The election is over, and whether your man won or lost, it’s about time to get back to business! It seems that so many things have tied our little city in knots over the past 12 months. The St. Francis Hospital scare, gas prices over the summer, the stock market collapse, the housing market collapse, the presidential election, the mayoral election. Meanwhile, the businesses on Western, and all over Blue Island, struggle to survive until all these messes clear themselves up.
One thing that we all should have learned by now is that life goes on. The hospital was sold, gas prices are down, the stock market and housing markets are showing signs of recovery. People feared that if Obama was elected that there would be rioting in the streets. It didn’t happen. People were skittish about our mayoral election. What would happen? What would happen? Whether your man won or lost, life goes on. The business of being city continues, just as the business of being a country continues. We can’t just stop living because things aren’t great.
So the question becomes: What do we do now? It’s time to start pulling together as a community, and realize that we are all in this together. It’s time to look around and figure out what our part in this city should be. I have been a strong advocate of spending $5.00 a day in Blue Island for over a year now. Recently I have discovered that someone else has a better plan, and it is taking root around the country. It’s called the 3/50 Project and it was created by Cinda Baxter. Local affiliates of CBS, NBC, and ABC have picked up the story and started to give it coverage. Caroline Kennedy is endorsing the 3/50 Project.
Having been an independent stationery store owner for fourteen years, Cinda Baxter understood the pain felt by retailers when the economy sank and consumers held back. What began as an economic downturn in the autumn had become a psychological tsunami by March 1st.
What the country needed, in her opinion, was a meeting of the minds between two groups that held valuable stakes in the game—small business owners and members of their communities.
Enter The 3/50 Project.
With a tag line “Save your local economy three stores at a time,” the project’s goal is to promote shopping in locally owned businesses while thanking customers for the positive impact that decision has on a local economy.
“We ask consumers to think about which three stores they’d miss if they disappeared, then remind them to return there,” explains Baxter. “Shoppers have become so rooted in thinking about the essentials that they’ve forgotten about the little store on the corner whose owner remembers their name.”
“Fifty comes from the idea that if even half the employed population spent a mere $50 per month in locally owned retail stores, those purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue,” she continues. “That’s a huge impact for a relatively small investment.”
Which leads to a third number on the flyer, sixty-eight—the dollar amount that remains in a community’s economy for every $100 spent in locally owned stores. By contrast, only $43 per one hundred remains local when spent in national chains; little or no revenue results from online purchases.
“In essence, the whole thing boils down to: Pick 3, spend 50, save the economy. It’s really that simple.”
If you’d like to learn more about the 3/50 Project, go to http://www.the350project.net/
In the meantime, you’ll still find me on Western, spending my $5.00 a day in Blue Island.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
More Good News
Recently, on the Today Show (channel 5) there was a guest who urged people to shop locally. She actually said that there are better deals to be had from local merchants than from big boxes or internet sites. I hope someone beside myself was listening!
Here’s several reasons to spend your $5.00 in Blue Island:
1. Keep the Dollars in Our Local Economy
When you shop in our community you fund more services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement, and promote community development.
2. Local Business Owners Invest in Community
Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.
3. Support Community Businesses
The well-being of a community benefits when you shop locally. Our area businesses build strong neighborhoods by sustaining communities, contributing to local charities, supporting sports teams, festivals, service clubs, school activities and the list goes on.
4. It’s in Your BackyardWin – Win!
Reduce your environmental footprint and save money at the same time. Shopping in Blue Island means no need for long drives and traffic jams. You’re not burning fuel and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Consider What Our Retailers Are Facing
They purchased their stock six months ago hoping to sell it today for a profit, pay their employees, pay their taxes, heat and water, donate to charity, and hopefully pay themselves. Instead they are being asked to sell it for a loss.
6. More Jobs and Wages
Supporting our local merchants means more jobs and better wages for our community. These wages, in turn, are spent again in our community as employees purchase goods and services from local merchants.
