Letter: Support our local businesses

These are odd times. We are told the best thing we can do is avoid each other and stay home if at all possible. Meanwhile, our local businesses are reopening while tourism continues to be discouraged. Whether you agree with these decisions or not, whether you believe the virus is real or not, our local businesses are struggling to get enough customers to make it worth the effort. I happen to be on the side of approaching reopening with a cautionary approach but I am also very concerned about our local businesses.

I want to advocate for everyone who has the means to consider ordering take-out from one of our many local restaurants. We have been doing so where we can and we have found every establishment we have visited to be clearly making every reasonable effort to provide safe environments. Some have Internet-based services that allow you to reserve a table and be called in when a table is open or your order is ready for pickup. Some have call-in services that you can place your order from and drive up and pick up your food. Others will even deliver to your house! Every business we have visited has had masks and revised safe minded service. I am sure there is the odd exception but I am happy to say that the businesses we have so far visited have consistently done a great job of adapting to our new normal.

If you are able to, please consider ordering out every so often and help support our local businesses. Wear a mask, wash your hands and keep your distance but go support our local stores and restaurants. I think you will be pleasantly surprised that most have made good changes to protect their workers and customers while continuing to offer most of the same goods and services they previously offered. With our tourists discouraged from visiting, it is up to us to take up the slack as we do during most shoulder seasons. The town is ours! Time to keep it going until things return to a more normal version of itself. Order out and leave a fat tip to say, you appreciate how they add to our town!

-Scott Ramirez
South Lake Tahoe