By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

Flowers on the Blvd in downtown Overton is one of many local Moapa Valley shops that can cater to the holiday shopper. Photo by Mike Donahue.

Moapa Valley business owners are hoping a nationwide campaign that kicked off with Shop Local Saturday last weekend will translate into some extra commerce this holiday season.

Several small businesses have banded together to let local residents know shopping outside the valley isn’t always the best or cheapest avenue when looking for Christmas gifts.

“We often can’t compete with the prices offered by bigger stores,” said Bethany Soderquist, owner of Flowers on the Boulevard, “but they certainly can’t compete with us in a lot of other ways. In terms of the time and gas it takes to go to the stores outside the valley, as well as the convenience of shopping where you live, local businesses are really the way to go for many items.”

Flowers on the Boulevard, which is filled with holiday possibilities, celebrates its one year anniversary on Thursday (Dec. 1), and Soderquist said it wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous support the store has received from local residents.

“We’re planning on some very nice holiday specials this year that will be competitive anywhere,” she said, “including on certain floral arrangements, table centerpieces and other gift items.”

The everyday bargains offered by the two local thrift stores – one operated by Cappalappa Family Resource Center and the other by the Moapa Valley Senior Citizen Center – can often beat the best sale prices of the big box stores and that’s great news in these tough economic times. Both stores are filled with hidden treasures at bargain prices.

Kathryne Olson, director of the Lost City Museum, said the small gift shop inside the museum facility is packed with wonderful items that would make wonderful gifts.

“There’s no charge to visit the gift store and it’s loaded with all kinds of things that could be used as stocking stuffers,” Olson said. “(Among other things) we have jewelry, books, t-shirts and specialty food items like salt mined locally you can’t get anywhere else. And they’re all at great prices, too.”

Books Etc., which is owned and operated by Sally Van Ert, has some one-of-kind items that are unique in Moapa Valley.

“In addition to books we have some grab-and-go items, custom wood products from a local builder and free gift wrapping,” Van Ert said. “Brand new this season is some emergency preparedness food, flashlights and other solar power items.”

Michelle Lawrence, a clerk at the Valley of Fire State Park gift shop, encouraged local holiday shoppers to visit the store that has been open for only a month.

“We have some great jewelry and other unique gifts that will make great stocking stuffers,” she said. “People just need to come out to see all we have to offer.”

Roxanne LaBeau, owner of GraphX, said she plans to have various specials every week until Christmas.

“The majority of my items this time of year are Christmas oriented,” she said. “I have a huge amount of specialty calendars, family albums and Christmas letters.”

She said Graph X is very dependent on local shoppers and she appreciates all the community support she’s received.

Other local businesses that just might have that hard-to-find special gift include Ace Hardware, Lin’s Marketplace, Home Hardware, Sage Health and Empowerment Center and the new Tourist Trap store at 145 S. Moapa Valley Blvd. that’s loaded with great gift ideas for the holidays.