7. Keep Our City Unique
We have a variety of unique specialty shops and products. These businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of our community. By choosing to support local businesses you help maintain our diversity and distinct flavor.
8. Get Better Service
Our area merchants take pride in hiring the right people who are passionate about their products and services....let’s support them by shopping locally. And consider if you have a problem with the item you have purchased you can easily return it to a local merchant for service.
9. Lots of Great Products
With so many great stores, markets, and restaurants, the choices are many. There is a broad range of products available.
10. We love our Community – Let’s Keep our Money
HereWe can encourage local prosperity by keeping our hard earned dollars in our local economy.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Here’s several reasons to spend your $5.00 in Blue Island:
1. Keep the Dollars in Our Local Economy
When you shop in our community you fund more services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement, and promote community development.
2. Local Business Owners Invest in Community
Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.
3. Support Community Businesses
The well-being of a community benefits when you shop locally. Our area businesses build strong neighborhoods by sustaining communities, contributing to local charities, supporting sports teams, festivals, service clubs, school activities and the list goes on.
4. It’s in Your BackyardWin – Win!
Reduce your environmental footprint and save money at the same time. Shopping in Blue Island means no need for long drives and traffic jams. You’re not burning fuel and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Consider What Our Retailers Are Facing
They purchased their stock six months ago hoping to sell it today for a profit, pay their employees, pay their taxes, heat and water, donate to charity, and hopefully pay themselves. Instead they are being asked to sell it for a loss.
6. More Jobs and Wages
Supporting our local merchants means more jobs and better wages for our community. These wages, in turn, are spent again in our community as employees purchase goods and services from local merchants.
7. Keep Our City Unique
We have a variety of unique specialty shops and products. These businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of our community. By choosing to support local businesses you help maintain our diversity and distinct flavor.
8. Get Better Service
Our area merchants take pride in hiring the right people who are passionate about their products and services....let’s support them by shopping locally. And consider if you have a problem with the item you have purchased you can easily return it to a local merchant for service.
9. Lots of Great Products
With so many great stores, markets, and restaurants, the choices are many. There is a broad range of products available.
10. We love our Community – Let’s Keep our Money
HereWe can encourage local prosperity by keeping our hard earned dollars in our local economy.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Friday, February 27, 2009
Signs of the Times
1) I found a silver certificate in my pocket
2) I passed up a pancake breakfast
3) Unemployment surges in Blue Island
A few weeks ago, I decided to visit Stefanelli’s for lunch. I remembered there being a five dollar bill in my coat pocket, and without checking for it, I took off down the street with visions of hot mostaccioli dancing in my head. I picked up my lunch, went to the counter to pay, pulled out the five dollar bill, and lo and behold, it was a silver certificate!
For any youngsters reading this, a silver certificate was a bill printed by the U.S. Treasury that was equal in value to the same amount of silver coinage. Thus, a five dollar silver certificate would be equal to five silver dollars. The most readily distinguishable feature of these bills was that the seal was printed in blue. They ceased production of these over forty years ago, and people used to save them because they would be worth something some day.
I think that whoever had this bill before me was saving it for that exact reason. However, with the economy being what it is, I imagine that people are starting to spend whatever bills and coins they have stashed away just to make ends meet. I don’t know how I came to possess this bill, and for a minute I wondered what it might be worth. Then, no doubt like its previous owner, I realized that in the condition it was in, it was probably worth about $5.50. I imagined the time and energy it would take to find someone willing to buy it, and in the end I just handed it to the cashier.
Not long ago, a member of a local church stopped in to sell me tickets to a pancake breakfast. I am well known for buying tickets to every pancake breakfast and spaghetti dinner in town. There’s nothing like getting a good meal and supporting a neighborhood group at the same time. This time I had to say no.
It is important for members of community churches, charities, and organizations to support local business. These are the people that you go to for donations, door prizes, and auction items. If you are not spending your money with the businesses that you go to for donations, the businesses will not be around to support you. Times are tough for everyone, so shop in Blue Island and identify yourself as a member of your church, charity, or organization. The group you save may be your own.
