By Ellen Ecker Ogden
Photography by Hubert Schriebl
Chris MorrowChris Morrow is looking to do more than merely sell books. He wants his locally owned Northshire Bookstore to be a placewhich can act as an underpinning of a better world.
Chris Morrow may well have the most coveted job in the world among people who love books. Sure, it's a desk job, and his desk is a makeshift affair; with two tables squeezed together to form an "L" piled with tall stacks of books, and a laptop computer balanced on an old typing table. "I love books," admits Chris Morrow, president and general manager of the Northshire Bookstore, which his parents, Barbara and Ed, started in 1976, "But they have never been my sole focus."
The peacock blue walls contain an eclectic mix of paintings, weavings, prayer flags and sculptures; all are evidence that his interests clearly go beyond just books; there is Tibetan Buddhism, world travel, family and the community, all evidence of the untraditional path he had taken before deciding to return to
the family book business in 1998. Morrow, tall, soft-spoken, with gentle eyes that match the color of the walls, moved with his family to Manchester when he was nine, living below the bookstore when it was located across the street (where Berkshire Bank now has offices), to a basement level apartment with a view overlooking the Battenkill River. The climb up the steep steps to the street level bookstore located overhead was a familiar routine, and a cherished family memory.
On his desk is an eclectic mix of authors, from James Howard Kunstler's "Hand-made World" and Bill McKibben's "Deep Economy" to Randolph Hester's "Design of Ecological Democracy". The man is clearly fascinated by how people create societies based on individual interests that blend together as a collective. "Watch a flock of geese," suggests Morrow, forming a "V" with his large hands. "Geese can fly much further because they work together as a collective, taking turns moving into the lead, and then falling back to make the most of the uplift affect."
In 2006, Morrow founded Local First Vermont; a non-profit organization that promotes independently owned businesses throughout Vermont. He can point to no formal studies that assess what he sees as the quiet damage to society caused by the loss of our gathering places-our community centers and independently owned stores, yet "Local First" campaigns are resonating with Americans all across the U.S. While many such campaigns target citywide organizations, or independently owned bookstore alliances, Local First Vermont is the first to encompass the whole state. Open to any Vermont-based business with no corporate connections outside the state, privately held not publicly traded, Local First members display an orange maple leaf logo on their doors.
Last July Governor Douglas created Independent Business Owners' Week, to help educate consumers on the value to consumers and communities of Local First Vermont. And this past Christmas, the governor promoted shopping at local independent and Local First Vermont member stores. In just over a year, close to 150 businesses have joined, with Manchester and the Mountains businesses representing nearly a quarter of the statewide membership. "Outsiders may view Manchester as an outlet town," notes Chamber of Commerce executive director Jay Hathaway. "Yet in fact, it is a combination, which is a nice partnership. Outlet stores bring people to our community, and when people come to the area, they enjoy the locally owned restaurants and shops as well. Buying local makes practical sense as well as the efficiency of the carbon footprint in today's world. Your friends, your neighbors and taxes stay in town."
