Holiday shopping truly starts in earnest as soon as the Thanksgiving Day meal is over. Save yourself a lot of time and fuel by beginning your gift buying close to home! Many local businesses are pulling out the stops to accommodate shoppers with outstanding Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales and events.

Below is a sampling of the offerings from local merchants:

Borden Bargains at 555 East Water Street, Borden, is featuring a Black Friday Blowout featuring everything from toys, NIKE, Nerf, Disney, Hot Wheels, clothing, furniture and more. Doors will open at 10 a.m.
Stock up on Power Wheels, scooters and battery-operated toys and receive $10 off purchases over $50.
Receive $20 off a $100 purchase of NIKE shoes, shirts, pants or hoodies.
Clothing from Target, Walmart, Wrangler and more are Buy-One-Get-One Free (BOGO).
Purchase cube shelves, desks, dressers and drawers and get 1/2 off your second item.
The store is also open Wednesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m.—7 p.m. and Sundays 12 noon—6 p.m.

3 Stories Trading Company, located on the northwest side of Salem Public Square, will be open Friday, 10 a.m.—6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.—4 p.m. This is the place to find all things child-related.
The store is featuring a secret scratch-off sale where lucky shoppers could save up to 20% off their total purchase!
Popular brands include Melissa & Doug, Ruffle Butts and Rugged Butts.
Join in the fun on Saturday to celebrate the arrival of Pipp & Spaulding from 3—5 p.m. Kids can have their picture taken with Pipp & Spaulding, and they can also register to win a Woodlands Wonderland Seek-and-Find Blanket and their very own copy of “Pipp & Spaulding Face Summer.”

Heaven Sent Gifts on the west side of Salem Public Square will be open 9 a.m.—1 p.m. Saturday.
Everything in the store will be 25% off!
Heaven Sent Gifts carries a truly vast array of gifts for everyone on your list, including books, jewelry, shirts, decor, throws and lots more—“Unique Christian Gifts That Will Touch Hearts.”

Lincks Clothing & Shoes is having three days of big sales! They are located on the north side of Salem Public Square.
There will be a special three-hour Thanksgiving Night Sale, 5—8 p.m., featuring school spirit apparel and accessories, women’s footwear, jewelry, purses, outerwear, wallets, socks and $10 off on holiday sweaters and tops; men’s cold weather gear, knives, hats, camp, new Rick’s Underground Outdoors and special pricing on guns and ammo.
During the Black Friday Sale, 9 a.m.—5 p.m., the first 25 shoppers will receive a free gift with purchase. Special savings will include progressive discounts—beginning with $5 off a purchase of $25 to $20 off a purchase of $100.
Earn Lincks’ Cash during Small Business Saturday, 9 a.m.—3 p.m. For every $25 spent, receive $5 in Lincks’ Cash to be used on a future purchase.
Lincks also offers gift certificates and free gift wrapping.
Regular hours are Tuesdays through Fridays 9 a.m.—5:30 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m.—3 p.m.; and Sundays 1—4 p.m.

Nana’s This N That Shop on the southwest side of Salem Public Square will be open. 10 a.m.—5 p.m. on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.
This charming store features a very large selection of Old and New “This N That.”
Owner Tina Lee said, “Bring your friends and family to find the perfect treasure! We have something for everyone.”

Wishing Well Thrift Store, 2916 Grant Line Road, New Albany, will be open for holiday shopping.
The store will be donating the majority of their profits to the Make-A-Wish foundation, in addition to NAFCS students in need and foster care families. In addition to finding great holiday gift bargains, shoppers will be supporting worthy community programs.
The store offers clothing, household items, books, furniture—you name it!
The Wishing Well is accepting donations of items Mondays through Saturdays 9 a.m.—7 p.m. and Sundays 12 noon—5 p.m.
Please call 812-920-0150 for more information.

Why Supporting Local Small Businesses Matters

Let's take a look at the many ways it pays to shop small businesses during the holidays and all year long.

The holiday season is a time of year when shopping takes center stage. While online giants and big box retailers seem to be everywhere, offering an endless array of products with the convenience of low prices, small businesses provide a range of benefits that go far beyond the ease of a mouse click or mountains of merchandise.

Shopping local retailers is more than just a transaction - it is crucial for maintaining the economic foundation of local communities. Let's take a look at the many ways it pays to shop small businesses during the holidays and all year long.

· Strengthen the local economy: A large percentage of the money spent at small businesses stays in the community. That's because these businesses often are owned and operated by local residents who are invested in the community themselves. Various studies indicate that for every $100 spent at a small business, roughly $70 stays in the community.

· Enhanced customer service: Owners and employees of small businesses have a keen interest in keeping customers happy. They often do so by providing superior customer service. Tailoring recommendations, exhibiting a willingness to accommodate special requests, offering a more engaging shopping experience, and being more friendly and connected with regular customers sets many small businesses apart.

· Support the community: Small businesses serve the community through the products and services they offer, and many give back in other ways as well. Small, locally owned businesses often sponsor schools, sports teams and charities. This helps foster a sense of belonging in the community.

· Innovative offerings: Small businesses are not beholden to corporate policies or franchise restrictions, so they can more readily bring new life to existing ideas and trends. Small businesses can offer customers different options that larger retailers cannot match.

