Wal-Mart’s $45,000 Avocado Fine
September 7, 1999
We told you on October 26, 1998 (see newsflash entry below) that Wal-Mart was facing $156,000 in fines from the U.S. Dept of Agriculture for
Al Norman
Lawsuit to Stop Vote
September 5, 1999
We reported on September 1, 1999 (see below) that residents in Huntington Beach, CA had gathered more than 22,000 signatures to put a referendum before
Home Depot Tries to Scrub the Jay
September 5, 1999
Is one Home Depot worth a bird and a snake in the bush? There are now more than 800 Home Depot stores to shop at,
Developer Challenges Vote
September 5, 1999
Sprawl-busters in Orange Township, in Delaware County, Ohio, have been fighting a Home Depot rezoning since January, 1999. As reported in the Columbus Dispatch newpaper,
Is Breast feeding in Wal-Mart OK, or not?
September 4, 1999
ABC news has reported that two women in Ohio have filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, stemming from an incident two years
Home Depot Comes Back
September 3, 1999
In 1997, Home Depot flew into San Juan Capistrano with plans to build a 130,000 s.f. store on 15 acres of land abutting the Capistrano
Home Depot’s Old Promises/Old Growth
September 3, 1999
Last week Home Depot promised to phase out sales of products made from ‘old growth’ timber by the end of 2002. Old growth timber is
Violence at Wal-Mart.
September 3, 1999
At 8:30 pm on Sunday, August 29, 1999, 47 year old Brian Midgette of Gilbertsville, PA, walked into the Wal-Mart store in Pottstown, and bought
RV rape suspect found at the Wal
September 2, 1999
Newspapers as diverse as the Wall Street Journal and the Montana Missoulian have featured extensive articles about the use of Wal-Mart parking lots by RVers
Wal-Mart’s Hazardous Shipment
September 2, 1999
The Associated Press reported recently that the Federal Aviation Administration is seeking to fine Wal-Mart $50,000 for improperly transporting by air a shipment containing dry
Wal-Mart Goes Residential
September 1, 1999
According to the citizen’s group, Crest View United, Wal-Mart has asked for demolition permits from the city of Huntington Beach to tear down the Crest
Wal-Mart’s Oversized Foot
August 27, 1999
Chandler, AZ became the third community in one week to reject a Wal-Mart (see Eureka, CA and Manhattan, KS stories below). 750 residents jammed into
Little Apple Bites Wal-Mart
August 27, 1999
It appears that Wal-Mart will not get a second bite out of the Apple — at least not in the Little Apple of Manhattan, Kansas.
Wal-Mart Loses Air from Balloon
August 24, 1999
The voters of Eureka, CA last night took all the air out of Wal-Mart’s balloon. By a 22% point margin, Eureka residents rejected Wal-Mart’s proposal
Albertson’s Mangles History
August 22, 1999
Vieux Carre Property Owners, the St.Charles Avenue Association, and the Felicity Street Redevelopment Project. The New Orleans City Council will have the final vote on
Rite Aid’s “Artistic” Store
August 20, 1999
The residents of historic Olde Towne Marion say that Rite Aid is simply wrong. The convenience store company wants to abandon two of its older
Wal-Mart meets Murphy’s law.
August 20, 1999
“Just because growth is inevitable, doesn’t mean that we have to give in to big business or compromise our standards or quality of life, and
Home Depot Shuts Down 20 Expo Stores
August 18, 1999
A lot of orange blood was spilled this week, as workers in 20 Home Depot Expo stores may lose their jobs. It looks like more
Home Depot’s No-Brainer.
August 18, 1999
It was a no-brainer for the planners in Braintree. The planning staff for the town of Braintree took 3 pages to explain why they would
Wal-Mart’s Unfair Labor Standards
August 13, 1999
The opposite of Fair Labor Standards is Unfair Labor Standards. A federal court in Denver, CO has decided that Wal-Mart violated the U.S. Fair Labor
Wal-Mart Off the Hook In Eureka.
August 12, 1999
“We’re mortified.” “We’re appalled that it happened.” That’s how Wal-Mart responded to complaints from citizens in Eureka, CA, who objected to being called countless times
In-Sink-Erator Correction
August 12, 1999
In our earlier “newsflash” about Home Depot’s defeat in Racine, we reported that according to a local newspaper account, the In-Sink-Erator company spoke against Home
Talk Is Not Cheap At Wal-Mart
August 10, 1999
Time is money at Wal-Mart. Apparently Texas Attorney General John Cornyn didn’t think Wal-Mart was giving its customers enough time on what was advertised as
Wal-Mart’s Shirts of Misery
August 9, 1999
Check the label of that new shirt or pair of pants you just bought at Wal-Mart. Was it made in Bangladesh? Maybe it was made
Home Depot’s Warning to Suppliers
August 6, 1999
The internet: the last “free market” left in the world. Or is it? According to a Reuters news story out of Atlanta, Home Depot has
Council Wants Ban on Superstores
August 5, 1999
On June 28th (see newsflash below) we told you about the battle to stop Wal-Mart and Home Depot from locating amidst the historic homes of
Wal-Mart’s Political $$$
August 5, 1999
According to the Federal Elections Commission, The Political Action Committee (PAC) formed by Wal-Mart stores donated $135,750 in the 1997-98 politican season, with more than
Double Your Wal-Mart.
