their store is something they love.
City Manager Brandon Anderson explained that community members and citizens of Levelland shopping in their own town continues to help the local economy keep going.
The holiday season is one of the bigger times that citizens can keep money within their town and Anderson feels that is more than numerous options for holiday shopping.
“Minus a handful of things that holiday shoppers may not be able to find in town, the city has great options for shoppers and all that business stays within the city and it allows for the local economy to grow,” said Anderson.
Additionally, the benefit of shopping and making any purchase at any business within the city of Levelland will help the city as sales tax paves a portion of the way for the general fund.
The big picture for the general fund of the city is it funds parks, police, fire, streets and a majority of the offices at city hall. Anderson also added that water and wastewater have their own departments and are totally different as they are considered enterprise funds.
“The general fund is basically funded through the revenue that’s generated from three different tax areas which includes property tax, franchise taxes or franchise fees and sales tax,” said Anderson. “Those things add up, but while the city benefits from the sales tax portion, supporting local businesses whether it be downtown or anywhere within the city of Levelland helps the city grow economically and the holiday season is a time where significant traffic can be had.”