Bigger not always better (4/1/04)

On Saturday, March 20th, I had just received an eye exam from a valuable asset to the Winchester community, Dr. Peden. When I went out to get in my car, much to my consternation, I noticed a flat tire on the front of my car.

This started a small "tempest in a teapot" type of ordeal for me. I attempted to remove the spare, jack and handle from the trunk well, and discovered a nice design flaw. The wing nut ears which cover the steel nut that holds all of this stuff to the threaded rod are plastic, and will not allow enough torque to be applied — by hand — to remove the spare, and crumbled into broken useless pieces of plastic in my hand.

It was raining, of course, and I attempted to find a real service station to get the problem solved, to no avail.

As a child growing up in and around the area, I distinctly recall several real service stations around town; heck, there were three or four from the town square to the International Tractor Dealership alone. This, as I'm sure most local residents are fully aware, is no longer the case.

Having no way to remove the spare to change the flat, I drove out to the tire store on Ind. 32 and it was, of course, closed. I walked across to the parts store, and asked where a guy could go to get a tire repaired or replaced early on a Saturday afternoon, and was told that about the only place left was the local Wal-Mart.

I drove on out to the store, on the flat, and was happy to be able to get the car repaired, of course. I had to buy a new tire, but all was well ... or is it really? While waiting for my car to be repaired, I could not help but overhearing talk of a new bigger and better Wal-Mart coming to town.

I can tell you first hand, if and when this new store comes it will leave behind the old "used up and outgrown" Wal-Mart, which will sit empty and virtually useless in you're community. I travel all over the country in my job, and see these old empty Wal-Marts sitting around everywhere. The Super-Center comes, and very effectively has already driven out all of the competition in small towns, and there is no one left to occupy the old store who can support the vacant square footage. There are a few exceptions to this, but I'm telling you first hand, very, very few. The vast majority of the old stores sit empty and useless.

I was happy to be able to get my tire replaced, do not get me wrong, but please bear this in mind. If and when the new store comes, it will no doubt be a boon for you're community and the benchmark of retail sales for the town of Winchester.

It will have a grocery included, and an expanded line of merchandise, and will probably even have an optical center.

This brings me back to the issue which I referred to at the beginning.

I will continue to purchase my eye exams and eye-wear from the good doctor whom I referred to earlier. I would have preferred to buy my tire services at a locally owned, real honest to goodness, service station, had one been open and available. I have a personal relationship with My Eye Doctor that goes back over 30 years, long before Wal-Mart ever came to town! Something to think about for all of us.

Sincerely,

James D. Fulks III

Dunkirk, IN

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