The Wellsville Blogspot

Walgreens Wow!

2008-03-02T16:22:00.004-05:00

Have you folks checked out the new Walgreens yet? It is in the former RiteAid store on Main Street across from Kwik Fill and all I can say is wow.

It's nice to have a store in town that is well stocked, customer friendly and with fair prices.

For us tech types the Walgreens website is really impressive (and I don't impress easily). I moved all of my prescriptions to Walgreens and have them all set up on the site for refill and express pay (nice feature). Other nice stuff includes an extensive online medical and drug encyclopedia and a flash version of the local weekly flier with a full shopping list feature. Needless to say, I really like the new store.

Now if Wal-Mart would just get here too we could really start saving some serious dollars.

Time Warner Digital Internet Phone Services vs Vonage - A product review

2008-02-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

I have noticed that Time Warner is saturating Allegany County, and Wellsville, with advertising about their digital Internet phone services. Before you bite take a look at Vonage and consider this. Vonage, not only has much better service, both quality and product, but they also offer many more features, better customer care, a broader calling area (all of the US and many foreign countries) and a lower cost ($5.00+ less than TW for the package). I have been using Vonage for quite a while now and frankly can see no downside in choosing them over the Time Warner system. So if you have broadband access check them out online at www.vongage.com or give them a call at 1-800-595-0875.

By way of a personal note. While this is not our purpose in posting this review, you can also help support this community blog and our online ministries if, when you sign up you give them my phone number 585-593-4120 as referring you. I'll get two free months of service and it will not cost you anything. Thanks.

I hope this review helps, but check out Vonage yourself, you will not be sorry.

Wal-Mart thrills locals - - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

2007-10-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

Here's a good article from the Washington Times that sounds a lot like us. Check it out, it's very encouraging.
_____________________________

KILMARNOCK, Va. — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. threw open its doors in the tiny Northern Neck town of Kilmarnock on Wednesday to fanfare by local residents touting the retailer's low prices and the convenience of having a one-stop shopping destination in town.

Read the full article here

Wellsville Wal-Mart Supporters Meeting September 19th Update

2007-09-13T09:44:00.000-04:00

Supporters of the Wellsville Wal-Mart Supercenter project will be having our kickoff meeting next Wednesday, September 19th, at 7 p.m. We will be gathering at the American Legion on Jefferson St. for refreshments and discussion about the project.

If you are able to join us, please RSVP by either by e-mail to admin@walmartsupport.com, or you may call our community relations line at 1-877-236-8862.

Hope to see you there.

Wellsville Walmart Supporters Meeting September 19th

2007-09-10T09:17:00.000-04:00

I received an email from Walmart Support that a meeting of folks supporting the Wellsville Walmart project is being planed for September 19th. Keep the date open and check back for more details as to time and place.

Arrival of Wal-Mart a boon to some, a bust to others - Business - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

2007-06-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

The Washington Times has recently been running some fine articles regarding what happens when Wal-Mart opens a store in small towns. This is one of the better ones and directly speaks to many of the questions we hear regarding Wellsville and Wal-Mart. It's well worth the read and then please leave a comment.
________________________________

KILMARNOCK, Va. — David Rose feels like he could be sitting on a gold mine.

"[Business owners] have to be what they originally were: entrepreneurs," says Shawn Donahue, who owns a number of small shops in Kilmarnock. He expects Wal-Mart will "erode" business at his toy store, Christian book store, gift shop and furniture store, among his other shops in the town.

Read this full article here

Why I’m Looking Forward to Wal-Mart in Wellsville – by Dick Helms

2007-05-11T19:33:00.000-04:00

Over the last year or so I’ve read more than a few articles and letters, both pro and con, regarding Wal-Mart coming to Wellsville. I’ve even written a couple from a general and business viewpoint. Today I’d like to write one from a personal prospective.

As some of you may know I am disabled due to late affect polio issues and have difficulty when I walk or stand for any extended periods. Therefore, I use a mobility scooter when I have any extended shopping to do. While I now have my own scooter to use in nice weather, I used to, and still in inclement weather have to, use the public scooters at the various retailers in town. That pretty much limits me to two, Kmart and Tops, and of the two only one is disability friendly, Tops. Tops, provides multiple public scooters and maintains them in good condition so that those with physical limitations such as mine can shop comfortably.

In contrast Kmart does little to accommodate the physically disabled. Over the years our local Kmart store has provided a single public scooter and that is often “out of order” and always in poor repair. I have often arrived needing to purchase a number of items but because the single scooter is already in use, or just as often “out of order,” have had to leave to return when the scooter is available (multiple times) or forgo any real shopping and just acquire a few quick items. I have brought this problem to the attention of store management and even corporate level numerous times, but to no avail. Sadly, I am told that Kmart will only allocate one scooter. While that demonstrates corporate level disregard for the physically impaired, it does not address the habitual poor repair of the one they do have. That demonstrates the same disregard at the local management level.

Another issue that effects us all here in Wellsville is the lack of stock in the store and the total disregard for customer input. We have all gone to Kmart to pick up some needed item, we may even have gotten it there before, only to find they are “out of stock” or just as commonly, we “don’t carry that”. I don’t know about you, but I find that frustrating.

