Wal-Mart Wins One, But ‘Seriously Maligned’ In The Process.
May 30, 2004
On May 26, the Chicago, Illinois City Council voted to give Wal-Mart a green light to open its first store inside Chicago city limits on
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Female Cop Killed by Wal-Mart Shoplifter. Normal Day at Wal-Mart.
May 25, 2004
Newsflash often carries stories about serious crime at Wal-Mart, and how local police are often overwhelmed by the time and expense of attending to all
Wal-Mart, The Property Tax Deadbeat
May 25, 2004
A new report from Good Jobs First released today concludes that Wal-Mart methodically attempts to lower its property taxes by challenging the assessments of its
C. Report Says Wal-Mart Heavily Subsidized By Taxpayers
May 24, 2004
Readers of this Newflash are familiar with our often-repeated stories about corporate welfare given to large retailers. A new report from Good Jobs First says
Wal-Mart Seeks Urban Store in Dead Mall of Competitor
May 23, 2004
Wal-Mart shoppers killed Ames, a New England regional discount store, and now Wal-Mart is moving into the dead space. Residents in the North End neighborhood
Another Oregon town Slam-Dunks Wal-Mart.
May 22, 2004
At least four communities in Oregon have defeated Wal-Mart plans in the past few months. The latest is Medford, Oregon. The Medford City Council this
Citizens Want a Park, Not a Wal-Mart Parking Lot.
May 22, 2004
The Salt Lake Tribune reported this week that citizens in the city of Sandy (pop. 89,000) “mobbed” a Planning Commission hearing to protest a proposed
Citizens Wants Village Gateway, Not A Supersized Wal-Mart
May 22, 2004
Centerville, Utah is a small community of roughly 16,000 people a short drive from Salt Lake City. The community calls itself the “Friendly City,” but
Wal-Mart Stores in Poor Communities Have Poor Customer Service
May 22, 2004
A new study reported by the Business Insider says that Wal-Mart stores located in poor communities get weaker customer reviews than Wal-Mart stores in higher
Developer Sues Town Over Wal-Mart Rejection.
May 22, 2004
What you can’t get by regulation, get by litigation. That’s the developer’s mantra, and in this case from small town Georgia, a disgruntled landowner is
Neighbors Take Wal-Mart Rezoning to Superior Court.
May 16, 2004
About a dozen residents of Woonsocket, Rhode Island have filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to block a proposed 206,000 s.f. Wal-Mart supercenter on wooded
Planning Board Recommends Denial of Wal-Mart proposal.
May 15, 2004
On May 13th, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina planning board voting 6-3 to recommend denial of Wal-Mart’s plan to build a 223,000-square-foot supercenter along Reynolds road
EPA Hits Wal-Mart With Big Fine for Clean Water Act Violations–Again.
May 13, 2004
On June 7, 2001, Newsflash reported that the Environmental Protection Agency had hit Wal-Mart with a $1 million fine for violations of the Clean Water
Walton Family Big Winner in Bush Tax Cut Sweepstakes
May 10, 2004
Imagine winning more than $1 billion in a lottery over the next six years. That’s the good fortune that befell the 5 heirs of Sam
Wal-Mart Has Highest Price for Video Games Study Shows
May 10, 2004
Forget those everyday low prices. Shoppers for video games are in a for rude surprise. According to securities firm Piper Jaffray, a survey released last
Field Notes: Recent reports from towns caught up in Sprawl-Busting Battles
May 8, 2004
Here’s a sampling of recent communications from towns fighting big box retailers: ELLENWOOD, GEORGIA: The town of Ellenwood is located in the unincorporated section of
Total Slate of Pro-Wal-Mart Leaders Ousted in Election.
May 8, 2004
The banner headline in the Northern Virginia Daily newspaper said it all: CLEAN SWEEP. Voters this week in Front Royal, Virginia, dumped their long-standing Mayor,
Crime At Wal-Mart Has Cops on the Run.
May 8, 2004
Wal-Mart doesn’t like to talk about crime at their stores, but Newsflash has recorded many stories over the years about the busy lives of cops
Town Auctions Off Its Zoning to Lowe’s For $410,000
May 8, 2004
In the town of Hadley, Massachusetts, everything you see is for sale — including zoning. The town has already thoroughly sprawled its main highway, but
Wal-Mart, As Expected, Appeals Its Rejection.
May 8, 2004
Newsflash reported recently Wal-Mart’s defeat in Cenetral Point, Oregon, and the liklihood that Wal-Mart would not quietly pack up and leave. The retailer, as expected,
Supervisors Adopt Law Putting Cap on Size of Big Box Stores
May 4, 2004
Like a California brush fire, city ordinances regulating big box retail stores are jumping from city to city as more and more communities come to
City Council Unanimously Rejects Wal-Mart.
May 3, 2004
The community of Central Point, Oregon made its central point against Wal-Mart very clear on April 15th, when the City Council, after five hours of
Residents Organize to Stop Wal-Mart “Neighborhood” Market
May 2, 2004
Residents of Elitch, Colorado feel they were handed a classic bait-and-switch. Instead of getting a village-style retail development consistent with the surrounding community, neighbors are
Wal-Mart Denies It Plans To Leave Its Touted Downtown Store.
