As far as Kaplan being the personal attorney for Mr. Tso, well I suppose I did know that someplace in a file in my brain, but heck, everyone seems to be mixed up with each other, there seems to be no lines or differences and it does get a bit hard to keep up with who is in bed with who.

Bella, what did I say that was wrong? I made a comment on what was in the article, is there something wrong with that? You need to explain yourself.

Steve: Well, as he just appointed you -- a non-resident of the village, with no store or business in the village, who presumably pays no village taxes -- to fill a vacancy (formerly held by a local manufacturer) on Ellenville's Local Development Corporation, which controls the revolving loan fund, which takes VILLAGE money and makes it available to local businesses, and, further, on the same day you sat at your first meeting, picked you as only one of two village reps on a new 5-person committee to set up the joint village-town economic development office and set the parameters for its director, and select that person, I'm not surprised you'd be so effulgent in your praise.

To the best of my knowledge, the village board was not asked for its input (I know *I* wasn't), nor was the position advertised to see if a more representative and committed village resident or businessperson would want to serve; it seems a deal was struck and we were just told that it was to be so.

Bella: Would I want someone from outside the area to hande this deal,someone who does not know me at all,a complete stranger to the situation?

Steve: You seem to be avoiding the concerns of "conflict of interest" brought up above. This "too close to the involved parties" situation, plus the fact that as mayor one's first priority is the well being of the village (and how can this be done when one is representing a deal that can HARM the village?) is the essence of "conflict of interest"! How can he be objective? Well, I've heard his public comments, and read them, and it's clear he isn't objective; he has never refuted my evidence (neither have you) about the negatives of WM, but just dismisses them with a hand wave and blatant assertions that they aren't so. That other mayors in other communities have shown at least the prudent response of QUESTIONING whether there ARE serious concerns, and have studied the facts and looked at the consequences, when no such action has been taken by THIS mayor, suggests a blind eye, likely caused by this very conflict of interest. His beliefs, when studied line by line, are simply, as are yours, articles of faith, unsubstantiated by logic, facts, evidence, example, or even a desire to GET the facts.

Bella: I don't feel this way.So far mayor proofed to look for the best interest for everyone involved in the deal.

Steve: Everyone BUT the village itself! The village will see NO property tax, NO sales tax, NO direct benefits at all! AND as I've shown, can be HARMED in direct and indirect ways; a mayor out to protect the "best interest" of the village would not act this way!

Bella: As I said back in April,Walmart will benefit the Village,

Steve: You can "say" it all you want, but you have offered NO proof, not then, not now! It's just magical wishful thinking on your part, and denial of the evidence from all over the country! You are willing to sacrifice the economy and soul of the village on the altar of what YOU think will help YOUR business! YOU don't even care about the other businesses, like Peters in Napanoch, as that will be one of the first to be impacted. (I pointed then to the study that showed that each WM supercenter on average destroys TWO local supermarkets; well, we only HAVE TWO!)

Bella: increase the traffic to the village retailers,

Steve: MORE nonsense! How does that work? When you go to Kingston or Middletown to shop, do you EVER go to the Stockade area stores or Broadway, or to DOWNTOWN Middletown? Does anyone? NO! People go to the malls, get their crap, and go home.

You have given ZERO evidence for the bizarre and nonsensical claim that people will drive from Kerhonkson to WM and keep on to Ellenville, or from Phillipsport to WM and stop in Ellenville on the way up or back! Why would they if all their needs are met in WM, since, as you and others seem to suggest, you can't get ANYTHING in Ellenville! Again, I've presented studies (go to w-e-r-d.org) that show that WM DECIMATES downtowns, does NOT send more traffic there, but, rather, REDUCES traffic to downtowns. And, when people have spent their limited cash at WM, that money is now no longer available to BE spent in local stores, and since a WM needs at least $1 million per week to stay open, THAT $1 million has only one place to come from... existing local stores!

Why, do you think it comes from OUTSIDE the community? Who will drive south from Stone Ridge, west from Pine Bush, north from Wurtsboro, or east from Fallsburg, when CLOSER WMs and regional shopping centers are fewer miles to them in either Kingston, Middletown, or Monticello? No, the EXACT SAME traffic that drives by Ellenville or Napanoch now will drive by if a WM comes in, only more times back and forth! It's the SAME EXACT people! Fewer than 30,000 people who are already here, and would have NO MORE REASON to shop locally then than they have TODAY, except they would have LESS money and time to do so IF a WM were here! That is irrefutable logic, and backed by the evidence on the WERD site.

