By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – Early Christmas shoppers can support W.G. Mallet School and local businesses, all in one stop. But time is running out.

Candles, soaps, chocolates, gift baskets, jewelry and fleece hats are among the items in a catalog distributed by the school’s Parent Teacher Association to raise funds for the elementary school. The association raises money for computers, art enrichment programs and field trips, said Barbara Marshall, the brain behind the school’s new fund-raising venture.

A Farmington kindergartner’s mother, Marshall bought gift wrap from last year’s catalog, which netted $15,000 in sales for the school, which retained 50 percent of the money.

But, she said, she noticed that prices in the catalog, which didn’t feature any local businesses, were inflated two to three times what people would pay elsewhere for the same items.

People were willing to pay more to support the school, she thought.

“It rang some bells,” she said Wednesday.

A resident of Farmington since 1999, Marshall said wanted to support local businesses.

“Living in Franklin County, I’m always impressed with how hard people work,” she said. Many have cottage industries to supplement their full-time incomes, she added. The old catalog, though nice, “generated a lot of money for out-of-state companies. Customers, trying to support the school, “bought things they didn’t really need,” she added.

Kids get idea, also

So this year’s catalog includes gift items from local vendors like Mountain View Chocolates, Everyday Music, Minikins, Riverside Greenhouse and Florist, and several local artisans. She hopes to bring more everyday, useful items to next year’s catalog, she said.

She said she wanted also wanted to provide children a lesson on value.

“We support the local economy rather than glitzy, overpriced materials. This supports hardworking people by keeping it local” she said. “Kids internalize the ideas, whether you say it or not,” she added.

Marshall began recruiting vendors last November once she knew Foster Regional Applied Technology Center would be able to assist. Chelsea Newcomb, a computer student there, designed the catalog and the center did the printing, she said.

She hopes to raise a minimum of $6,000 this year. Anything over that, she’d consider a success, she said.

The catalog’s shopping season is coming to a close soon – all orders are needed by Tuesday. For more information, people may call Marshall at 779-0589.