Lastly, we recently received a letter from the Paul Revere Primary & Intermediate School Parent Teacher Organization. According to the letter, 65% of their students’ parents are currently seeking employment. The unemployment rate in Illinois was recently reported at 7.6%. The general Chicago area is 6.5%. An unemployment rate of 65% among parents in Blue Island is frightening. The PTO is holding a job fair on February 13th, and they are expecting 250 prospective employees to attend.
All the more reason to spend your money here in Blue Island. According to the National Small Business Association, over 50% of working people are employed by small businesses. If you are working for a real estate office, a restaurant, a beauty parlor, a law office, a doctor’s office, an independent retailer, a small grocery store, or any number of other small businesses here in our city, it is in your best interest to shop here. The job you save may be your own.
It is only by small business owners, employees, and community groups alike banding together and committing themselves to patronizing Blue Island businesses that we as a community will be able to survive this economic downturn. Spend your money in Blue Island, the city you save may be your own.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
2) I passed up a pancake breakfast
3) Unemployment surges in Blue Island
A few weeks ago, I decided to visit Stefanelli’s for lunch. I remembered there being a five dollar bill in my coat pocket, and without checking for it, I took off down the street with visions of hot mostaccioli dancing in my head. I picked up my lunch, went to the counter to pay, pulled out the five dollar bill, and lo and behold, it was a silver certificate!
For any youngsters reading this, a silver certificate was a bill printed by the U.S. Treasury that was equal in value to the same amount of silver coinage. Thus, a five dollar silver certificate would be equal to five silver dollars. The most readily distinguishable feature of these bills was that the seal was printed in blue. They ceased production of these over forty years ago, and people used to save them because they would be worth something some day.
I think that whoever had this bill before me was saving it for that exact reason. However, with the economy being what it is, I imagine that people are starting to spend whatever bills and coins they have stashed away just to make ends meet. I don’t know how I came to possess this bill, and for a minute I wondered what it might be worth. Then, no doubt like its previous owner, I realized that in the condition it was in, it was probably worth about $5.50. I imagined the time and energy it would take to find someone willing to buy it, and in the end I just handed it to the cashier.
Not long ago, a member of a local church stopped in to sell me tickets to a pancake breakfast. I am well known for buying tickets to every pancake breakfast and spaghetti dinner in town. There’s nothing like getting a good meal and supporting a neighborhood group at the same time. This time I had to say no.
It is important for members of community churches, charities, and organizations to support local business. These are the people that you go to for donations, door prizes, and auction items. If you are not spending your money with the businesses that you go to for donations, the businesses will not be around to support you. Times are tough for everyone, so shop in Blue Island and identify yourself as a member of your church, charity, or organization. The group you save may be your own.
Lastly, we recently received a letter from the Paul Revere Primary & Intermediate School Parent Teacher Organization. According to the letter, 65% of their students’ parents are currently seeking employment. The unemployment rate in Illinois was recently reported at 7.6%. The general Chicago area is 6.5%. An unemployment rate of 65% among parents in Blue Island is frightening. The PTO is holding a job fair on February 13th, and they are expecting 250 prospective employees to attend.
All the more reason to spend your money here in Blue Island. According to the National Small Business Association, over 50% of working people are employed by small businesses. If you are working for a real estate office, a restaurant, a beauty parlor, a law office, a doctor’s office, an independent retailer, a small grocery store, or any number of other small businesses here in our city, it is in your best interest to shop here. The job you save may be your own.
It is only by small business owners, employees, and community groups alike banding together and committing themselves to patronizing Blue Island businesses that we as a community will be able to survive this economic downturn. Spend your money in Blue Island, the city you save may be your own.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Snowstorms and Partnersips
Quick recovery from a snowstorm requires a three way partnership. That partnership would be among the citizens, the Police Department, and the Department of Public Works. If everyone does their part the snow is quickly removed and we can all get on with our lives. At some point in time the City of Blue Island made plans for snow storms and snow removal. Many streets are marked with blue and white Snow Route signs. The signs warn that there is no parking after a snowfall of 2 inches or more until the snow is removed, and that violators will be towed.