Bell: and bad or good will bring some type of employement.

Steve: I've already shown that this is also false! The California study of over 3000 WMs in over 3000 counties over decades showed that, on average, for each TWO jobs in a new WM, THREE existing local retail jobs are lost! NO jobs are created! They are simply relocated and at the cost of many existing jobs, often ones with better pay and benefits. It also shows that in counties with WMs, retail wages tend to go down overall, as WM sets the bar, and poverty levels go up, compared to counties without WMs! The stats are there, and I stack them up against your wishful thinking.

Bella: Hopefully in the future it will push the zoning and other boards to look into the changing the infrastructure of the roads around the area.

Steve: Guffaw! THAT is how WM gets WE taxpayers to pay for THEIR needed infrastructure costs! THEN they renege on paying their share of sales and property taxes through scams (stories at the WERD site), and then force towns to lower their assessment or they threaten to leave.

Bella: It will be a positive change.

Steve: No, that is just your blatant assertion based on nothing but magical wishful thinking! The facts in hundreds, if not thousands, of cases refute your claim! Town after town has been economically trashed by WM and other big boxes coming in and sucking away the money and sending it OUT OF the local area. Dozens of towns have FOUGHT WM and WON to keep them out, because THEY did the OBJECTIVE studies and found out the truth, and didn't have elected officials in a position to make money off the deal in a position to praise it and not even do a simple study to see IF the community would be harmed.

Bella: Yes I have my own interest for this deal to go through successfully.

Steve: Indeed! And you will, for the few persons benefitting, sacrifice the jobs and businesses of HUNDREDS of you neighbors, all based on your fanciful but illogical and unproven notions that it will even help YOU! YOU said that if it didn't happen soon, you didn't know how you'd be able to survive. Well, that was almost a year ago, and WM is STILL not here, NOT even making a proposal to the planning board, and not likely for months, and not likely to start building for long after that, and even YOU know not before 2009, because THEY have all the time they want, and can even outlast YOUR lease and the requirement to build YOU a new store!

Oh, and haven't you seen in the news this week that the angry stockholders are DEMANDING WM halt its overheated supercenter building in the US, and focus on overseas stores, and fixing up existing US ones? They are now going to cut their projected one new store per day goal BY HALF! And which stores are going to be the ones NOT at the top of the list? Well, ones like Napanoch, which have NO viable sales potential, since the 30,000 or so here can't make the kind of income for them that a site in a larger demographic can.

And so, even it survives to the 2009 list, the cost of gas, shipping, trucking, etc. by then, will likely make WM even less likely to come to a marginal site!

Bella: Can you blame me for it?

Steve: Yes. Because your notions make you willing to sacrifice hundreds of jobs and businesses and harm this community, as WM has harmed others.

Steve: Where was Steve Krulick when I was begging Mr.Tso to develop the existing Mall.

Steve: HOW DARE YOU! Where was I supposed to be?!!!! Well, I was doing MY JOB as editor of Wawarsing.Net and gave PAGES of text and pictures promoting his plans. HE never came to ME and said "Steve, can you help me with marketing this?" We just assumed he was doing HIS profit-making thing on his own just fine; you have some nerve even suggesting that somehow *I* had a responsibility to help a guy who said NOTHING about his situation to help HIM make millions! And, as a village official, what business did I have to get involved with an out-of-village business? By this basis, you can blame EVERYONE in town for not doing anything to help Tso make HIS money! Harumph!

So stop taking my name in vain! None of Tso's running his private business was my concern, or anyone else's UNTIL he started dealing with a company that presented a THREAT to my community and the village I promised to protect!

Bella: Where was the public when we asked for the support of opening additional stores on the Mall.

Steve: You already complained of this in the spring and the answer then was, and still is: WHO KNEW THIS? HOW did the public get told? Did you go on the radio, or in the papers, or before local boards? What are we, mindreaders? WHAT were WE all supposed to do, anyway?

Bella: Not even once I was approached by the opposition of Walmart.

Steve: Why should anyone have? YOUR mind was clearly made up, and you said the nastiest things about anyone who dared contradict your fanciful dreams! It's a two-way street... what did YOU do to approach the opposition?

