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News Briefs: School Construction Continues
Here are updates on a couple of developing news stories.
- Work on the Dorchester School renovation project continues, as the new foundation is being laid on the expanded west side of the campus. Construction on the western portion of the project will be continue through the rest of this year and into the spring, as the gymnasium side of the school campus will be totally enclosed. Demolition of the 1927 building will go ahead as planned in mid-to-late May of 2008.
- Unfortunately, a "For Sale By Owner" sign remains on the door of the Dorchester Grocery. There is no official word yet on whether a prospective buyer have come forward and shown interest. In a recent Lincoln Journal Star article, the director of the Nebraska
Grocery Industry Association said the number of independently owned grocery stores in Nebraska has dropped from 1,200 to about 600 over the past 15 years. In the article, Doug Cunningham, director of the Hometown Merchants Association of Nebraska, emphasized that small businesses need each other and that a community’s school, bank and grocery store are particularly important. “If you don’t have a minimum of those things, it’s pretty hard to compete with other communities to bring economic development into your community,” Cunningham said. We at the Times could not agree more.
A@A and their subcontractors should be on the inside of the school instead of the outside, maybe they could learn how to read and quite running the school stops, stop signs, @ speed limits.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the grocery store...
ReplyDeleteA business model that has been successful in other small communites is the "town ownership" model. Everyone that is able and interested "buys in" to the store and runs it for the community. Sometimes the owners hires a manager and other times they have a rotating shift. Profits are shared as the owners deem fit.
Another model is the "mall shop" idea. Interested community members "buy" a section and "own" it, runing it as their own mini-store making all the ordering decisions, making all the profit (minus a percentage to the "mall" to pay labor, taxes, etc.)
Either way, only truly interested people are in the process and ownership stays in the community. Anyone out there want to step up to the plate?
We need the grocery store in town..... I hope the for sale sign woke some folks up so they shop there instead of walmart...... why do we want to drive 15 miles more on what will likely be $4 gas by January???
ReplyDeleteUNFORTUNATE, indeed! I think we need a grocery store in Dorchester. Bruhas do a FANTASTIC job with keeping prices competitive and service always comes with a smile. Father Andersen, I think your ideas and challenge are a good starting point. I would like to take the challenge to even a more basic level........HOW MANY OF THE D.A.C.A. AND D.A.C.F. MEMBERS SUPPORT THE DORCHESTER GROCERY???? (I asked---not even 50%...how sad it that?) HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT COMPLAIN ABOUT WHAT DORCHESTER OFFERS SUPPORT TYSER REPAIR, FARMERS COOP, SHERYLL'S WESTSIDE SALOON, FIRST STATE BANK, DORCHESTER GROCERY, DONNA'S HAIR CREATION, KLEIN CONSTRUCTION, BZ CONSTRUCTION, STUTZMAN DIGGING, SLEPICKA BROTHERS, SHARON'S, RUT AUCTION AND NOVAK AUCTION (I know I've forgotten some businesses but not intentionally .. sorry)???? If we truly want Dorchester businesses to survive and attract new ones, we HAVE to support them. If people would even spend a portion of their grocery budget in Dorchester, we just might be able to keep it. So how about all of us stepping up to the plate and spending our $$$ in our hometown.
ReplyDeleteI had a flat tire in Lincoln yesterday. My tires have 50,000+ miles, but I waited to have them changed until I can get them replaced in Dorchester. Little actions make the difference when it comes to supporting hometown businesses.
ReplyDeleteC.J.----Good for you!!! That's what we all need to do. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING DORCHESTER!!!
ReplyDeleteI am a DACA member and nobody asked me if I shop at the Dorchester Grocery, although I do.
ReplyDeleteCORY........I ASKED JOHN BRUHA WHO SHOPPED AT HIS STORE, FIGURED HE WOULD KNOW.
ReplyDeleteConcerned Citizen,
ReplyDeleteAre you on a personal crusade to save the Dorchester Grocery? Perhaps the city ought to levy a tax to subsidize the store? Whatever the solution you propose, your attempt to single out members of DACA and DACF (who give their own time and efforts to help Dorchester) is unfair and cheesy. Did you stop to think that Mr. Bruha might not want your observations brought to a blog like this?