· Job creation: Small businesses employ a significant percentage of the workforce and frequently provide jobs that might not be available in larger corporate settings. The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy says small businesses have generated 12.9 million net new jobs over the past 25 years, accounting for two out of every three jobs added to the U.S. economy. Keeping residents working helps strengthen local communities.

There are numerous benefits to shopping at small businesses this Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. Such firms help to establish a more resilient, diverse and bustling local community.

• Education
• Lifestyle
• Salem Middle School

By Flora Wade, SHS Student Writer

Fellowship of Christian Athletes is officially back at Salem Middle School. Business Tech teacher Jennifer Morris led the first meeting last Wednesday at SMS. She originally started the club at Salem High School years ago as a teacher and wanted to bring it back upon her return.

In 2016, Morris handed over FCA to Gwinn Miller when she left to begin a teaching career at Scottsburg. While there, Morris was involved in FCA and guided many students. Since returning to Salem as a teacher this school year, she wants to bring back the club.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes is ¨an interdenominational Christian sports ministry to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes¨ according to the FCA official site.

¨One thing that is challenging is that in school, Christians sometimes feel alone and the minority; FCA allows students from all faith backgrounds and experiences to fellowship together,¨ said Morris.

¨We welcome any student at SMS, regardless if they are an athlete or not, and/or if they attend a church or not. I am going under the FCA umbrella because I am most familiar with this as a Christian club that is offered in schools, and they have amazing support and resources available to leaders. FCA is also not affiliated with any certain denomination of religion. The focus is on giving students a way to fellowship in a safe space where they can hear a positive message that can strengthen their faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ.”

In the middle school meetings, they will have an icebreaker/game, a speaker and an activity.

¨For example, for our first meeting, it coincided with World Kindness Day, so we ended it  by everyone creating post-it note cards with words of kindness to give to someone that day,” said Morris.

“We will be looking for service opportunities for our club as well, to participate in as we get going. We will be looking to get students involved in leadership. As the club matures, and our leadership takes shape, I hope to have our leadership take more of an active role such as leading prayer, doing announcements, running games, and leading the messages.¨

Miller said they are hoping to bring the two groups together some this school year.

¨I am hoping we can work together with the middle school and do some activities together,” she said. “I think there are some high school kids that would love to work with the middle school group.”

There are many opportunities that FCA has to offer such as retreats and leadership camps.

¨I actually got saved at an FCA Retreat when I was a freshman,” said Morris. “I had been to church all my life, but at an FCA retreat is where it clicked, it was about a relationship, and not just going to church for religion and what my parents made me do. I also helped serve at some FCA retreats out of college as a leader and it was an awesome experience.¨

The club meetings will be on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 a.m.

¨The goal is to provide a positive outlet for them to come together, and hopefully leave strengthened and encouraged in being a brighter light for Christ in their schools and communities," said Morris.

SMS FCA

• Awards & Recognition
• Communities
• Special Events

The Washington County Board of Realtors may have dissolved, but the group will forever have a positive impact in the community thanks to their extreme generosity. Funds once held by the organization have been distributed to historic Beck’s Mill and the Washington County Community Foundation.

Beck’s Mill

Historic Beck's Mill

Officers of the former Washington County Board of Realtors presented a check for $15,000 to the Friends of Beck's Mill. Pictured on the front row are (left) Debbie Curtis, vice president, and (right) Lori Gilstrap, president.

Officers of the former county board of Realtors donated $15,000 to Beck’s Mill to provide a new roof and extension of a deck to the building. These improvements will well serve the landmark for years to come.

Beck’s Mill is a historic gristmill located approximately seven miles southwest of Salem. It is the third such mill built on the site. The original mill was built by George Beck in 1808.

In 1990, the mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Friends of Beck’s Mill began efforts to restore the current structure in 2006.

Washington County Board of Realtors Touch Tomorrow Fund

Debbie Curtis (left) and Lori Gilstrap (right) from the county Board of Realtors present a check for $60,000 to Lindsey Wade-Swift of the Washington County Community Foundation to establish a Tomorrow Fund to serve the community in the future.

On Friday, Nov. 15, the Realtors group donated $60,000 to the Washington County Community Foundation to establish the “Washington County Board of Realtors Touch Tomorrow Fund.”

Judy Johnson, executive director of the foundation, explained that the Touch Tomorrow funds are endowments that are permanent. These funds create a pool of charitable dollars that will indefinitely benefit non-profit [501(c)3] agencies that work to fulfill a vast variety of needs in the community.

The principal used to establish the fund is never accessed. Donations are made from the interest, income and earnings generated by the principal.

Touch Tomorrow endowment funds can be created by of individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations. Once the fund is established, the foundation handles investment management and distribution of proceeds from the fund. Each year the foundation’s board of directors selects which non-profit agencies will receive grants.

There are currently over 50 Touch Tomorrow funds managed by the foundation.

Johnson provided an example of just how much money can be generated by a Touch Tomorrow fund. In 1995, the estate of Ralph and Faye Mahuron donated a one-time gift of $420,000 to the foundation to establish a Touch Tomorrow fund. Every year, the Mahuron’s fund issues grants to 14 different organizations and causes for which they deeply cared.

Twenty-nine years later, their fund has granted over $644,058 to county projects, while growing in value to $839,085. This fund will continue to grow and provide grants year after year. That is the power of an endowment.

Congratulations to the members of the former Washington County Board of Realtors for their dedication to improving the local community!