November 25, 2009

Wednesday’s open line

Filed under: Quick hits — Jason Feingold, Ed. @ 12:01 am

If you’re headed out onto the roads towards a Thanksgiving destination, good luck and be careful.

Here’s your open line.

Comments (42)

42 Comments »

on November 20, 2009..a large group of religious leaders voicing their concern about disturbing trends, announced a project called The Manhattan Declaration, and are seeking others to sign.

For anyone interested..google and download the Manhattan Declaration.

Comment by ziggy — November 25, 2009 @ 12:51 am
Walmart moved into small towns selling fabric, forcing small fabrics stores to close. Now Walmart has decided they are not making enough profit on fabric. What has become of the jobs needed for fabric? Anyone needing a yard of fabric has to travel to Raleigh. Now would be a great time for Roses to carry fabric.

I do not buy anything from Walmart that I can find some place else.

Comment by Lily — November 25, 2009 @ 6:15 am
Lily, I’m with you on avoiding Walmart. The company policy is to move in, undercut local businesses, and then raise prices and/or discontinue lines after they’ve established a monopoly.
The problem in Henderson is that the customer service is so bad and the inventory of many of the stores so poor that they almost force you to go to Walmart. Henderson shopkeepers will sit there and watch you walk out without buying anything rather than stop eating their lunch, talking to a friend, or getting up to look for something; and if you ask for something they don’t have they just say “no” instead of offering to order it for you. I’m willing to pay a little more to support mom and pop shops, but in Henderson the people who own and runt hem aren’t willing to get up off their butts to compete.

Comment by Infidel — November 25, 2009 @ 6:28 am
Joblessness for 16-to-24-year-old black men has reached Great Depression proportions — 34.5 percent in October, more than three times the rate for the general U.S. population. —————SO HOW IS THAT HOPE AND CHANGE WORKING FOR EVERYONE? We deserve better leadership than this and for those blacks still rockin the Obama stickers if you are a small buisness owner perhaps you should hire a young black man to try to stop this from happening. I would but my small buisness was in bad shape under Bush and is almost completely dead under Obama.

Comment by kevin — November 25, 2009 @ 6:39 am
Lily,
There is a delightful lady who is opening a yarn store near Interiors on Garnett Street in a few months. Her name is Maya. Maybe she will stock fabric. You can probably find out her contact info through Phil Lakernick at Downtown Development.

Comment by Beautiful Dreamer — November 25, 2009 @ 6:52 am
Beautiful dreamer–tell Maya to hurry!

Comment by north star — November 25, 2009 @ 11:00 am
Long time since you have posted, Infidel. Fortunately, Maya is not from Henderson so I am anticipating good service.

I think that Walmart could improve life in America by closing their operations like Chick Fil-A on Sundays.

Comment by Beautiful Dreamer — November 25, 2009 @ 11:20 am
Kudos to Town Talk and Tim McAllister for “exposing” what was known all along about mee……she’s an idiot who doesn’t have sense to get out of the rain. If you want proof, listen to Town Talk on WIZS and listen to the conversation that they had with this idiot. Does she not realize how stupid she sounds? Evidently not!! I know she reads HiH, so mee; where did you go to college? Or did you need a degree to do your “cleaning duties” for Sprint? I never have heard you mention how much “education” you had……but if your intelligence is any indication, if you went to college; maybe you should ask for a refund and/or rebate because it’s obvious you didn’t get your $$$’s worth. Someone in sam’s camp please put a muzzle on her so that Henderson doesn’t appear to be Mayberry.

Comment by Only -N- Henderson — November 25, 2009 @ 11:58 am
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all.

Be safe and enjoy your time with friends and family.

Comment by Interesting — November 25, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I hope you take this time to reflect on your many blessings. I know I am.

Comment by Melissa — November 25, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
I hope all of you have a Thanksgiving full of good food, good company and unexpected blessings. I give thanks for our freedom to give thanks!