When you work hard for your money, you have the right to get the most for it. I think you would agree to that. And who is better qualified to spend it, then the person who makes it. That's the way it is in the free market. Should we stop all the folks from out of town from spending money here in Dorchester, and tell them to go back and spend their money in their town?
Some people do not have the luxury of shopping in a store because it's in their town. Prices, choices, and quality matter. Perhaps a convenience store would do better here?
I am not sure we ought to blame the little guy for getting the most out of their dollar. Perhaps we should examine the politics and practices of the "big box" stores that allow them to beat our local stores.
Dorchester, if we're going to progress it isn't going to be in "main street" stores. Main street as we know it is gone. I wish it wasn't so, but it is. Think outside of the box.
Blue Collar, on a scale of 1-10, your arguement rates a 0.5 for holding water. Blame Wal-Mart for Dorchesterites shopping out of town? Blame the free market system? That's sad, man. I agree we can't tell people where to spend their cash. We can't force them to care about their own community or their neighbors or our town's business owners. However we can encourage them to do so.
ReplyDeleteI stopped in Wal-Mart on a Sunday in September to pick up a few items for the kids' birthdays (I haven't been back since, since I don't speak Spanish). I was shocked to see how many Dorchester-area people were there getting groceries. I could name them here, but I know it would be deleted. Besides, I doubt it would do any good.
No one expects residents to get everything from Dorchester Grocery, but can't we all set a personal goal to buy our basics there? Or how about patronizing it 4 of every 5 grocery shopping trips? (For the record I have compared prices in Lincoln grocery stores to those in Dorchester. Dorchester was CHEAPER, YES, I SAID CHEAPER, on 80% of goods, esp. cereal, meat, butter, milk and bread.)
Blue Collar Guy....
ReplyDeleteI agree, we all work hard and long to make our $$$. My point being, that if anyone should understand the importance of supporting our local businesses (even on a limited basis), it most certainly should be the DACA and DACF members. Was I singling them out..yes...trying to make a point. If the goal here is to make Dorchester better, help it grow then asking people to keep some of their $$$ here locally is not too much to ask. I do know how much time they generously give to our community (I know because I too am a member) but I also know how many of our local businesses are asked to support/donate to everything our community does. I do agree that we need to look "outside" the box for answers but still feel strongly that we can all contribute to Dorchester's survival by supporting our local businesses. Being a part of community means more than just living here.
I think what would make the store run better is to run sale ads, like they used to. I know it might cost aliitle, but think of the extra people that would come in and buy the sale items. I think if they would at least try it 6 months, they would see more people, and probably make more money. Bruha's are doing a good job, but in small community, I think this would help bring more people in. I wish they would at least try it for awhile, I know I always bought alot of the sale items, and more people would shop more, everyone always likes sales.
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDelete.5 on a scale of 1-10, Cmon!! OK Bob, if not for cheaper prices found at Walmart and other places, then why do people from Dorchester shop at Walmart instead of the Dorchester Grocery? Maybe they just enjoy driving their Tyser cars, fueled by Coop gas, on Crete's paved streets, to purchase more expensive groceries at the Crete Foodmart, and to eat out at their favorite mexican restaurant (it tastes alot like Kolaches you know) Hope you all don't mind the humor. Which brings up an interesting point. Bob, would you expect Dorchester citizens to go to a Mexican restaurant as much as The Westside Saloon, if it was in Dorchester? If so, I can make a mean taco, and I'll by my hot sauce at Dorchester Grocery.
Concerned Citizen,
OK, so you love Dorchester and it's businesses. I do too. And if you are a member of DACA and DACF, then I guess it'S OK. But how many businesses are we able to support? and to what extent? Maybe Mr. Bruha needs to do a survey or somethin to help him find out what Dorchester needs, and then come up with a plan. Find out what Dorchester is willing to pay. Or does the market say that a store won't work in Dorchester, because Crete has better choices? Well the Bruhas are wonderful and smart people. And if there is a way they will find it. But you have to know what you are up against if you are going to find real answers to your problems.
GO BOB!!, GO BLOG!!
LUV YA,
BLUE COLLAR GUY
I'm still buying my groceries in Dorchester. Period.
ReplyDeleteLove,
ME