The snowstorm that hit us on Thursday, December 18th was not a surprise. The weathermen had been forecasting it for two days, and originally it was predicted to begin about 2:00 p.m. on the 17th. I know that we all engage in wishful thinking. We hope that a storm will bypass us and we will not have to deal with it. However, on the morning of the 18th it was obvious that we had taken a direct hit. There was 4 to 6 inches of snow, encased in ice. This is when the snowstorm partnership broke down.
The general population made little attempt to move their cars or avoid parking on the snow routes. As of this writing (four days later) there are still cars plowed into place on residential snow routes around the city. People were parked up and down Western Avenue as if it were any other day. In front of our building there were at least two vehicles which were parked 5 feet from the curb because they either couldn’t see the curb or couldn’t get any closer. This put them partially in a traffic lane, which in and of itself would be deserving of a ticket. The vehicles remained there all day. This scenario was repeated up and down Western.
I can already hear business owners protesting that their customers have to park somewhere. How much better would it have been if those customers had waited for an hour or two until the streets were cleared? Many businesses still have lumpy snow in the street in front of their buildings. We have a 2 foot ice berm in the middle of the parking spots in front of our business. This is going to make it difficult and dangerous to park, not just for a day, but for several days to come. As for cars that remained parked on Western all day, I have to assume that these were business owners or employees. We should know better.
The Department of Public Works did what they could. The plows were out all day on the snow routes, plowing and spreading salt. But they can’t plow where cars are parked. I didn’t hear of one person being ticketed, much less being towed away.
As I write this it is 3 degrees below zero and the wind is howling. As a customer, I would not want to brave these temperatures just to be greeted with lumpy and icy parking spots. The partnership broke down, and the business district and sales tax revenue will pay the price until the next warm spell, which will be after Christmas at the earliest. Too late for any last minute Christmas shoppers. If it snows again on top this whole mess, things will just get worse. What were we thinking?
Spending my frozen $5.00 on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
The snowstorm that hit us on Thursday, December 18th was not a surprise. The weathermen had been forecasting it for two days, and originally it was predicted to begin about 2:00 p.m. on the 17th. I know that we all engage in wishful thinking. We hope that a storm will bypass us and we will not have to deal with it. However, on the morning of the 18th it was obvious that we had taken a direct hit. There was 4 to 6 inches of snow, encased in ice. This is when the snowstorm partnership broke down.
The general population made little attempt to move their cars or avoid parking on the snow routes. As of this writing (four days later) there are still cars plowed into place on residential snow routes around the city. People were parked up and down Western Avenue as if it were any other day. In front of our building there were at least two vehicles which were parked 5 feet from the curb because they either couldn’t see the curb or couldn’t get any closer. This put them partially in a traffic lane, which in and of itself would be deserving of a ticket. The vehicles remained there all day. This scenario was repeated up and down Western.
I can already hear business owners protesting that their customers have to park somewhere. How much better would it have been if those customers had waited for an hour or two until the streets were cleared? Many businesses still have lumpy snow in the street in front of their buildings. We have a 2 foot ice berm in the middle of the parking spots in front of our business. This is going to make it difficult and dangerous to park, not just for a day, but for several days to come. As for cars that remained parked on Western all day, I have to assume that these were business owners or employees. We should know better.
The Department of Public Works did what they could. The plows were out all day on the snow routes, plowing and spreading salt. But they can’t plow where cars are parked. I didn’t hear of one person being ticketed, much less being towed away.
As I write this it is 3 degrees below zero and the wind is howling. As a customer, I would not want to brave these temperatures just to be greeted with lumpy and icy parking spots. The partnership broke down, and the business district and sales tax revenue will pay the price until the next warm spell, which will be after Christmas at the earliest. Too late for any last minute Christmas shoppers. If it snows again on top this whole mess, things will just get worse. What were we thinking?
