Smelterville has a Wal*Mart!

Post by **Gwen Johnson** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:39 am

It opened this morning!
It's kind of surreal that a place like that is in this valley. Of course, we've had a McDonald's for almost a decade now, but not a 24 hour department store.

Post by **Simon Miller** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:44 am

We have arrived. lol

Casey Fisher · Post by **Casey Fisher** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:21 am

Wow!!! I didn't know it was opening up today...

Casey Fisher · Post by **Casey Fisher** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:16 pm

Speaking of new things in the Valley, does anyone know when the Indoor Waterpark will be completed and open?

Post by **Gwen Johnson** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:19 pm

I don't have any idea. I've heard they broke ground in it, but so far, just looking at the construction area, I don't see any sign of a structure that would indicated an indoor waterpark.

Mike Nordin · Post by **Mike Nordin** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:25 pm

I'm not so sure that a wally world in the valley is a good thing. I know It's just South Park but that episode on Walmart does have some very good points. In addition, I've seen what a walmart can do to a community just north of here in Aberdeen. I'll tell you from their perspective it's not a good thing.

Post by **Gwen Johnson** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:45 pm

Things can be good or bad. I don't have a crystal ball, but I can tell you this...
a large number of valley residents are already making a weekly trek to either CDA or Missoula to purchase goods because there was very little available here in the valley. This Wal*mart crew has been heavy into PR and trying to make this transistion as painless as possible for businesses, residents, etc. The managers have been available for questions and answers (any question), have donated thousands of pounds of food and thousands of dollars to the food bank, thousands of dollars to other area organizations, have met with chambers of commerce and anyone else who was interested to learn how they could refocus their business so as not to be in such direct competition with Wal*mart and have provided jobs with better wages and benefits than they were getting before.
Yes, it could be a bad thing. It will certainly change things here, but that is inevitable. Stagnation kills.
So, hopefully, people will use their heads and try to even things out.
As a matter of full disclosure - my husband is currently working for the new Wal*Mart.

Mike Nordin · Post by **Mike Nordin** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:02 pm

I agree that something is better than nothing, and valley does need something. I'm just so much for the little guy (buisiness). I really didn't mean to step on any toes, and I apologize. Aberdeen is probably a worst case situation. Walmart has been there for about 10 years, probably long before they started the programs that you mentioned. Since then Aberdeen's small buisness comunity has shrivled up. In a town of 20K people and with an out lying area of double that you can only buy toys at one place now, while 10 years ago there was a dozen.
If Walmart turns out to be a good thing for the valley I would be very happy and if they are paying competitive wages it sounds like it will be. It's not just Walmart, any big corporation that often can't see the little guy beyond the profit margin makes me nervous. I hope in the case of the Valley it is not.
Once again I didn't mean any disrespect.

Post by **Gwen Johnson** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:21 pm

Oh, I don't think you were disrespectful...and I share your concerns about the changes that are apparently heading for the Valley.
I've been of two minds about this whole Wal*Mart thing. I like Kellogg the way it is. I do try to support the local guys and buy valley as much as possible, but I'm not independently wealthy, my wages are not overly high and my husbands wages for the past three years have been abysmal. We have been heading over the hill to CDA almost weekly since we moved here because
1. I can't afford the inflated prices at most of the grocery stores (and their caught - they can't buy in bulk to get the lower prices)
2. The selection at most of the stores here is quite small
3. I can shop for just about everything in one place if I go to a department/grocery store combo and it saves me time

I've heard a lot of negativity from folks both here in the valley and out of the valley about Wal*Mart. And I'm sure the overall corporation has probably done things to deserve alot of the negativity they get. I can just tell you from personal experience with the crew here over the past few months that some of it seems to be unfounded. And you're probably right, it's probably because they've implemented programs as a result of past experiences and complaints from communities they already inhabit.

I am just amazed that these big corporations are so driven to grow that they are beginning to look at small areas like the Silver Valley. It's just...well, like I said, surreal.

