Two weeks ago, our city officials put out a Sanford-helping-Sanford call because of how the North Carolina city 13 years ago helped us. In 1998, a series of tornadoes killed 45 people in Florida, including several in Sanford. Soon afterwards, the thoughtful residents and businesses of Sanford, N.C., sent a truckload of emergency supplies here.
In returning that kindness on Friday, Sanford – our Sanford – sent 20,000 pounds of food, hygiene and paper products, plastic bags, blankets, towels, pillows and stuffed animals to the tornado survivors in Lee County, N.C., where Sanford is the county seat. About two dozen were killed in the recent storm, including two in Sanford.
To put it into perspective, my 1974 VW Beetle weighs about 2,100 pounds, so what we sent north weighs about as much as 10 Beetles!
The items were collected at the city fire stations, city hall, Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce, places of worship, businesses, and Harvest Time International, which trucked the emergency supplies north Friday morning.
Thanks to Sanford – both Sanfords – for thinking of others in times of need.
Location, location
Every real estate agent will tell you the three key factors in looking for a place are: location, location, location.
So why would the City of Sanford make a decision without keeping that in mind?
The proposed Sanford Lofts residential and retail project at Palmetto Avenue and Commercial Street – which would place federally subsidized residences in the middle of the city’s arts district – seems to be an oxymoron.
Five years ago the city commission created a downtown “cultural corridor” to foster the arts, culture and heritage. Does subsidized housing fit into that mix?
We could add more people to live downtown and close to downtown to support the businesses there, but this project is akin to building a cell phone tower in the end zone of Seminole High School’s football field. We want the football field and the service provided by the tower, but things would work out better for both if the tower were moved a few feet away.
There are numerous nearby downtown lots where this project would work better, so hopefully the city and developer can come up with a good location, location, location.
Making a list
Yes, it is always helpful to take a shopping list to the store – but a shoplifting list???
A Sanford woman that was carrying a handwritten list with the title “Things needed from Walmart” was charged this week with larceny after a store employee saw her leaving the Rinehart Road store with items from the list without paying for them. The merchandise included the sandals she was wearing after exchanging them for her old ones.
The woman and an accomplice walked around the store on their shopping spree, collecting five shirts, seven pairs of shorts, seven swimwear items, some underwear, a wallet and a purse. When they separated, the one suspect took both bags full of items and tried to walk out.
Sounds like she learned her modus operandi by reading “Shoplifting for Dummies.”
Time for another pint?
It has been a few months since downtown Sanford lost its most recent English pub, but another may be on the way.
An English businesswoman was researching Sanford this week for her new pub and restaurant.
The location? Not where the popular Emerald Hen and Black Swan pubs used to serve up pints, but likely within walking distance – not much farther away than a couple cricket fields.
Comments can be sent to Herald publisher Gene Kruckemyer at GKruckemyer@MySanfordHerald.com.
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