My columns a few weeks ago about whether a former Californian should locate a business in Conneaut brought diverse responses, including criticism labeled at me from one Michelle Zoratti.

In essence, Zoratti and others threw some of my previous comments right back at me.

In my observations on the area, I said people tend to drive 30 or 40 miles away to buy the same widget they may be able to buy right here. My thoughts were that being a business in Ashtabula County, and Conneaut specifically, is pretty tough. It's not that you don't have the population to carry the business, it's that people tend to leave the area to shop.

Zoratti wrote, "You refer to Conneaut people choosing to drive 40 miles, waste gas at $3 per gallon on a widget!

"How do you know what folks are doing and why they choose to? Maybe they like to take a drive in the car. Maybe they want to visit a friend. Maybe what they want or need cannot be found in town. So what!"

I got this letter about the time I decided to visit Erie to make some purchases and do a few other things, essentially looking for those widgets.

First of all, I wanted to see "Avatar" in 3D. You can't see "Avatar" in 3D in Ashtabula County. But Tinseltown, outside of Erie, is maybe a 10-minute extra drive for me than Ashtabula Towne Square.

The fact I was visiting Erie to pick up an allergy medication made the trip even more worthwhile. But that isn't all.

I wanted to purchase the Blu-ray version of the film "The Hangover." I can't argue with the fact I own too many movies. I wish I had the time to watch them all. I have movies I've owned for more than a year and still haven't watched. I don't have the time. But I like to watch movies. I enjoy them when I eventually sit down.

But frankly, my visits to Ashtabula County stores to buy movies, frequently end in disappointment.

I swung by the Big Store in Ashtabula Township, you know the one. It didn't have it, as it didn't have many of the films I've been looking for. But I tried. I tried other locations in the area. No dice.

Even more recently, I tried the Big Store to purchase Simpsons 12th season on Blu-ray. I know, I'm still watching season 5. But I wanted 12. At the Big Store, you need an associate to unlock the cabinet. That's not always easy. But you can't always tell what is wedged in the cabinet until it is open. But no, no Blu-ray. Again.

As for The Simpsons, I ordered online.

And "The Hangover?" It was on sale in Erie and I had a coupon for an extra 10 percent off. So I bought it.

Our trip to Erie invariably included a stop at Wegman's supermarket, which caters better than anyone to the vegetarian. I needed to stock up on items you can't get in Ashtabula County, at least that I could find. Not to mention fresh bagels.

Wife Louise shopped in Conneaut, looking for magnetic numbers and letters to place on the refrigerator. They were for a great nephew’s birthday. None to be found. But swinging by Toys R Us outside the Millcreek Mall and there they be. (Never mind I had to ask the same clerk twice for help.)

In early December, we decided to buy daughter Megan one of those sleek, thinner Playstation 3 game systems. I could have bought it at Best Buy during a trip to Erie or Mentor, where I could get reward points toward a gift card and other discounts.

But I decided to forgo all of that and buy at Kmart in Conneaut because I wanted to give the business to a local store. Also, it is two miles from my house and I want it to stay there. I appreciate what they do there and the employees are always friendly.

But when I visited the store, there were no Playstation 3s. I tried later. Still no game systems. I finally asked a clerk who said it wasn't an ordering store, whatever that means, and they get the gaming systems in, two or three at a time, with shipments. But they never know when. Next time I saw them in Erie, I bought one.

This may sound like a criticism of local stores, but it really isn't. There is no real villain here. Stores stock what they can sell and what they have room for. If bagels and meatless products don't garner as much interest at Ashtabula County supermarkets, there is no sense losing money on them. But as a consequence, you lose some of my business.

And as for movies, this month marks the 10th year I have been renting through Netflix. When I joined in January 2000 there were four video stores in Conneaut. Saybrook had Blockbuster. But I enjoy an eclectic field of films, from mysteries of the 40s to 1930s screwball comedies to silent and foreign films and so much more.

I could find few such movies around here. Netflix, on the other hand, has almost any film out there. And now it has many movies you can stream via the Internet, which gives the instant satisfaction Netflix didn't have before. Conneaut, by the way, is down to one video store. Blockbuster is gone from Saybrook.

Frankly, if I want to buy a movie from now on, I won't trudge around Ashtabula and Conneaut and be disappointed. If I'm visiting the Erie area, I'll buy it there. If not, I'll order from deepdiscount.com, which I did for the Simpsons films. Lower price, no taxes, no shipping fees.

I know it doesn't help the local economy. It certainly doesn't help with the sales tax income the county so desperately needs.

I am a big proponent of seeing more stores locating in the area. I would love to see a new supermarket locate at the Gateway Plaza in Conneaut, hiring people and keeping more money local.

I agree I'm part of the problem.

Maybe my tastes are too different. Maybe I should be satisfied with the one-size fits all widget.

I plead guilty. I'm not doing enough to keep the dollars local.

I just don't know what to do about it.

Lebzelter is special sections editor. E-mail him at bobleb@starbeacon.com. Read past columns at bobleb.blogspot.com.