Tonight I am reading, as I have been for the past three nights, Bill Kauffman's Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette.
I come to this passage, related to the rising of Wal-Mart in Batavia:
My voice is as mute as the others in that silent night, unholy night. I supposed I am of the old school of Thoreau and Emerson in that I distrust political solutions and prefer individual revolutions of the soul. I sympathized with those townspeople who wished to keep Wal-Mart out. But instead of passing laws to compel behavior I would rather my neighbors choose to shop locally. They will only do so when Batavia becomes once more a city with its own flavor and fashions. Whether that day will come, I do not know.
For me, if The Batavian can accomplish one thing, it will be to give voice to the people who want Batavia to be Batavia again.
I'm no Pollyanna. I know we cannot put the Brylcreem back in the tube, or unwind the the movie or rebuild C.L. Carr's, but we can promote an ideal that a rural town like Batavia should be more than bathroom break on the Thruway.
We have our corporate sponsors, which means that if the heavens opened up and Wal-Mart or Kmart decided to bequeath to us some ungodly sum of money for advertising (not likely, ever), we couldn't say no, but we are here first and foremost to support the businesses that support Batavia (and the rest of Genesee County).
We only ask one thing -- that you do the same. Before your next trip to Wal-Mart or Target, find out what local shop can do you the same service and patronize that store first.
Howard wrote, "I'm no
Howard wrote, "I'm no Pollyanna. I know we cannot put the Brylcreem back in the tube, or unwind the the movie or rebuild C.L. Carr's, but we can promote an ideal that a rural town like Batavia should be more than bathroom break on the Thruway.".
This is sound thinking, but there is one flaw. No one, in many years, has truly identified Batavia.
Are we the bedroom community serving the two major cities?
Are we the 'bathroom' break on the thruway?
Are we truly a rural center that caters to the needs of our surrounding townships?
Have we become an avant guard artsy community that attracts the artists who will open the galleries only visited by passing tourists?
Are we an area that celebrates our history and unfolds the story to those living here and those who visit?
Are we a small city so mired in politics that we have lost sight of the best interest of it's aging community?
You get the idea. Batavia has to find it's own identity before it successfully presents itself to the outside. We need a lively business district that will compete with the mega-stores and offer competitive prices for their goods and services. A business district that encourages walking from store to store.
But first, let's find Batavia's identity.
It's one brick at a time,
It's one brick at a time, isn't it Beatrice?
It also has to be one day at
It also has to be one day at a time.
you are spot on, in my
you are spot on, in my opinion.
That was a great article
That was a great article Beatrice.You've said it all in so few words.Keep up the great writing wow..dan
I just want to say that local
I just want to say that local shops are higher priced and less selection when it comes to my budget.
Maybe its just me but I dont get small town service in most small shops here either.
Sometimes I have to interrupt an employees cell phone conversation to ask a question they cant seem to answer.
I havent met too many owner/operators either.