Spending my frozen $5.00 on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Sunday, December 21, 2008
And the good news is...
I have to say that the city is currently doing what it can to help the remaining businesses in Blue Island. They have offered to run free commercials on the city’s cable station WDDE, and for a nominal fee you can be interviewed by Joe Gatrell and Lefty. This is the type of thing that can make a huge difference for any business. Believe it or not, after having our business in Blue Island for nearly eleven years, there are still residents who have no idea that we exist. They don’t come this way, they haven’t really noticed, or they don’t look at newspaper ads.
The Christmas parade was a huge success, thanks to Rita Pacyga, and unlike last year, the weather did not interfere. My apologies to everyone who worked on all the fabulous floats, but I thought that the Mexican horsemen, with their horses decked out in blankets of lights, stole the show. It was an eerie and wonderful sight to see lights prancing down the street in the darkness.
In a recent zoning meeting, the zoning committee gave a beleaguered Blue Island businessman the nod to have his building rezoned. As I mentioned in my previous article, commercial property tax has skyrocketed, forcing many small businesses to close their doors. A Blue Island resident, who I had not met before, addressed the committee, and eloquently explained that we cannot afford to lose another business. This move by the zoning committee may well save one of our most valuable assets uptown.
The last issue of the Forum reported that at the request of Mayor Peloquin, Tom Nagle of Robinson Engineering put together a package of infrastructure projects worth $38,000,000.00 to be presented to President Bush and President Elect Obama. Maybe the ushering in of the new administration will bring improvements to our worn out streets.
So here I am, ending the year feeling hopeful once again. Both personally and business wise I know we have a lot to be thankful for. Perhaps people will begin to understand that we’re all in this together. Like any other city, Blue Island will rise or fall according to the effort put forth by its citizens.
Spending my $5.00 and wishing you all a blessed holiday!
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
The Christmas parade was a huge success, thanks to Rita Pacyga, and unlike last year, the weather did not interfere. My apologies to everyone who worked on all the fabulous floats, but I thought that the Mexican horsemen, with their horses decked out in blankets of lights, stole the show. It was an eerie and wonderful sight to see lights prancing down the street in the darkness.
In a recent zoning meeting, the zoning committee gave a beleaguered Blue Island businessman the nod to have his building rezoned. As I mentioned in my previous article, commercial property tax has skyrocketed, forcing many small businesses to close their doors. A Blue Island resident, who I had not met before, addressed the committee, and eloquently explained that we cannot afford to lose another business. This move by the zoning committee may well save one of our most valuable assets uptown.
The last issue of the Forum reported that at the request of Mayor Peloquin, Tom Nagle of Robinson Engineering put together a package of infrastructure projects worth $38,000,000.00 to be presented to President Bush and President Elect Obama. Maybe the ushering in of the new administration will bring improvements to our worn out streets.
So here I am, ending the year feeling hopeful once again. Both personally and business wise I know we have a lot to be thankful for. Perhaps people will begin to understand that we’re all in this together. Like any other city, Blue Island will rise or fall according to the effort put forth by its citizens.
Spending my $5.00 and wishing you all a blessed holiday!
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Perfect Storm
It seems as if small business in Blue Island has been hit with the perfect storm. In the spring, people worried about whether or not the hospital would close, and whether or not they would still have jobs. People were afraid to spend. This summer, people suffered with outrageous gas prices. Budgets were sliced and diced while people tried to make ends meet. Then came the stock market collapse. People who had previously felt secure were suddenly alarmed as they surveyed their retirement plans. Spending was
re-evaluated. And as the presidential election approached, people held their financial breath. Anyone in retail knows that the months preceding a presidential are always slow.
All you need to do to see the effects of all this is look at Western Avenue. It is no secret anymore that Vermont Antiques is closing. Divas & Them is gone. One of our dry cleaners is gone. I have heard of three long standing Blue Island businesses that are relocating. They are not closing, but they are moving out of our city to greener pastures. Once all these buildings are empty, I fear that all the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men are going to have a heck of a time trying to put Blue Island back together again.
