Wal-Mart Watching Derby Sewer Vote And Illuzzi Bill

The developer who wants to bring Wal-Mart to Derby is watching both the vote next week on Derby sewer expansion and a bill by Sen.

[Mike]

I hope the people of Derby get this one right and vote yes so Wal Mart can develope the site.

[sally]

Wal Mart will devastate the economy of Newport and will, of course be one big eyesore - keep them out...

[Dean]

Please Please, lets not let this area die. We need jobs, and our kids need futures. Walmart will bring other business to this poverty strucken area. I want to see my grandkids grow up here, not thousands of miles away. Walmart can be a catylst for growth in this area. Before you reply, understand what I say Walmart does not fix our issues, but it can start to make the area attractive to others. As for Canada, come on, as soon as Walmart opens they will come in hoards to buy our lower priced goods.

[Joe]

sally wrote:

Wal Mart will devastate the economy of Newport and will, of course be one big eyesore - keep them out...

Newport's economy was devastated long before a Wal-Mart was contemplated for Derby.
The only way the economy, in this area, can go is up.

[Robert J]

Do you really think a Walmart will help the area?

What area has a Walmart ever actually helped (long term)?

[Dean]

I would say that most definetly it will help. Drive down to Littleton and look in the parking lot of any business, they are filled with green license plates. Sure some are going for no tax. But personally I will gladly pay 6% to not have to drive 3 hours. Not just Walmart will come, we will gain resturants and other business, imagine being able to buy clothes without having to worry about what you may run into on main street.

Here is a good excersise, go up to Magog QC, walk down main street on a Saturday, then drive the 30 miles south and walk down main in Newport.(if you dare)

It is about more than Walmart, it is about taking our community out of the 40's and getting at least to the 80's. I am all for small towns and small town values, and we can preserve them, and that is where we need to fight, not against Walmart.

[Robert J]

So Walmart is the future of Vermont? Chittenden county only has one and it has extremely low gross sales for the population it serves. St A is gonna be a bust as well. They put them up to be a thorn in the local stores side, but pale in sales comparison to Walmarts countrywide.

Walmart drives down wages for crappy jobs, drives out competition (not that there is much) and sells Chinese garbage. I used to work for them (Sam's) until I wised up.

What they need is more than one local competitor, but screw sending our dollars to the commies.

[Dean]

Please don't get me wrong, I do not believe Walmart is the future, simply the catylst to get things moving. I agree on the China point, but no matter where we buy, be it the Pick n Shovel, the Dollar store or Great Outdoors, dollars are flowing to China.

Again, I compare this community to Magog QC, we could be a great tourist trap, the lake, Jay Peak, Burke etc.

We just need more people in the community that can see past 50 years ago, this will come as business comes, even if not all those businesses are great paying.

[Robert J]

How would a Walmart help the area become a tourist trap? Wouldn't the novelty of NO box stores be a tourist draw?

You want the tourists to spend money at the local shops, not the big boxes. If they go there to visit and then shop at Wally world, how will that help the area?

I agree the area needs jobs, but not that kind. Instead of a few local shop owners and workers making a certain wage, you have a lot more Walmart workers making less. How many folks working at Walmart in Williston can afford the housing nearby?

Look at the rest of the country right now. VT isn't feeling the pain of the mortgage meltdown right now...why?
Answer- because it didn't see the huge gains. Towns that had the most growth are feeling the most pinch.

Growth for size of the population is stable and should stay that way. Some people may WANT a Walmart, but the area doesn't NEED one and the population size doesn't warrant one. However, having personal experience with Walmarts business practices, I know that won't stop them.

[Robert J]

It's a "grass is always greener" kinda thing.

[gurlinvt23]

i hope we get a walmart vermont is so far behind exspecially the northeast kingdom compared to other states. we need to keep our people hear by keeping them happy and thats by giving them something they want.

[Robert J]

Yes, we are exspecially far behind.

[Cory s]

This area need this when I grew up here you could go down street Newport and buy christmas presents or underware. Now not many locals can afford to buy any thing here walmart will help keep the money local and bring money here this is a great thing with the price of fuel and polution who should have to drive 1hr or more to buy sox or underware we need this

[Robert J]

Walmart will help people buy more stuff. Something is needed, but it WILL NOT help the local economy. Very little of the money you spend will go to the local economy.

[Alyssa]

This issue isn't just about Wal-Mart, it's about saving the NEK. The current generation, my generation, are all going to leave this state in hopes of finding more somewhere else. Let's face it, there isn't a lot in NEK and in Vermont in general. A Wal-Mart won't solve our problems, but it will help and hopefully bring more businesses to a welfare-stricken town. If we're given a reason to stay a new generation of Vermonters will call the NEK home.

[unknown]

You live in Burlington. Everything you need is within minutes of you. You don't have to travel hours to get to what you need, and with the price of gas rising it is not so pleasant. They say shop local here in Newport, but if you were to do that you would go broke. Without any competition local businesses charge what they want, so you have to make a list and when the list gets big enough to outweigh the gas you travel the hour and a half to the closets walmart and get your supplies. Until you have lived in the area and not had the convience you have in Burlington, you don't have the right to speak on the subject of a walmart in newport.

Robert J wrote:

So Walmart is the future of Vermont? Chittenden county only has one and it has extremely low gross sales for the population it serves. St A is gonna be a bust as well. They put them up to be a thorn in the local stores side, but pale in sales comparison to Walmarts countrywide.
Walmart drives down wages for crappy jobs, drives out competition (not that there is much) and sells Chinese garbage. I used to work for them (Sam's) until I wised up.
What they need is more than one local competitor, but screw sending our dollars to the commies.

[Transplant]

Once the geriatric population up here die off,it will be much easier to bring Wal-Mart to Newport/ Derby.
People here were probably upset when they discontinued party line phones.

[Joseph]

I just bought a home in Derby. It is a vacation home, but my wife and I intend to make it our permanent residence in the near future. Coming from a big city where there is a walmart or sams every other mile, I can safely say that I hate walmart. Where I live there are 20 walmarts within my zip code's vicinity, and I always avoid shopping there. Most of the stuff they sell is crap, and outside minimum wage jobs, they don't do much to improve the local economy. If you do some research you'll see that walmart spends much, much less in the local economies than most other retailers. I don't even shop at walmart now where there are 20 walmarts around me, I certainly would not shop at walmart in Derby. Now a Lowes is a different story, I wouldn't mind a Lowes in Derby.

[Jason Arkin]

I have been familiar with the business section of Newport and remember when the main street was the Main Street in Orleans County and southern Quebec. Business has been off for years and if people think that bringing in a Wal Mart or similar box store will hurt the area they are off base. Business BRINGS BUSINESS,and the downtown area can still survive with it's nitch products and services. If the downtown area becomes an attractive place for tourists (there is no question as to the beauty of the Lake and mountains)build it, and they will come. There is no reason for local people to have to go to St. Johnsbury or Littleton N.H. for shopping and then stopping to eat in the restaurants over there, while we could have the same oportunity in Derby-Newport. And don't forget the Canadians who might just find it cheaper to shop in the Newport area now that their dollar is on a par...or better.

[Christina]

I live less then 20 minutes from Newport, I feel that walmart needs to come into this area, there is not enough jobs in this area.