*I* tried to speak to Tso himself AFTER I and others had a serious and viable plan to develop the mall, but your pal the mayor, and WM, told Tso NOT TO TALK TO ME OR ANYONE! So, he shut me off before I could get more than a minute's worth of our ideas out. THAT's what I had to tell the CEOs of the department store chains I contacted who had already opened up more than a half dozen closed AMES stores in NYS and who wanted to know what was the next step for them. Thanks to Jeff and Joe THERE WAS NO NEXT STEP!

Bella: Not even once (I tried)the constructive meeting was handle between the opposition and those who are for it.

Steve: Not sure what you are saying here. WE had a public forum (still waiting for the school to show it on cable, or even give me a copy I can put online!); I and my "side" presented facts and stats and logic to the public, but didn't even get the courtesy of polite applause from the gang you brought. YOUR side, made up of people who hadn't a clue about the facts regarding WM, spouted bible verses and irrelevant platitudes, but YOU made sure YOUR gang wildly applauded their every comment! Congratulations! Emotion and babble win the day over research, evidence, and logic! So don't tell me about any desire for "constructive" meetings or reaching any consensus or talking to us courteously or with respect!

Bella: The same thing happening now.Tony and I was the only people at the Town Board meetings(2 weeks ago)

Steve: Actually, ONE week ago.

Bella: trying to defend the airport

Steve: How do you "defend" the airport? Oh, you mean to prop up YOUR wishful thinking about how THAT will provide 300 jobs, again, based on no evidence, other than using irrelevant and
apples-to-oranges examples from very different communities?

BTW, why don't you answer the simple questions posed above about what was "completely wrong" in the previous comments. Seems like the facts are correct, so what is wrong THERE? In fact, I can't recall you EVER addressing the facts and relevant stats and evidence on this matter!

Bella: and questioning the Sheriff.

Steve: How is that relevant?

Bella: "Dennis in the morning"was complaining about the Sherrif tone of voice.Guess what Dennis,if you did not take the time to get involved then you have no rights to say anything now.

Steve: Uh, wrong! Some people want to THINK about what they are experiencing and THEN say it after reflection. Dennis has a radio show and he has EVERY right to comment there. Please don't talk about RIGHTS unless you understand what they ARE!

Bella: At the Town Board meeting Dennis did not say one ward!Too late.

Steve: Neither did dozens of others who clearly had nothing to add to the discussion. So, they too can't have opinions and submit them later, even in private? Puhleeze!

Bella: Sheriff's substation is a done deal .

Steve: Maybe, maybe not. A done deal, it seems, was YOU getting appointed to the LDC with NO public knowledge, input, or decision! At least the Sheriff DID speak before the board, and this matter has been in the public arena for weeks. YOUR appointment was all but secret and rushed through with NO delays or outside involvement. Too late!

Bella: We are all very eager to fight each other,how about supporting each other for a change?

Steve: YOU first! I don't know when YOU haven't been combative, negative, unwilling to participate if YOU don't get YOUR way, even to creating your own paper "economic council" that YOU were running even though you called yourself "vice president" to make it seem as if you were just a part of it. If the arts group won't agree with you, THEY are at fault; if the town board sees things differently, THEY are the ones messing things up; if *I* didn't read Tso's mind LAST YEAR, and know HIS business affairs enough to know that his mall plans were going nowhere, it was MY fault!

Bella: Our comments here sound like this is the end of the world.

Steve: You make it sound that way.

Bella: If the Walmart or something else will not happenes soon,it will be the end of any business on this Mall.

Steve: So you said nearly A YEAR AGO! Well, what if WM DOESN'T come before 2009? What then? What are YOU doing to address THAT likely scenario, as THAT is what the news is reporting?

Oh, and when I and serious others OFFERED "something else" WE were rebuffed by Tso.

Bella: The Village by itself cannot survive,just as the Town is not recognizable unless Ellenville is mentioned.

Steve: I've been saying that for decades; welcome to the club.

Bella: You can hate me for saying this,but I am tired of listening to the constant negativism.

Posted October 25, 2007 10:46 AM (EST)
The Huffington Post

It turns out that Wal-Mart is its own worst enemy. The retailer has been eating itself for years--- and now has to protect itself---from itself.

In a dramatic sign that Wal-Mart is finally feeling the financial impact from years of cannibalizing its own sales, the world's most voracious retailer told Wall Street analysts on Tuesday that the company is slamming the brakes on new store construction. In 2005, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott told reporters that America had room for 4,000 more Wal-Marts---almost double their current store count. Instead of the 280 new superstores a year promised in 2005, Wal-Mart is now rolling back to 170 stores.

