MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - Holiday shopping locally is among the best ways of supporting your community, especially this year especially because of superstorm Sandy, according to Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano.

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“As we continue to recover and begin the rebuilding process, we have to pause and remember our local merchants,” he said.

Those merchants stress that buying locally supports the tax base and helps keep jobs at home.

“If you support us, we can pay our taxes, we can live, you can have beautiful deals,” said Sy Lieberman, who owns Polara Jewelers in Bellmore.

Lieberman added that then we can all enjoy the holidays.

“It’s important for those in the community to come back and remember their own and kind of give back so to speak,” said Julie Marchesella, 1st Vice President of the Nassau Councils of Chambers of Commerce.

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