Hot Deal on a Hot Dog
Tuesday, September 13th, 2005The rumor on the street is that Tiny’s is going to be selling Coneys for $2 today only. Get ‘em while they’re hot.
Archive for September, 2005
Questions about Walmart
Monday, September 12th, 2005
I recently reported to the Northfield Issues email discussion list a rumor from a well-placed source that Walmart was considering opening a store in Northfield. Respondents have hypothesized on the impact that such a development would have on downtown. The opinions that I received could be summarized as belonging to two camps. The first was that Walmart was a huge threat and should be resisted vigorously by individuals and organizations such as the NDDC. The second was that downtown has shown it could survive big box threats and that there were better uses of NDDC resources.
In today’s (9/12/05) Star Tribune, there was an article about Walmart expansion and efforts at reisistance. I found it interesting that the discussion had moved beyond the “promotes economic development vs. destroys main street” and “creates jobs in the U. S. vs. moves jobs to China” arguments to the “saves us money vs. costs us money” argument.
Walmart suggests that they save consumers $50 to $60 per month in household expenses. For most people in our country, that is a significant sum. Opponents of Walmart say the corporation costs states millions of dollars per year in food stamps and subsidized health insurance for Walmart’s employees. The State of Wisconsin recently calculated that it cost them $2.7 million per year in BadgerCare health insurance.
The article listed websites for more information. They are: www.walmartwatch.com, www.wakeupwalmart.com, and www.walmartfacts.com. If Walmart is indeed considering Northfield, it would be important for those who feel that Walmart “costs us money” to start gathering information and stating opinions now.
Thoughts on Sandy Keith’s Remarks
Wednesday, September 7th, 2005
From left to right: Sandy Keith, Familiar Faces in the Crowd, Old Connections Renewed
First off, Sandy was a very entertaining speaker. It was extremely helpful having him put the vitality of urban centers in a historic perspective. Yeah, Carthage had some dark hours…but they rebuilt. Of course, New Orleans is facing some tough times…but with the spirit of jazz, fine dining and a few vampires, it will endure. Sure, the future of Austin, Minnesota seems bleak…but, well, I don’t know about downtown Austin. I guess the point is that cities and downtowns go through good times and bad times but they are the places that people congregate and that’s what is most important over the long term.
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Shelter from the Storm
Sunday, September 4th, 2005Goodbye Blue Monday offered a bit of cozy community with the warm glow of its cool lighting and hot beverages adding extra cheer to the stimulating conversations as the world outside thundered, lightninged and drizzled early Sunday morning.
NDDC Banner Program Continues
Friday, September 2nd, 2005
The NDDC’s “Historic Northfield – Since 1855″ banners gave way to the “Defeat of Jesse James Days – September 7, 1876″ banners this morning.
Thanks to the Northfield Building and Business Owners that supported this effort and the City of Northfield for making the switch.
Click the photo for a larger view.
