When ad solicitors call, be certain what you're buying
EDITORIAL

Your El Campo Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture received a telephone call last Wednesday from an Illinois company called Hometown Productions. The caller was soliciting for a city/county map.

Your Chamber of Commerce told the caller it would not endorse in any way this out-of-town map project, or help distribute it, because the Chamber does its own map.

Your Chamber of Commerce, and your local newspaper, acknowledge that in a free society people can spend their money how and where they want. And people can sell anywhere they want, and any product they want. But let the buyer beware. Any calls about maps, magazines, football calendars, etc. not placed by local people you know should be received with skepticism.

Believe it or not, out-of-town football calendar salespeople will soon be calling for the fall season. The only sports calendar endorsed by the ECISD athletic department is a fall calendar sold and produced by Chris Barbee, featuring varsity football, volleyball, cheerleaders and Derby Dolls, and other sports calendars produced by R&R Printing.

If anyone calls and says they are calling on behalf of El Campo High School, Louise High School or any other group, please call the school to check it out. If anyone calls selling maps, placemats or offers to send your name to the moon, please call the Chamber of Commerce to check 'em out.

It is easy enough to check out sales people you are not familiar with by calling your Chamber at 543-2713, or your El Campo Leader News at 543-3363. If it is a sports calendar or product, please call your athletic director or school superintendent to check that out as well.

Helping the citizens of El Campo and the surrounding area is a self-appointed task we at the Chamber and Leader-News take quite seriously, and a service we are happy to render. We would much rather you take some of our time to check callers or promotions out, than to learn later you had been stung, spent your advertising dollars out of town, or bought less than you bargained for.

Here's a simple rule: Shop El Campo first.