August 5, 1999
Wal-Mart is aiming for a twofer one in the tiny community of Presque Isle. According to The Star Herald newspaper, Wal-Mart is expected to file
Wal-Mart’ Archaeological Dig
August 3, 1999
The folks at Wal-Mart Real Estate seem to have a knack for coming up with historically significant places to drop their architectural graffiti. George Washington’s
Wal-Mart’s Advertising Budget.
July 30, 1999
How much money does it take to convince people that you have “low everyday prices”, or that “we sell for less”, or “the customer is
Wal-Mart Runs Into Buzz Saw
July 27, 1999
The headline in last week’s Arizona Republic says it all: “Wal-Mart Runs into Buzz Saw”. Planning Officials in Chandler, Arizona ripped a Wal-Mart proposal to
Loses First Amendment Fight
July 25, 1999
At the end of January, newsflash updated the situation in Buffalo, NY, where Rite Aid was trying to bulldoze the Elmwood neighborhood to produce a
Anti-Wal-Mart overflow
July 25, 1999
Residents of Lancaster, NY turned out in an overflow crowd to protest the construction of a 300,000 s.f big box plaza that will reportedly include
Sprawl in a Meijer Way.
July 20, 1999
The small town of St. Johns, Michigan is roughly 18 miles north of Lansing. It has retail sprawl with every logo you could want. According
Flamingos Attack Wal-Mart.
July 20, 1999
Pink Flamingos are not a bird indigenous to the small town of Ashland, VA, which lies about 100 miles south of Washington, D.C. in the
Welcome to Lake Depot.
July 20, 1999
Last year, the city of Lake Geneva imposed a one year moratorium to revise its zoning code to requires projects greater than 50,000 s.f. to
Wal-Mart’s Misnomer Is Defeated
July 13, 1999
Last April, a Wal-Mart representative told a reporter from the Cazenovia (NY) Republican that “unfortunately, supercenter is a misnomer. The name brings out a vision
Home Depot’s Cross Hairs.
July 8, 1999
“Maybe I’m missing something here,” admitted one resident of the small Canadian town of Oakville. “But is there some amazing need for another Home Depot?”
Wal-Mart’s “Misery”
July 3, 1999
“I love the peace and quiet,” explains Cathy McCashin, a resident of Surrey, British Columbia, who is leading an effort to toss out a plan
Wal-Mart Humiliates Workers
July 1, 1999
It’s 9:30 pm on the night of June 11, 1999 at the Severance Town Center Wal-Mart store in Cleveland Heights, OH. The store manager gets
The Wal-Mart Savings & Loan
July 1, 1999
Imagine that Wal-Mart, the company that already has a profile of what kinds of merchandise you buy everytime you shop there, now has information about
Something Different Than Wal-Mart.
June 28, 1999
Give Jerry Anderson, of Tucson, AZ credit. He was the only member of the City Council to vote recently against a huge megamall that is
Many residents in Accokeek, MD want to keep their community “open,green and rural.” That’s why the M?
June 25, 1999
The relationship between Wal-Mart and its “associates” is based on the concept of ‘respect for the individual’. The question is: which individual? The company that
Another Win Against Wal-Mart
June 24, 1999
On June 21st, the Albuquerque City Council handed Wal-Mart it’s second major defeat in as many weeks, when the County voted to “put the brakes”
Five Year Ban on Superstores
June 24, 1999
The icy climate in Norway may prove inhospitable to large superstore retail chains as well. According to a February 1999 article in the Architectural Record,
The Noxious Home Depot Weed
June 23, 1999
State officials from the Idaho Department of Agriculture were scurrying through Home Depot stores in at least 3 Idaho communities, scouring the stores for Sparganium
Wal-Mart Makes A Video
June 19, 1999
You won’t find this video at Blockbuster, but Wal-Mart is hoping its video will change some minds in Richardson, TX, a community of roughly 80,000
Wal-Mart Hires Bus for Supporters
June 19, 1999
Next time you’re having an event and need a larger turnout, call your local Wal-Mart. They now specialize in event turnout. In their efforts to
Merrie Olde Wal-Mart Arrives
June 15, 1999
On September 20, 1998 (see below), we reported in newsflash that the British Dept of the Environment had published a study indicating that large foodstores
Small Town Beats Big Store
June 15, 1999
It took two years for the small communities of the Eastern Mountain region to stop Wal-Mart, but the big company never had a chance against