Comment by Copper — November 25, 2009 @ 6:01 pm
Happy Thanksgiving to all my liberal, progressive, moderate, conservative and independent friends and family here and out of state :)

Comment by live it — November 25, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
I do believe my wife “Miss Lou” has been competing with Walmart since 2006 for fabric, quilting notions ( she does own and operate Miss Lou’s Quilting Studio”) sewing items and sewing machine service and repair on Raleigh Road. Problem is we cannot and will not compete with Walmart on prices, we can’t so therefore we are over looked for prices. She has quite a following local and from out of this county, people who are in the craft and not bargain hunting. We plan on increasing our invetory in January. Please stop by and pay us a visit, everyone is welcome, you might just see something you like.

Comment by Charles E. Powell — November 25, 2009 @ 9:08 pm
I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and will take a moment to stop and Thank God for their many blessings.

Comment by Jennifer Eatmon — November 25, 2009 @ 10:57 pm
I am extremely disappointed that Walmart stopped selling fabric, and seems to have cut back on craft supplies, too.
It gets tiresome to always have to go to Raleigh for everything.
Tho I can’t say I’m impressed with the Mill Outlet in Raleigh..
It would be good if Roses did start selling fabric.

I also miss the Home Bazaar on Norlina Road.

Charles E. Powell..we will check out your wife’s store..

Comment by ziggy — November 26, 2009 @ 1:52 am
Rose’s used to have large fabric department when my kids were small.They also had a wonderful cafeteria where they made delicious food. Sunday was a treat there. Guess it wasn’t cost effective.

Walmart hasn’t just deleted fabric. Look around closely and you will miss other mdse. They were begged not to do away with the fabric dept. Guess what? you can buy thread, needles and all the accoutrements of the trade, but you can’t buy anything to sew it on. Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

Comment by galloping gourmet — November 26, 2009 @ 10:40 am
Has anyone else noticed that the Henderson Wal Mart Supercenter’s recent remodel has resulted in significant changes?

Many items are no longer offered? Material and sewing supplies is but one example.

We have noticed that many grocery name brand items have been replaced by the “Great Value” brand that is touted to be cheaper. Not necessarily so – several weeks ago, I noticed that the Wal Mart Supercenter in Oxford had “Great Value” sugar featured on an end display. The sign challenged the shopper to find “a lower price anywhere”. When I pointed out to the “sales associate” that Domino sugar down the isle was $.59 cheaper, she smiled and said, “Oh, there must be a mistake”?

Another good example is shoe laces – what general merchandise store would stop selling shoe laces????

We shop at Wal Mart as a last resort!

I am proud of “Miss Lou”‘s efforts and often observe a good crowd at her store which is located across from the Zeb Vance elementary school on Raleigh Road south of Bearpond. The Powells are “good people” that represent strong “core values” that strengthen our community.

Also, I recommend Bill and Marie Craig’s “The Bees’ Knees Country Store” located in the Old Weldon’s Mill store building south of the old Aycodk High School. The Craigs moved from Michigan after retiring from teaching careers. Really great people! Bill Craig “farms” his own honey and it is very tasty! Wal Mart sells cheaper honey but it lacks the distinct taste of Bill’s. The difference in price is more than offset by the appreciation shown for your business plus Bill likes to visit. Recently, The Dispatch ran a special on the store and you will enjoy a visit – go east on Vicksboro Road, off of Hwy 39 south, until just before the old Aycock High School, turning right on Weldon’s Mill Road. The store, mill, will be several miles south on the right. The mill pond/dam is beautiful. http://www.beeskneescountrystore.com

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! You deserve it!

Comment by Lewis H. Edwards — November 26, 2009 @ 11:10 am
GG. If you get time to really look through Wal-Mart now, you will see that they have also done away with different brands throughout the store. In some instances, only having two or three brands where they used to have seven or eight.

Being in the bread business, we were told that they were going to go with certain items from different vendors or companies. I know first-hand that some of our items are in Food Lion and other stores but not in Wal-Mart. Crazy I know, but hey that’s Wal-Mart for you.

