Please do not be alarmed. This is not a notice of any emergency broadcasting service, but rather a friendly reminder that there are just under 50 days remaining before Christmas.

In just seven weeks, we will all be settling down for “a long winters nap” only to wake up on Christmas morning.

Now the question remains, will you be one of the few organized types who has taken the stress out of the Christmas shopping season by taking care of your Christmas lists early, or will you join thousands of others in last-minute shopping.

Regardless of your organizational technique or shopping habits, it is a safe bet you will find exactly what you need here in Suffolk.

As Suffolk continues to develop and open retail centers the city, the choices and availability to name brand products and convenient services continues to expand.

But aside from the convenience shopping at home provides the economic impact and community development potential that comes with local dollars remaining local is extraordinary.

The additional sales taxes from holiday sales goes to properly fund city services, quality education for our children and improved infrastructure. And at a time when the traffic congestion through portions of Hampton Roads is already to a breaking point during a midday lunch rush, one can only imagine what it will be like as the days leading up to Christmas slip away.

The chance to support local businesses who hire local residents is a gift we can all afford and one that in the long run we will be immensely grateful for.