As the number of independent business alliances springing up around the country grows, so too does Independents Week, an annual celebration of the value of shopping at local, independent businesses. Now in its third year, the weeklong event, centered on the Fourth of July, is fast becoming a staple of retailing in many American communities.

On July 3, at a press conference held in downtown Portland, Maine, a group of independent business owners, led by two independent booksellers, celebrated Independence Day by announcing the launch of the Portland Buy Local campaign. The goal of the campaign is to educate the residents of Portland about the importance of supporting local, independent retailers.

From Saturday, July 1, through Friday, July 7, many communities around the country will participate in the third annual Independents Week celebration, an event created to educate the public about the importance of shopping at locally owned, independent businesses. The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), a national outreach networking hub and resource center for independent business alliances (IBAs) and independent businesses, organizes the event.

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) held its fourth annual conference, "Creating Sustainable Communities," in Burlington, Vermont, from Thursday, June 8, through Saturday, June 10. The event attracted people from various walks of life, including farmers, entrepreneurs, economists, authors, and a number of independent booksellers.

In April, the county commissioners in Ravalli County, Montana, unanimously passed a regulation placing a size cap of 60,000 square feet on new retail outlets. The expectation was that the ordinance -- the brainchild of Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana, and the Bitterroot Good Neighbor Coalition -- would keep a proposed Wal-Mart out of the county.

Now, it appears that the size cap ordinance is in jeopardy of being suspended.

The American Booksellers Association is encouraging members who participated in its first-ever Legislative Day at BookExpo America, as well as those who did not, to follow up with their senators and representatives to encourage support for issues of import to independent booksellers. For those who met with their senators, representatives, or congressional staff, ABA suggests a note of thanks for the meeting would provide the perfect opportunity to reiterate their concerns.

Booksellers attending the panel on local business alliances -- "Shop Local: Forming Business Alliances in Your Community" -- on Thursday, May 18, at BookExpo America heard from three seasoned organizers on behalf of local businesses who encouraged them to strengthen their efforts on behalf of both their individual businesses and their communities.

Elaine and Bill Petrocelli, the owners of Book Passage in Corte Madera and San Francisco, most recently made the news with the announcement, on May 24 in California's Marin Independent Journal, that they plan to open a third store in Novato, California. However, since January, the Petrocellis and Book Passage have been in the news for another reason.

A community meeting to discuss the creation of policies that would require a review of proposed big box developments in Marin County, a suburb north of San Francisco, garnered positive feedback from some local politicians and residents, according to Bill Petrocelli, co-owner of Book Passage in Corte Madera, California.