The closing and moving of various businesses can be blamed on many factors. Commercial property taxes have gone up, forcing landlords to raise rents beyond what the renters can afford. Some businesses have run their popular course, just as Ty Beanie Babies came and went. Some are just obsolete for today’s lifestyles. However, many should have had a fighting chance, but for the economic storm that has beleaguered our city during the last eight months.
There are always plans in the works, but most citizens have no idea what they are and how they are progressing. How many of us volunteered time to help develop the Blue Island Plan, and now, how many of us have heard anything about it since those wonderful, hopeful evenings when we dreamt aloud about what our city could be? Time and time again, a better city has been dangled in front of us, only to have the plan eventually put on the shelf. By the time any of these plans is truly implemented, there will be no business left to save.
I was touched when people stopped by and told me that they noticed I had not written a column lately. To tell the truth, I have been alternately disillusioned, angered, and disappointed in the things I see happening and not happening around our city. It is difficult to write a hopeful, upbeat, cheerleading-type column when it seems that no one has the ability or the interest to follow through even on what should be the simplest of things.
You still have time to join me, somewhat disheartened, spending my $5.00 a day on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
re-evaluated. And as the presidential election approached, people held their financial breath. Anyone in retail knows that the months preceding a presidential are always slow.
All you need to do to see the effects of all this is look at Western Avenue. It is no secret anymore that Vermont Antiques is closing. Divas & Them is gone. One of our dry cleaners is gone. I have heard of three long standing Blue Island businesses that are relocating. They are not closing, but they are moving out of our city to greener pastures. Once all these buildings are empty, I fear that all the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men are going to have a heck of a time trying to put Blue Island back together again.
The closing and moving of various businesses can be blamed on many factors. Commercial property taxes have gone up, forcing landlords to raise rents beyond what the renters can afford. Some businesses have run their popular course, just as Ty Beanie Babies came and went. Some are just obsolete for today’s lifestyles. However, many should have had a fighting chance, but for the economic storm that has beleaguered our city during the last eight months.
There are always plans in the works, but most citizens have no idea what they are and how they are progressing. How many of us volunteered time to help develop the Blue Island Plan, and now, how many of us have heard anything about it since those wonderful, hopeful evenings when we dreamt aloud about what our city could be? Time and time again, a better city has been dangled in front of us, only to have the plan eventually put on the shelf. By the time any of these plans is truly implemented, there will be no business left to save.
I was touched when people stopped by and told me that they noticed I had not written a column lately. To tell the truth, I have been alternately disillusioned, angered, and disappointed in the things I see happening and not happening around our city. It is difficult to write a hopeful, upbeat, cheerleading-type column when it seems that no one has the ability or the interest to follow through even on what should be the simplest of things.
You still have time to join me, somewhat disheartened, spending my $5.00 a day on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Two Voices in the Wilderness
A customer stopped in the other day and brought me a column published in The Regional News, a newspaper published in Palos and Orland. The column was titled: Whither all our local mom-and-pop stores? and it was written by Amy Wiest, president of Wildflowers Inc. in Palos Heights. I was thrilled to see it! I am not a voice in the wilderness!
I called Amy immediately, she gave me permission to quote her in my article, and now I’m so excited, I don’t know where to begin. Maybe I should start with her very first sentence: “I am surprised and saddened every time I see another independent business close its doors.” How many times have I thought that, said that, and written about it? “The recent closure of longtime local businesses in Palos Heights such as Rini’s, Flowers of Palos, and Quiznos have left me wondering what responsibility my shopping choices played in their failure.” By this time I was doing handsprings.
I have recently heard about the imminent closing of yet another business in Blue Island, and also was surprised to see that An Seanachai on 127th had closed and the building is for sale. To quote Amy one more time: “It is hypocritical for us to be sad when another little neighborhood gem disappears or gossip about their downfall while on our way to the giant retailers.” Amen, sister! Or to paraphrase Smokey the Bear “Only you can prevent the collapse of your downtown.”