In contrast, whenever I shop at any Wal-Mart store I find several (not one) public scooters, all in good repair, some even new. Also, when I look for an item, lo and behold! There it is, in stock and on the shelf!

The primary opposition locally comes from a former Kmart manager, current Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. Frankly I suspect that his animosity to Wal-Mart is because he knows that once the new store opens here the poor management and customer care that began during his tenure and continues today will become apparent.

Well that's my personal rant. I’ll be looking forward to your comments.

The Senators' Dilemma

2007-05-09T13:07:00.000-04:00

Our Senators, Clinton and Schumer are in a real dilemma these days. The Washington Times framed that dilemma well in the Op-Ed piece (the likes of which you will never read in our "beloved" Wellsville Daily Reporter); Pink Meat for the Anti-war Left. What is this great dilemma? Why how to best surrender and retreat while fervently hoping, and doing all they can to insure, that America does not win in Iraq. It is shameful that unscrupulous individuals like our two senators can be elected to such high office. More shameful, is to think that Charles Schumer actually carried Allegany County in the '04 elections. But, is that really such a surprise? when our local paper openly campaigns against our President and undermines America's war effort at every opportunity.

Just some food for thought.

I Finally Did It!

2006-12-27T13:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally did it. I cancelled my subscription to the Wellsville Daily Reporter. It’s been a long time coming and I have given them every benefit of the doubt over the last two years, but enough is enough. The hate filled editorial cartoons and the unrelenting anti-American (yes I said “anti-American”) propaganda (read pro-Spitzer, pro- Schumer, pro-Hillary, Bush bashing) “content” presented without even the pretense of balance finally got to me.

Here is the email I sent them together with John Anderson’s response.

Dear John and Duke,

Please cancel my subscription to your paper effective immediately. Over the last couple of years I have given you the benefit of the doubt and hoped that you would clean up your act. Over that period of time I have never seen such hate filled ed cartoons and the one about our outgoing governor was the last straw. John lied to me twice about trying to balance the page some and that coupled with the overall pour editorial quality of the paper has led to my decision.

It has been truly sad to watch the downward slide of a once good local paper.

Again, cancel my subscription effective immediately, do not continue it until the current subscription runs out, I will expect a refund of the balance of my account in the near future and will also expect no further cc charges for further fees.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

K Richard Helms
(address and phone number included in the original)

John’s response:

Oak got your e-mail. Thank you for sending it to both of us. As you know, my
hands are tied in terms or cartoons because of the service we purchase.
-
John

By way of additional comment: I have my doubts about the truthfulness of John's response here since he refused to print either of my last two letters raising my concerns, while promising both times (with no results) to address the issue.

Enough said, If you’re fed up too let me know and if you have cancelled or plan to cancel your subscription also be sure to send me a copy of your email/letter and I will post it here.

Thanks for listening to my rant, let me know what you think.
Dick

Library to Screen "Wal-Mart" Hit Piece!

2006-03-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

Tonight (March 6th) the Wal-Mart haters will be airing the "Hit Piece" Wal-Mart; The High Cost of Low Prices. This "movie" (read anti-Wal-Mart propaganda) is a really nasty "hit piece" filled with slanderous half-truths, innuendo and outright lies about a fine company. To give any credence to, let alone base ones opinion of Wal-Mart on, this slander would be foolish. Nuff said?

An open letter to The Wellsville Reporter

2006-02-18T12:41:00.000-05:00

While the Daily Reporter does an outstanding job of reporting on local and area news that keeps us up to date with what is going on hereabout, I do have one long standing gripe. Over the last few years the editorial cartoons published are really heavy left, often to the point of hateful. In fact the last few Cheney toons have really crossed the line from satirical humor to expressing outright hate for a fine man. I wrote to the paper about my concerns last year and while they did not publish my letter I was able to talk with John. I was told that there were very few ed-toons available from the only MSM (read "we hate Bush") souce they used so they printed what was available. Therefore, I gave them some alternative sources for conservative ed-toons to balance the page and while things did get a little better for a while, the situation is now worse than it ever was.

Over the last few months I have again been tracking the ed-toons and they are running 10 to 1 anti-administration. Now I know that the paper's readership does not run 10 to 1 in the "we hate the President" camp, it's probably closer to a 4 to 6 ratio. I also know that there is a debate in journalism as to whether the editorial page is to reflect readership opinion or drive readership opinion and above all I understand that it is their editorial page. However, there should be at least a reasonable attempt to reflect the views of those of us that don’t hate our President (and Vice President) but believe him to be an honorable man that is doing the right thing. I hope that the Reporter will take these thoughts to heart and bring a bit of balance back to the paper.

I am again tracking the ed-toons and will be posting the results here from time to time.

This post was updated February 20, 2006

Welcome to The Wellsville Blogspot!

2006-02-09T12:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the all new Wellsville Blogspot. This is where Wellsville folks can post opinions on anything Wellsville (and area).

Have a position on the new Walmart (pro or con?)
Is our local paper doing a good job?
How about the dissolution of the village?
What can we do about our high real estate taxes?

All opinions are welcome and all comments too. The only two rules are;

Keep it clean, no profanity allowed.
Be nice. While strong opinions are welcome, abusive posts are not.

Now let's all have some fun.

If you would like to be able to post as a contributor just drop me an email and I will post you back with the invite link to sign up. Anyone can comment to contributor posts.