Comment by Billy Stevenson — November 26, 2009 @ 12:26 pm
The Craig’s are great people. We shop and share amongst each other also. With a business like our’s, we have to have a good relationship. Almost like a bygone era when people cared about each other and their lives. We thrive because of that relationship. We share coffee often at times.

Comment by Charles E. Powell — November 26, 2009 @ 5:33 pm
Thank you Mr. Edwards Vance County has such wonderful people and amazing historical treasures. I had never heard of the Bees knees, I plan to go this weekend for Christmas shopping. It looks like a really neat place. We should all support them even if we buy one thing.

Comment by live it — November 26, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
I believe the Walmart in South Hill still has the same amount of fabric and craft supplies. And people say the workers there are much more courteous and they feel safer to shop there.

Comment by skipper — November 26, 2009 @ 10:00 pm
I generally order fabric online for very good prices. It is impractical for me to drive out of Henderson because even then I might not find what I need. I dislike driving any distance for anything but visiting my grand children. It’s a shame we don’t have a fabric store. I’ve had to get creative with finding local fabrics for my costuming…would you believe a lovely silky brocade sofa cover could drape an alter? I found it at the Family Dollar near my home. The same cover could become a gown!

A fabric co-op might be worth considering. We do have two theatre groups and plenty of seamstresses needing fabric. Just a thought. I’m such a dreamer.

Comment by Copper — November 26, 2009 @ 10:12 pm
WIZS advertises many local businesses that are great stores to shop, including the Bees Knees…by listening to that radio station, all the time, I learn who and where the best bargains are for my dollars. It just makes sense!

Comment by Betty Mitchell Freitag — November 26, 2009 @ 11:38 pm
I can vouch for The Bees Knees..really is worth the ride.
If a tea person is on your list..a jar of honey with good teas and maybe a few tea biscuits or scottish shortbreads, would make a nice gift basket.
Buying local honey helps support the business, and also helps with the upkeep of the honey bees..which are so important.

I ate way too much today.

Comment by ziggy — November 26, 2009 @ 11:53 pm
BTW..I have found that the new Walmart in Louisburg is carrying items that Henderson doesn’t..at least not last time I looked for them.
Haven’t yet been able to check out the whole store.

I remember when Roses had a little restaurant..
K-Mart used to have them where I’m from, and might still have them..very good, and reasonable, too.
I kinda miss the lunch counter at the drugstore at the mall. Was it Eckerds?

Comment by ziggy — November 27, 2009 @ 12:00 am
Yes Ziggy, Eckerd’s had a lunch counter. Don’t remember a lunch counter at K-Mart when it was open here. Miss the one at Woolard’s — they had the best milkshakes and pimento cheese sandwiches! BTW – what is the Bee’s Knee’s and where is it?

Comment by Tbird — November 27, 2009 @ 12:35 am
Ziggy: sorry, didn’t go far enough up before posting to read about them and their location.

Comment by Tbird — November 27, 2009 @ 12:40 am
T-bird…I don’t remember there being a restaurant area at the K-Mart here either..
where I’m from it was very popular..

another way to get to The Bees Knees, is go down 39 towards Loiusburg..
turn left at Edwards Grocery in Epsom..
(there is also a second hand furniture store on the corner where you’ll turn)
follow all the way to the fork in the road..bare left..it will be a ways down on the right..
this will also take you to Franklin’s Bros. Nursery on Vicksboro.(pass The Bees Knees)

skipper…Thanks for the info about South Hill Walmart.
but I hope to see fabric available locally again soon.

Comment by ziggy — November 27, 2009 @ 12:54 am
#8..Only-n-Henderson..I heard it..
another Kudos to George and Tim.

didn’t it seem like she had an attitude when she called in?
what a phony.

Comment by ziggy — November 27, 2009 @ 1:04 am
I have read that if you want to get the anti-allergy and immune benefits from using honey, you should strive to buy your honey from a beekeeper within 50 miles of your home. The honey is better matched to the pollens and allergens that you encounter.