May 2, 2004
In the 1997 Wal-Mart Annual Report, the Mayor of Rutland, Vermont is pictured with three Wal-Mart employees proudly touting the new downtown Wal-Mart location as
Residents Upset with Plans for Wal-Mart Superstore
May 2, 2004
Residents in Plano, Texas report that Wal-Mart has received preliminary approval from the Plano Planning & Zoning board to build a 206,000 s.f. supercenter at
More Winn-Dixie Stores Rot on the Vine
May 1, 2004
Wal-Mart likes to say that competing businesses just get sharper when the big retailer comes to town, but workers at Winn-Dixie have had nothing but
Wal-Mart Rep. Accused of Trying to Bribe Local Group
April 29, 2004
The Friends of Lake Jackson, based in Tallahassee, Florida, were appalled last month when an Atlanta-based real estate broker, representing a Wal-Mart project, reportedly offered
Pro Wal-Mart Forces Win Seats, Push to Lift Size Cap
April 29, 2004
The city of Stoughton, Wisconsin has been going through the wringer for the past year. Under pressure from Wal-Mart, the city had been resisting efforts
Local Newspaper Won’t Publish More Anti-Wal-Mart Letters
April 28, 2004
The Sequim Gazette, in Washington State, has had its fill of anti-Wal-Mart bashing. Publisher Sue Ellen Riesau published a column recently in which she announced
Residents Don’t Want Wal-Mart’s “Classy” Superstore
April 28, 2004
The Junior High School gym was packed recently with local residents wearing anti-Wal-Mart tshirts. The Davis County Clipper newspaper estimated a crowd of at least
Residents Manage To Push Wal-Mart Off Their Lake.
April 24, 2004
Can you imagine Wal-Mart wanting to build a truck turn-around by paving over a lake? They tried it in Arvada, Colorado, but so far, without
Resort town wants no part of Wal-Mart superstore.
April 23, 2004
The small town of Charlevoix, Michigan (pop. 5,000) says “This is our town, not Wal-Mart’s.” A local group called This Is Our Town has gathered
Home Depot Pulls Out After Years of Dissention.
April 22, 2004
Another Home Depot proposal has wound up in the dumpster. The Baltimore Sun reported today that a planned Home Depot just outside of Easton, Maryland
Wal-Mart Begins Superstore Colonization of Japan
April 22, 2004
The first over-sized Wal-Mart superstore has opened in the land of the Rising Sun, the start of the economic colonization of Japan by the American
Neighbors Don’t Want Wal-Mart’s Neighborhood Market.
April 21, 2004
Residents in Fort Worth, Texas don’t want a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in the neighborhood. Here’s a report from the scene in Fort Worth: “Wal Mart
Students Begin Anti-Wal-Mart Tour Across Canada.
April 21, 2004
Six students in two vehicles with 230 pounds of pamphlets and flyers will leave Montreal, Canada on April 28th, and arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia
Wal-Mart Proposal Is Pulled For Lack of Town Support.
April 20, 2004
According to the Noblesville Ledger, a developer in Westfield, Indiana has dropped plans to build a Wal-Mat supercenter. Lauth Development sent a letter to the
Save Our Sundays Wants A Day of Rest From Commercialism
April 17, 2004
Tony Lohnes, who lives in Canada, has been working in retail for a good many years, and says he has seen Sundays taken away from
Lowe’s Goes for Strike Four, Offers Cash For Supporters.
April 17, 2004
Town residents in Hadley, Massachusetts report that Lowe’s home improvement store doesn’t seem capable of accepting a NO. Here’s their frontline report: “Lowe’s has become
Wal-Mart Shopper Sues and Wins $250,000 Over Counterfeit Money
April 9, 2004
Malcolm McComb III walked into a Wal-Mart store in McComb, Mississippi with a $100 bill, and walked out (five years later) with a quarter of
Fieldnotes: Nine Recent Communities Battling the Boxes
April 9, 2004
Over the past week, the following nine communities have contacted Sprawl-Busters about their battles: 1. Abingdon, Virginia: residents are fighting a Wal-Mart adjacent to a
It’s A Long Road for Home Depot in Long Beach
April 9, 2004
Residents in Long Beach, California plan to make it a long road for Home Depot’s attempts to move into a 192,000 s.f. retail center. The
Appeals Board Slam-Dunks Wal-Mart A Second Time.
April 8, 2004
On April 7th the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals backed an earlier ruling by the city of Hillsboro, Oregon denying an appeal by Wal-Mart
City Votes for 3 Month Big Box Moratorium
April 7, 2004
City officials in Steamboat Springs, Colorado have turned up the heat on big box retailers.The City council in March passed a three month moratorium with
Voters Hand Wal-Mart Second Overwhelming Defeat in One Month
April 7, 2004
Mr. Smiley is scowling this morning, as the company mascot for Wal-Mart was brutally stepped on last night by more than 60% of the voters
City Plays Hardball with Neighbors over Big Box retail
April 7, 2004
Sprawl-busters in Rochester Hills, Michigan sent us the following report from the front lines: “The residents of Rochester Hills have been hoodwinked by their city
CVS Plan Rejected by Planning Commission
April 7, 2004
On March 25th, the Westerville, Ohio Planning Commission delivered some bitter medicine to the CVS drugstore chain. By a 4-3 vote, the Commission voted to
Residents Win First Round in Court to Halt Superstore Site Activity
April 2, 2004
Residents in Edmond, Oklahoma made April Fools out of Wal-Mart developers, when a judge ruled that site plan hearings for a Wal-Mart superstore must stop
Residents organize to block ASDA/Wal-Mart store
April 2, 2004
Residents from three neighborhood groups in Swansea, England, have joined forces to block the application by Asda/Wal-Mart to build a 72,000 s.f. superstore on the
Anti-Wal-Mart Effort Turns Into Civil Rights Recall Lawsuit
April 1, 2004
A free market battle over a Wal-Mart supercenter has turned into a free speech battle instead. On November 11, 2007 Sprawl-Busters wrote that the Solano