To the Editor:

Want to save Main Street? Shop there. It seems simple, but whatever town or village you happen to live in you can help to save Main Street.

Here’s a perfect example: I was getting my daughter’s bike fixed up for the spring, and she needed a new shifter to replace a broken one.

Rather than go on-line, I visited The Treadmill on Market St. in Potsdam. Ted sold me a new shifter for $12, and I’ve got a very happy ten-year old.

When I moved on to my wife’s bike, I went back to Ted for another shifter.

Instead of selling me another set for $18, he told me how I could fix the old one.

So, for an $8 bottle of lubricant and advice from an expert I was not only able to fix the bike but save money.

At the same time, Ted and I chatted about the demise of Main Street America.

Local businesses (the folks who will sell you things and give you advice) have a tough time competing with the Internet and national chains.

What I discovered is that it’s not usually about prices.

Ted’s price for a shifter was cheaper than the same one found later on-line, and the lubricant was $5 cheaper, all that with no shipping- which could range from $5-$10.

The best part was that I had the parts immediately, when I had time to put them on.

The moral of the story: we can sit back and lament how life used to be on Main Street, or we can go out and do something about it.

I for one am going to see what I can do about it.

Before I buy something on-line I’m going to see if I can get the same thing or a comparable item right here on Main Street.

Thanks again Ted, for the business lesson and the bike repair lesson.

Mike Zagrobelny, Norwood