Comment by Beautiful Dreamer — November 27, 2009 @ 6:39 am
Thank you, Beautiful Dreamer, good advice!

Comment by Betty Mitchell Freitag — November 27, 2009 @ 8:40 am
I know I have accused many of paranoia and conspiracies here but I have a thought about our local Walmart. I will admit that I had gone way too many times to the local walmart in the past, mosly because it had items that no one else had. I too have noticed the reductions of produts and items since the renovation, (what happen to the shoe dept.?) I also have heard what a nice set up the other new ones have. Could national Walmart be setting up this Walmart to be closed in the future? Now that South Hills has one, Oxford has one and Louisburg too. It seems to me they have cut the customer base for Henderson’s Walmart a great deal, and now everyone else has plenty of the items we don’t have? even if it’s not planned, I find a lack of business sense to do that. Why have so much competition? you dilute your profit line. There are so many Walmarts this communities can absorve.

Comment by live it — November 27, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
These communites..

Comment by live it — November 27, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
#8 – MEE is a fake – and a know-nothing.

Want to stop her from calling Town Talk? Just say when she does, a question will be asked of her – direct. Then, she won’t call.

She doesn’t have a clue how literally stupid she sounds.

She knows absoultely nothing, but that is just the way Sam wants it.

Comment by Interesting — November 27, 2009 @ 2:48 pm
“Mumbles Mary Emma” She STILL won’t make herself heard in the microphone. So funny–she said”I’m asking this question because someone asked me to ask about it”. That I could barely hear.

I am not sure really what her game is–but Town Talk isn’t making her sound stupid–they just continue to let her prattle on.

Comment by north star — November 27, 2009 @ 2:54 pm
32, “absorb”. Sorry, haven’t heard from SpellChecker in a while. I noticed that Henderson Walmart still has a vision center while the Oxford one does not. I don’t think Oxford has a manicure thing either. Some have Subways, some McDonalds. Maybe all the communities could use a basic Walmart if it was known that the specialties were in nearby stores. It would be nice for the seamstresses if one in a 30 mile radius had fabric, even if just for decorating, Halloween costumes, etc.

I had worried about Walmart running all the other businesses out and then upping their prices. I think we should at least try to do some of our shopping in local family owned businesses. I get tired of all the chain stores. On the one hand it’s nice to know what they carry, but on the other hand, when I visit a community I like to think I’ll find some restaurant or business unique to that area.

When I talk to someone who may visit Henderson, I usually tell them about Interiors, George’s now for it’s decor and location, Peanut Roaster, Supplyline. That’s about all I can think of.

Comment by skipper — November 27, 2009 @ 4:15 pm
Thanks for the directions Ziggy. I’ll check them out in a few days.

Comment by Tbird — November 27, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
Walmart at Wake Forest still has a fabric department. I don’t know for how long. Walmart ran Piece Goods out, then they stopped carrying fabric.

Comment by galloping gourmet — November 28, 2009 @ 5:20 pm
Thanks GG..

Comment by ziggy — November 29, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
Went to Bees’Knees. It was great, the owners are wonderful people. They have very reasonable prizes and wonderfully tasting honey at prizes cheaper than Food Lion. Go support your local merchant.

Comment by live it — November 30, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
it’s a good to hear something positive about a local business..
I hope people will give them a try.

Comment by ziggy — December 2, 2009 @ 4:50 pm
I haven’t been to Bees Knees yet, but I used to go to the store that was in that building when I was little. Mr Weldon ran a general store there and it was a wonderful place for a child. Lots of penny candy. My Papa would take all of us grandchildren to “Weldon’s store” in the back of his old pickup and get us all a bag of candy. I remember the pot belly stove, sacks of seeds and barrels of flour and things like that. Oh the good old days!

Comment by 39Alive — December 4, 2009 @ 2:31 pm