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I guess old habits are hard to break. It seems so many of you still feel the need to cross the hill to purchase certain products or services not previously available in Pahrump.

When I moved to Pahrump 10 years ago, I ventured over the hill at least once a month simply because I needed to buy something or get something done that was not available locally. I hated making that trip but found it necessary at the time as certain services (medical/dental specialists, etc.) and merchandise were not offered here.

Dinner and a movie was a sandwich from Port-of- Subs and a trip to Hollywood Video -- my simple lifestyle made this totally acceptable -- but many of my friends and co-workers would spend Saturday night driving into Vegas for dinner and then to a theater complex to catch a flick. Now, right here in Pahrump you have the opportunity to go for dinner at any of the fine restaurants and eating establishments we have here and catch a newly released movie at Saddle West without the added time and extra expense of gas to venture into Las Vegas.

"Big Box" stores didn't exist in Pahrump. Walmart and Home Depot were coming, and then not coming, then coming again. They were on the same course as having a local hospital or higher education facility: rumored, then dispelled, then rumored again. Kind of became an "I'll believe it when I see it" sort of dream.

Now we have Walmart, Home Depot, Desert View Hospital and Great Basin College, plus a gazillion other local merchants and service providers in Pahrump. We need to commit to locally supporting them. Even if you have to make a trip to the city for something you can't get or have done here, think ahead. Purchase or do what you need to do in Vegas and return to Pahrump for what our fine town has to offer.

There are so many new business ventures in Pahrump you probably don't even know about. Most of you travel the main streets, Highways 160 and 372, Bell Vista and a few others. Pahrump is a huge valley and there are businesses and merchants that have been open for years all over town that you may not be aware of. You want it? Chances are someone is providing it right here in our town. Imagine that.

Entertainment or things to do, outside of gambling, seemed nonexistent just a few years ago. Now we have a bowling alley at the Pahrump Nugget, Sandbaggers -- a miniature golf business catering to kids of all ages -- SkateZone, Saddle West's movie experience, arcades, a paintball shooting gallery, high quality, and from what I have heard, fantastic golf courses and several community parks.

Add to that, a short drive from Pahrump is Death Valley Raceway for those who love car racing at its finest, the China Date Ranch, the museum in Shoshone, Tecopa Hot Springs, and the list goes on and on. If you can't come up with something to do, sign on with the local cable company and become an armchair quarterback or sofa surfer. The choice is yours to make.

Restaurants are no longer limited to fast food or casino buffets and in-house eateries. We have Red Sky BBQ, Wulfy's, Romero's, Symphony's at the Winery, the Nugget Steakhouse, My Thai, the soon-to-open Tommasino's Italian Restaurant, plus, a host of other great eating establishments located off the beaten path.

For years, Tom and I were "Buy American" or "Union Pride" shoppers, meaning nothing more than our belief was to purchase items made in the U.S. and/or made by union workers. We found these products to be of better quality and knew we were supporting American workers. It is really difficult to find either of these labels on products in this country anymore. So now we are very committed to local support, urging all to "Buy Pahrump."

When I am behind a Dodge or Chevy vehicle and the license plate holder boasts a Las Vegas car dealer, the first thing that crosses my mind is, "Hmmm, you are probably one of the folks screaming the loudest that your road isn't paved."

Now, I realize you may have been living in Vegas when you purchased your car or truck, then moved to Pahrump, or have some other sensible reason for buying in Las Vegas, but for your information those sales tax dollars went to Clark County not Nye County. Not to worry, I hold no resentment toward you; I just want to educate you on the importance of local community support.

Keep in mind our two local new car dealerships have the ability to trade inventory with other dealers. If they don't have the color or amenities you want in a specific vehicle, they will find it for you. They also have a wide range of used cars and trucks in various makes and models that have gone through a rigorous inspection process to achieve the standards of the dealership.

The same applies to just about anything your heart desires: local furniture stores, carpet and vinyl dealers, appliance and electronics stores, hardware stores, jewelry stores, etc., that don't just offer what they have on the showroom floor, you just have to ask. They have numerous catalogs you can look through to find exactly what you want. You just need to make the effort to give them a chance to serve you.

The 2009 Pahrump Rural Phonebook will start hitting your doorsteps in the next few weeks. Don't just stick it in the drawer until you need to look up your neighbor's phone number. Really, sit down and take a good look at the book. I bet a dollar to a doughnut you will find restaurants, entertainment and recreational facilities, specialty and variety stores, specialty doctors and medical services and a host of other businesses you didn't even know were here.

Also, look through the menu pages placed by some of the local restaurants. This is a new section to the phonebook and gives you a wide variety of choices to appease any pallet. Then take a look at the coupon pages. These pages contain coupons offered by local merchants and businesses.

The Nye County Nifty Nickel, mailed to Pahrump residents and inserted in the PVT home delivery subscribers' newspaper every Friday, will have a coupon page starting this week. You will find some great savings and offers from our local merchants.

In short, a little research on your part will not only save you time and money but will add to the coffers of Pahrump and Nye County helping to provide services and ammenities so desperately needed here, while keeping our residents employed locally.

Have a new motto: "Support the businesses, merchants and organizations that support our town."