A suspiciously Walmart-shaped store is slated for construction within the borders of the idyllic village of Blacksburg. The threatened location is directly behind the Kroger on South Main St. and is part of a monolithic development project several blocks wide. Tension is mounting between the big business cigar-chomping profit-paving developers and the small business tree-hugging not-in-my-back-yard activists.
For those concerned about preserving the character of this humble hamlet and for anyone else in the mood for an enthusiastic public debate, there will be a town council meeting this Tuesday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Blacksburg Municipal Building on Washington and Main. It’s a “bring your own tar, feather and pitchfork event.” If you’re new to activism, and would like to help stave off the invasion of soul-sucking multi-national corporations, here’s a plan of protest for Tuesday:
First, grab a bite of dinner fixed with ingredients from our hometown Kroger or Food Lion. Robe yourself in trendy comfortable discounted clothing from Target, Gap or any other affordably priced retail chain. Next, drive to the town hall in your own car, it’s not that far so it won’t be that much gas. In the likely event that you can’t find parking, look next door in the conveniently-located parking garage. While you’re there, pick up some protest-to-go juice from Starbucks. Make it a double shot: you’ll need it.
Assemble outside the town hall to create posters with inexpensive materials bought at your neighborhood CVS. Of course there are several local bookstores who sell the same thing but we’re on a budget here. Depending on the audacity of the signs, you may need to call for reinforcements on cell phone service provided by Verizon, Sprint/Nextell, or Cingular/AT&T. As the meeting draws nigh, protest the town council so that they will be persuaded to pass all necessary protective ordinances. Afterwards, grab some Ben and Jerry’s to celebrate the victory of our innocent little village over the infiltration of ruthless corporate villains. Viva la resistance!
I’m sad to say it, but the battle against this particular store, or corporate take-over of any kind, has been lost decades ago in the hundreds of decisions we’ve made to choose price, brand name, selection, consistency and parking convenience over quality, authenticity, proximity or hometown charm. Sure, everyone likes the idea of hometown charm but how many people are willing to pay 30 percent more for it? Would we even recognize hometown charm if we saw it walking down the street? If the people of Blacksburg were consistently willing to put their money where their protest is, big-boxers would find no profitable reason to come here in their market analysis and the downtown merchants would be booming. A dozen vacant storefronts downtown indicate this is not the case.
Nevertheless, even if the majority of residents are honestly opposed, their voice is drowned out by the tens of thousands of suburban students who have suckled since birth on the bloated bosom of big-box. The masses with the spending cash have never known anything but low price, endless selection and one-stop-shop convenience. Their dollars will make this happen. Money talks. Tech’s enrollment alone could supply the complete customer base and workforce to sustain the economy of at least one strategically located Supercenter.
Our growing post-grad population with families and children has no in-town option for household retail. The Math Emporium once housed a Roses department store and the campus surplus auction house (across from the big box threat zone) was once a thriving K-mart. But alas, the bluelight has fallen dim for almost 15 years now making it impossible to purchase a pair of run of the mill, fruit of the loom, non-logo-embroidered underwear within our town limits.
I hate driving, I hate shopping and I particularly hate Walmart. But as much as I try to avoid them, they are a present economic reality. I welcome any option that would keep me from having to navigate through Tweenburg, the postapocalyptic wasteland between Christiansburg and Blacksburg. Not having to go out there would actually make living in Blacksburg a better experience for all.
Indeed, something bigger than we’ve ever known is coming to town but I have hope that our town can assimilate it into our way of life in a classy way that doesn’t threaten our charm. I see why people are bucking the idea, but I’ll let those not dependent on the big-box throw the first stone. Viva la Blacksburg.
