Looking to unite the town’s business community and convince residents to shop Buckley first, a small group has banded together under the umbrella of the Buckley Business Association.

Hoping to quickly involve the entire town and, in particular, learn what the business community expects, organizers have planned a kick-off meeting for 7 p.m. Monday, March 17, at Cowboys and Angels Café on Main Street.

The primary mover behind the new group is Michelle La Vergne who was, until fairly recently, an officer with the Buckley Chamber of Commerce.

As she came into contact with Buckley business owners and managers, she said, the attitude was too often negative toward the chamber. Aside from hoping to build spirit among merchants, La Vergne said, a goal of the new group is to listen to citizen desires.

There’s also an effort to reach out to the city. The group has an early start in that effort, as both La Verge and Harris are members of the Buckley Planning Commission.

Despite her former ties to the Buckley Chamber, La Vergne said the new group isn’t in competition with the older, more established group.

Rather, “it’s all about making Buckley better,” she said.

La Verge notes that she is a lifelong resident and “I know what Buckley used to be.” What’s currently missing, she believes, is the proper attitude. “We need to bring back that personable feature that people used to have,” she said.

Others involved in the early planning stages are Laverne Harris of Friendly Horse Acres, Dale Clark and his Mom ‘n’ Me mobile medical clinic and the owners at Cowboys and Angels.

The new organization has launched a website, www.Buckleybusinessassociation.org.