Amy even confronted head-on an issue that has bothered me for a long time, one that I have been too timid to confront, and so now I will hide behind her words: “Even if you don’t work for a small business, if we all go away, where will the community groups go for their donations? Who will sell the tickets for Woman’s Club functions; make donations for the PFA fundraisers; place ads in your group’s ad books; hang your event signage; donate silent auction items and sponsor the civic events? If you think the big retail chains will, you are very wrong.”
In the last month I have received several requests for donations, ads, and auction items from some very upstanding and outstanding community groups. Requests will only increase as the holidays draw near. When I look at the signatures at the bottoms of the letters, I don’t recognize the names. I should know them. If these people have the chutzpah to ask me for money, I would think they would have the common sense to at least make a token purchase at my business and introduce themselves. Imagine the talk around Blue Island if I openly refused to put up signs for Spaghetti Dinners, Vegas Nights, Boy Scout Troops, etc. Worse yet, imagine the outcry if I demanded $5.00 a piece to put up the signs. Community support is a two way street.
Amy asked the question: “When we choose to shop in the big chain stores, can we follow the money trail back into our community?” Let me tell you, I was recently at Target in Crestwood. At the cash register there is a list of the schools they donate to. Guess what? There is not one Blue Island school on that list. Not one.
So once again I ask every man, woman, and child to spend their $5.00 a day in Blue Island. If you are a current customer of mine, let me know what civic groups you belong to, or which local charities you would like us to support, and when those donation request letters come in, I guarantee you that checks will go out.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
I called Amy immediately, she gave me permission to quote her in my article, and now I’m so excited, I don’t know where to begin. Maybe I should start with her very first sentence: “I am surprised and saddened every time I see another independent business close its doors.” How many times have I thought that, said that, and written about it? “The recent closure of longtime local businesses in Palos Heights such as Rini’s, Flowers of Palos, and Quiznos have left me wondering what responsibility my shopping choices played in their failure.” By this time I was doing handsprings.
I have recently heard about the imminent closing of yet another business in Blue Island, and also was surprised to see that An Seanachai on 127th had closed and the building is for sale. To quote Amy one more time: “It is hypocritical for us to be sad when another little neighborhood gem disappears or gossip about their downfall while on our way to the giant retailers.” Amen, sister! Or to paraphrase Smokey the Bear “Only you can prevent the collapse of your downtown.”
Amy even confronted head-on an issue that has bothered me for a long time, one that I have been too timid to confront, and so now I will hide behind her words: “Even if you don’t work for a small business, if we all go away, where will the community groups go for their donations? Who will sell the tickets for Woman’s Club functions; make donations for the PFA fundraisers; place ads in your group’s ad books; hang your event signage; donate silent auction items and sponsor the civic events? If you think the big retail chains will, you are very wrong.”
In the last month I have received several requests for donations, ads, and auction items from some very upstanding and outstanding community groups. Requests will only increase as the holidays draw near. When I look at the signatures at the bottoms of the letters, I don’t recognize the names. I should know them. If these people have the chutzpah to ask me for money, I would think they would have the common sense to at least make a token purchase at my business and introduce themselves. Imagine the talk around Blue Island if I openly refused to put up signs for Spaghetti Dinners, Vegas Nights, Boy Scout Troops, etc. Worse yet, imagine the outcry if I demanded $5.00 a piece to put up the signs. Community support is a two way street.
Amy asked the question: “When we choose to shop in the big chain stores, can we follow the money trail back into our community?” Let me tell you, I was recently at Target in Crestwood. At the cash register there is a list of the schools they donate to. Guess what? There is not one Blue Island school on that list. Not one.
So once again I ask every man, woman, and child to spend their $5.00 a day in Blue Island. If you are a current customer of mine, let me know what civic groups you belong to, or which local charities you would like us to support, and when those donation request letters come in, I guarantee you that checks will go out.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
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