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<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>This
makes me think about a conversation my husband and I had the other day.
Many years ago, we decided that we would never work in retail, at least until
our kids were grown. We grew up in retail, our parents both had
mom-and-pop type retail establishments. (for those of you who go WAAAYYY
back... Bafus Jewelers in Moscow, and Discount Vacuum in
Lewiston)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>We
grew up with parents who worked CONSTANTLY, and never got a day off. The
very nature of mom-and-pop style retail does not allow for much free time.
But that was a different day and age, and those type of businesses are few and
far between now.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Our
children work in retail. They work for large corporate concerns, and
scheduling is easier with a larger staff. Even the owners and managers
have days off. (although managers are often on call - our daughter
is).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Today,
for a local, non-national retail firm to survive, it has to be extremely
creative. A local firm has to create their own advertisement, their own
product base, and they must "re-invent the wheel" daily. Many "local"
business people find it easier to buy into a franchise to have help with those
items. I have a lot of respect for mom-and-pop type businesses that
survive today.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>As
these type of businesses fade away, being replaced by cookie cutter retail
chains, something in our national make-up is lost that can never been
recaptured.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>The
point of my rant? Nothing really. Just a bit of
nostalgia.................</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Thanks</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Bev</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=093324019-25042008></SPAN><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=093324019-25042008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=093324019-25042008></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=093324019-25042008> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=093324019-25042008> </SPAN>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com]<B>On Behalf
Of </B>Angie Doe<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, April 25, 2008 6:30 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
Vision 2020<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Safe
Lefty's<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT>
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<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN
id=ctl00_cpMain_BulletinRead_ltl_body><STRONG>Cut and Pasted in its
entirety from an online bulletin.</STRONG></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN>WHAT? Protest. But the weird, uncommon, positive
type.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>"Save Lefty's"<BR><BR>WHERE? Palouse
Mall Enterance/Lefty's<BR><BR>WHEN? May 2nd, 5pm<BR><BR>Come, carry a
sign for 5 minutes.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>Get a free
shake!<BR>===============================<BR><BR>The details:<BR><BR>By
now the word is officially out. The Lefty restaurant located in the
Palouse Mall, the home of the vandalizer (a now famous burger eating
challenge) and the best shake on the Palouse for many years is being
forced to close its doors in the mall...<BR><BR>The owners of Lefty's
originally moved to the area with the vision of running a small town
restaurant. They bought Eric's Cafe and changed the name to Lefty's.
Over the years they have done huge amounts of renovations, repainting,
adding lighting, and just recently they added booths to make the
environment even cozier.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>Now the Palouse
Mall Corporation seems more interested in large corporations than small
local businesses. This seems to have in part been also responsible for
the closure of other small shops, like the flower shop, S&P Hobbies,
etc. The sad thing is that it is the small local places that are really
a part of culture.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>The word on the street
is that the mall plans to put in some large corporate pizza joint.<BR
style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>Exactly what we need more of in our college
town *weary smile*<BR><BR>In talking to the owner, Ken, he really wants
to keep the restaurant going… and he is looking for another location,
but he needs to raise some money to help in that transition.<BR
style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>There are two ways that you can help
out:<BR><BR>Come to the Protest. There will be free shakes provided to
everyone who participates. There will be fun signs, etc. So come and
have a good time. The message of this is to be a positive message of
helping save the restaurant as a Moscow icon. So, not down with the mall
or anything like that. Instead, come and have a good time.<BR
style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>Buy a Raffle ticket: In an effort to raise
some money to help with the search and transition to a new place, Ken is
hosting a raffle contest.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>The raffle
tickets will cost $10 each, and the prizes are as follows:<BR><BR>5
Grand prizes<BR>>> 1 year of free food, every day at the new
Lefty's.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>10 Second place
prizes:<BR>>> 1 year of free food, once a week at the new
Lefty's<BR><BR>20 3rd Place Prizes: <BR>>> $25 gift
certificates.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>The raffle tickets can be
purchased either in the Lefty's store or in the next couple of days,
they will be available for purchase via Paypal at which point the link
will be posted.<BR style="DISPLAY: none"><BR>In the unfortunate event
that Lefty's is unable to find a new location, the money will be given
to the Community Action Partnership, Christmas for Kids, or some similar
charity.<BR
style="DISPLAY: none"><BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>