Founder Sam Walton often bragged of his company's saturation strategy. "We became our own competition," Walton wrote. But over time, Wal-Mart got to be too good at competing with itself, and now is paying the price. By jamming huge superstores less than four miles from each other, the company has weakened its own same stores sales growth--a key economic indicator in retailing. In 1987, Wal-Mart's "comparative store" sales increase---from stores open at least a year---was 13%. Ten years later, it had plummeted to 4%. Last June, at its annual shareholder's meeting, Wal-Mart abruptly announced that during its 2008 fiscal year, it would open between 190 and 200 new stores in the United States. Any of the 18,000 stockholders present---if they happened to open the company's 2007 Annual Report in their lap---would have read that Wal-Mart's future expansion plans called for "265 to 270 new supercenters." In just a matter of weeks, Wal-Mart executives had backed off the "Management's Discussion" in their Annual Report, and instead sliced back expansion plans by 26%.

For several years, Wall Street's reaction to the retailer's overly-aggressive U.S. construction forecast has been less than encouraging. In 2005, Bernstein Research Call issued a 13-page report warning stockholders of the downside of Wal-Mart's superstore plans. The analysts noted that Wal-Mart's growth "is under siege in several regions of the country from growing opposition by local communities...Local opposition has successfully squashed numerous plans among big box players in different parts of the country. Bernstein noted that "heightened resistance could negatively impact these retailers by slowing their square footage growth rates." Even modestly slower long-term square footage growth could have both an earnings per share and valuation impact, researchers said. Because of opposition groups, "it is clear that (discount retailers) will need to pursue a substantially larger number of permits going forward to hit their internal square footage targets given the likelihood of many opportunities failing."

Citizen groups' successes grew at a 21% annual rate in 2004 and 2005. My records indicate that 46 Wal-Mart projects alone were defeated or withdrawn in 2006. Not only has Wal-Mart suddenly slammed the brakes for 2008, but the company told shareholders last June that it would open about 170 superstores per year for the next three years. As proof that citizen opposition has thrown Wal-Mart off its production game, the company also admitted that as many as 80 of its supercenters which were expected to have ribbon-cuttings in 2008, have been deferred into 2009. Roughly 30% of its planned stores are not coming in on time, and many of these may never, in fact, open. Hence, the narrowing of the production pipeline for 2008 and out years. But this week, Wal-Mart dropped production levels even further, tamping down U. S. store growth by 2010 to about half the new retail space it added in its fiscal year 2007. Wal-Mart's executive vice president, Tom Shoewe, said on Tuesday that slowing down new store construction would reduce the company's tendency to steal sales from itself. "Obviously, what we're trying to do going forward is to reduce the impact we have on ourselves," he said.

Wal-Mart has been phasing out its "smaller" discount stores since 1995, and this coming year will produce no more discount formats---completing the shift to supercenters. But even the average size of supercenters will shrink as well. 220,000 square foot supercenters are harder to get past local town officials than a 145,000 square foot store. The financial analysts generally don't recognize "citizen opposition" as a factor in projections of capital expenditures, but the fact is, in the words of the Associated Press, "Wal-Mart is finding fewer places to build new stores." The company is not just running out of land---it's running out of local support. When they do locate a site, they are more likely today to face stiff opposition than they did in 1986. The permitting window for a new Wal-Mart supercenter has stretched from three months to---in many cases---three years or longer.

Even as we speak, preliminary background investigation is looking for just such hard evidence in several areas of concern, any one of which could result in frog-marching and orange jumpsuits, so be patient.

As for a building project audit, I don't think there's any "there" there; most of the numbers came in at or even below what was expected, based on bids and projections. I have quibbled over how some relatively few items costing over a certain amount SHOULD have come before the board first, but I doubt it's something to build a case around. Even the engineers were contracted to do a certain amount of hours per week for a set period (I guess we just forgot to do the total's math THEN, but the amount, in retrospect, adds up pretty much as contracted); that there were some causes for extending that period could be questioned, but it hardly goes into Ulster Jail territory for overage or how it was arranged.

If anything, the board, even the mayor, has been adamant about trying to limit engineering expenses to essentials, and not have them "create" work for themselves. If, as has been claimed, there is some kind of business partnership between the VM and ONE of the B-L people, that might come under the previously-mentioned conflict concerns, but I don't see how it ultimately affected the building engineering costs.

