I live in a small town about 2,000 ft above sea level outside of San Diego. The old hwy 80 used to come thru here and before that it was a stage coach stop. The history here is dense and now it is changing. A 7/11 is coming to town.
There is also a big McDonalds being built right on the main road. They say it will have a western decor. sigh. The residents here fought the big Albertson's grocery store that now dominates this end of town and is so expensive. A new Fresh and Easy grocery store is going in where an old grocery store once was. They think this town has money and they are right. That wealth is going to destroy them.
The other little mom and pop grocery store moved out of it's big building and they turned it into a Dollar Store. I have to admit I do love that store but that would make me one of the developers dreams. I am afraid this little town is going to see more and more chains move in. It is interesting that the 7/11 lawyer bought the liquor license from the mom and pop store and now can claim that it isn't a new one. Sneaky.
They voted to deny 7/11 a liquor license due to being saturated with liquor stores. At first I thought it was rude to try and regulate alcohol as it sounded like prohibition to me. But now I can see where they are just trying to save some small town flavor. I don't think that is possible anymore tho. The lawyers for the chains are too powerful. They are appealing the ruling and I'm sure they will get liquor in that 7/11 soon. They will hopefully have lots of Western Decor too.
The Indian Casino just outside town is building a twelve story hotel. More jobs for people, more money and more crazies. Money seems to be the theme to change here. Money brings trouble. I wonder if I would have preferred living here in the stage coach era?
This is the age of corporations and they are gobbling up our world. The big WalMart down the hill is hidden in a little valley off the main freeway. It is an enormous store...a mega store. It usually has what you need and my neighbors work there. I know it is the sign of the times and I just don't feel like expending the energy to fight big stores. I won't shop there if I can help it.
But I was addicted to the cookies for a dollar at the 7/11 store downtown. Now they will be right in my own backyard. Oh boy. There are more people living here in Southern California than ever before. We do need a way to care for them all and corporations are trying to do that for profit. Our small town will never be the same no matter how many pretty flowers they plant to try and make it look quaint.
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Ralph Melcher
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Kathryn O'Hehir
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Michelle Motoyoshi
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Comments
I hope your town manages to retain some flavor, with all of the changes.
'Off to Walmart, we must go...we must go..."
Matt Specialties are the way to go. My friend here put out flyers to fix computers in this rich little town and is now rolling in money.
Snarky The big stores don't look like they are hurting here.
Pat Your town sounds quiet. My mom has been here in a neighboring town and it has exploded. Lowes, Kohls and Sprouts just down the hill where small stores barely made it. Population is the key. Too many people.
My mom was from a small Indiana town. They are hurting now. People are moving to the big cities. Houses are cheap there. To hear her tell it the liquor and bars were everywhere there and her dad knew them all. We can't go back!
liquor stores . churches.
town is changing.
so when wasn't it? it always was & will.
let em plant flowers. you flower children go to get what you need
at a good price
so as
to
survive.
this is paramount. people like u surviving.
There is a danger to loving something that cannot love you back, it cannot care if you even exist. You value it,but you are valueless to money. Money isn't destructive, but loving what doesn't care if you live or die can destroy you.
As many people are deeply in love with money but are not loved back by what they cherish, I think there should be liquor stores on every corner. They should probably sell heroin too, then we can all get totally blotto and enjoy the appropriately placed flowers.