The only part that stays local is the paltry salaries paid to local employees, increasingly part-timers, with a 50% average annual turnover, often higher, and, since WM gives discounts to workers, and since WM workers think they are saving money shopping at their own sweatshop, even much of THAT money gets fed back into the funnel leading right to Arkansas.

The mall is ALREADY owned by a local person; Joe Tso's original plan was not to SELL the mall but to bring in a variety of tenants to make it a destination mall. But he seems to have put all his eggs in the wrong baskets, looking for big brand-name stores who could see that the demographics were not going to make any sense (remember, originally, three years ago, WAL-MART said no when first approached! So did the other big stores he or his people went after.)

Now, in an attempt to find more compatible partners, I located and spoke to, IN ONE AFTERNOON last year, the owners or CEOs of THREE New York State-based SMALL department stores, two of whom had more than one location in NYS, and had already REOPENED, between them, over a half dozen CLOSED Ames stores, and who thought doing the same thing in Napanoch was viable and worth considering!

Now, in our area Ames, and before it Jamesway, had ALWAYS been profitable. ALWAYS! They closed because the overall regional chain couldn't compete with big boxes LIKE Wal-Mart, same as Bradlees and a few others were also forced out of business, NOT because the local store didn't do well, but in spite of it.

But when I tried to get Joe to hold off his deal with WM, and give US time to put together a more detailed package, which likely would have been a PARTNERSHIP between Joe as landlord, one of these department stores as the source of goods and expertise, and THE COMMUNITY as investors and source of labor and which products to stock, Joe cut me off and said his lawyer (or WM's lawyer) told him not to talk to ME or anyone!

I think that the local stores maintained local bank accounts and dealt with local providers of goods and services, unlike WM, but what is key is that it didn't TRY to decimate the other local businesses, as WM does, and that its size didn't drain the local economy of $1 million per week, which is something the local economy couldn't handle overnight. Nor did they likely play the scammy tricks WM keeps making news about, like bilking states and towns of both sales tax and property taxes, virulent anti-union activity, gross neglect of environmental rules and immigration policies, and having no qualms about gender, race, age, and handicapped discrimination.

Nearly everyone I speak to tells me they were quite happy with Ames (and Jamesway before it), and would have been happy if they had remained open, or if it, or a store LIKE it, returned to the mall. *I* used to go there every week for one or more items, whether pants, or blank videotape, or auto supplies, or small appliances, or greeting cards, etc. and others did to. MOST of the items people NEED or want that are otherwise not available IN TOWN today were usually available there, including furniture, craft supplies, pet supplies, paints and chemicals, shoes, linens, home furnishings, kids' clothing, stationery, snacks, vitamins and personal care, toys, camping and sports items, garden and plant supplies, and on and on. And all within about 50K s.f.!

I've taken this a step further, and have been speaking with local people about this for nearly a year... a MERCANTILE, like the one Powell, Wyoming set up when their Stage Department Store closed down and left the town with nothing like it, and a Wal-Mart 25 miles away. So, instead of whining, they raised $350,000 FROM WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ONLY, and hired local former Stage employees and buyers, and set up THEIR OWN STORE in the old store's building. The were in the black from DAY ONE, and within a year had to open the store next-door, doubling their size to 14K s.f. People love THEIR store so much, they have NO REASON to go to the WM 25 miles away!

IT'S THEIR STORE! THEY own it, so the money stays local; they can keep prices reasonable, because they don't have to make a big profit, since it just goes from one pocket to the other; they can hire and pay local people decently (after all, they are their neighbors!); and they can control the inventory to prevent needless items or those that compete directly with existing stores in the community.

This Merc concept is also in Ely, Nevada, and I know that Greenfield, Mass. had similar plans going forward a year ago.

Now, they did it in a similar-sized community (Powell) with just 7K s.f. to start, but IF the old Ames were used, there's up to 50K, I believe; even if it weren't all used, the rest could be otherwise used for some other purpose, maybe a community center, movie theater, food court, or whatever.

Now, IF Joe remains deaf to this idea, whether or not WM ever builds (see previous article that shows their drastic cutbacks in planned openings in the US), this idea could work IN ELLENVILLE, and, frankly, I'd rather see that anyway, since that is the denser location, and people could walk to it! The old D and M building is almost 20K s.f.; the JM outlet is about the same I guess, and I hear there are plans to move. Either one would be PERFECT for a Merc-style store IN the village, and would take away ANY reason for a WM to HAVE to open here, if it's done right, as Powell did! (Other possible buildings include the large building across from the Library and Farber Center, next to the new village hall; the old Daitch market and roller rink on 209 would be ideal, but I hear it's already sold, and there may be more existing buildings that could serve.

Mind you, I do not consider myself to be a total dumb cluck, but at times I suppose I am.

Don't deprecate yourself. If this idea were so obvious and self-evident, everybody would already have clamored for it and it would have happened!

The problem is, in so many areas, we are told by the powers that be, "There is no alternative," and so, alas, we MUST take whatever they offer us. I suppose there would never have been any kind of progress if everyone had simply swallowed that line, and not thought of different possibilities.

I am pleased to announce that I am opening an office in the Village of Ellenville to serve area residentson November 7. The office will staffed by Ellenville resident Susan Cummings, who is also an Ulster County Legislator and has been a member of my Senate staff for ten years.
The office is located at the new Government Center, 2 Elting Court. The mailing address is P.O. Box 331, Ellenville, New York and the phone number is (845) 467-0032. Having a local office here in the Village, staffed by Sue Cummings, is important in ensuring that you have easy access to my office and State Senate services.
I am looking forward to meeting with area residents and to continuing serving all of my constituents. It is my hope that you will contact this office if I can be of assistance to you on any State-related matter.
As always, please feel free to visit my web site at www.senatorbonacic.com for the latest news affecting our lives.

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My question to him now is: would he accept a Target Store instead? BTW, they have lousy pizza and hot dogs, and really and therefore would not compete in my opinion, with any "local" stores.

I understand that their men's department has high (er) scale clothing, than Wal-Mart and other big box chain stores, thus affording at affordable prices, local shoppers a convenient place to shop.

I'm not sure what you mean by "IF the mall closes down." It's already near closed, with only a handful of active stores, and a part-time flea market. Do you mean if ALL the current stores there closed and yet it remains standing as a vacant, crumbling shell? Or if it's torn down and remains a vacant lot? Or if it's plowed under and turned into farmland?

Since when is the arrival of ANY new stores in the local area dependent on the mall? New stores can and have opened in Ellenville and nearby it for years, just as others have closed... it's a flux, with some coming, some going. Or, stores move, like Ellenville Florist becoming Napanoch Florist.

Except for something like the Merc concept mentioned above, which is dependent on the COMMUNITY coming together and DECIDING to create and support a store of THEIR OWN, the decision for ANY store, whether coming from outside or from local entrepreneurs, is up to that store and its owners. How can *I* make it happen or not happen? That is a matter of demographics and someone determining that there's a market that can support a particular store, not whether *I* want something or believe it will be feasible.

Absent a plan comparable to the one that I, the Peters, and others came up with nearly a year ago to develop the mall based on what would best SERVE the community, why should *I* care what happens there, *unless* it is detrimental to the community? That's up to those who are willing to take a risk and take advantage of the privilege to take our money for offering goods and services.

It's not up to ME to "accept" a Target or any other store! IT's a moot point, as Target has shown no interest in coming... or has it since the last time it said no?

And they don't "compete" with local stores because of the poor quality of their pizzas and hot dogs???!!! Huh?

Target may not have the totally bad package that Wal-Mart comes with, but they would likely have a similar impact, if they are large enough to need to make enough money each week that it MUST drain that amount from existing local businesses.

Personally, I have less animus against Target than WM; I happened to be in Newburgh yesterday, for reasons having nothing to do with shopping. BUT, having already made the trip, and burnt up the gas anyway, my wife and I took advantage of the trip to do some shopping for ITEMS WE COULDN'T otherwise get locally, something we do maybe once every other month or so. And among the stores we went to were Michaels and Target.

Both are very neat and well laid-out. Michaels carries very few items one could find in town, if you're looking for various arts and crafts supplies and accessories. Target does overlap with some food and personal items one can find in town, so we don't even look at those; we picked up a few things that simply were not available locally.

Now, IF a Target were here, sure, I'd probably go there as needed to get items otherwise not available, just as I went to Ames. My concern, assuming this weren't a moot point, as Target is NOT coming here, is whether any pricing advantage they can muster, like WM, would be used to drive competition out of business, and what other impact they might have on this community, as determined by an objective third-party analysis, same as WM should be made to pay for IF they still plan to come.

Nothing to say?