Mike Nordin · Post by **Mike Nordin** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:39 pm

I read an article on MSNBC about Walmart in China that was very interesting. Walmart will have to change in order to survive. Here is one reason I think, and hope, Walmart will be a good thing for the Valley and those you talk to that are down about walmart possibly are not looking at the big picture. In China, Walmart was forced by their laws to Unionize. This opens the doors for Walmarts in the US to at the very least choose what how they want to proceed. This is similar to what Fred Meyers had to do about 15 years ago. F.M. employees were given the vote at each store if they wanted to join the grocery union. Some F.M.'s did some didn't. This is something that Walmart hasn't done yet but I think in the next five years or so will happen. It's all about choice, if the Valley W.M. chooses not to democratically, then more power to them, but I think they should have the choice.
By the way, this is only an opinion, and could very well be wrong. Please feel free to disagree, I won't take it personally.

Post by **Gwen Johnson** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:43 am

Unions, like anything else can be good or bad. Most of the workers in the Valley were union before the mines went down. They served a great purpose in the early days of the mines to fight for workers rights and conditions. But at some point along the way, they gained a little too much power and that is never a good thing.
It wasn't long after the big mines went down here that Idaho voted to become a "right-to-work" state. Since then, unions have lost some of their power.
My husband joined the union where he worked in Lewiston. He stayed in it too until one time when he could have used their help. It was then he figured that his particular union was really just a good ol' boys network and he apparently didn't know the right people. He dropped his union membership and finished out his time there as a non-union member (only about another year).
Time will tell how this new store will affect the Valley. I finally visited yesterday on my way to the KHS/THS basketball game. The story was very busy, but apparently slowed from what it had been around lunch time that day. Most of the people I talked to were amazed at how many Valley residents were there that they hadn't seen in a very long time. Someone else mentioned they thought the new store would become a bit of a social gathering place for the Valley. It remains to be seen if that will be the case. None-the-less, yesterday looked a bit like the day after Thanksgiving at most Wal*Marts.

Matt Morgan · Post by **Matt Morgan** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:15 pm

Beware the Evil Empire.

Ken Lagerquist · Post by **Ken Lagerquist** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:50 am

Wow, after all these years, who would have thought that WalMart would come to the Valley. I will have to check that out when we make our trip up there this summer. And in Smelterville of all places???? maybe WalMart will help Smelterville.

Mike Nordin · Post by **Mike Nordin** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:57 pm

Hey Morgan, how much of a threat is Walmart to your buis.? You guys are up north, where is the closest Wally World?

Post by **Simon Miller** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:29 pm

I don't mean to add fuel to the fire, but I am sure at one point in the past, Supermarkets posed a threat to smaller grocers and markets. Target, Fred Meyer, Super 1 Foods, you name it, the "big box" stores all have one goal in mind... to make money. Wal-Mart just catches most of the scrutiny because they are making billions of dollars per year. (head and shoulders above the competition)

The fact of the matter is, there are people driving over the pass to CDA by the car load to get things the want/need. Wal-Mart happens to be filling that gap.

Nothing stays the same forever folks. Good or bad, things will always change, and someone will always be on the short end of the stick at some point.

I haven't purchased a pair of running shoes at a "brick and mortar" for 5 years. I am 100% internet. Am I killing the local sports stores? One could certainly argue, but that is why we live in America.

1. If you don't like they way they treat their employees, don't work there.
2. If you don't like the way they get inventory or import and/or manufacture, don't shop there.

<Simon steps off his soap box.>

Mike Nordin · Post by **Mike Nordin** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:29 pm

LOL, I love it! This is the type of conversation I miss from college. Come to think of it, tell me if you hate this idea or like it, we should have a section that is political but have a warning that it can't get personal and you always have to end with the notion that it is ok to agree to disagree and leave it at that. Most of the time when I talk about these ideas I'm trying to exchange ideas and learn at the same time. I really do feel bad when I offend someone, but the truth is that I can have my mind changed and I believe the world is mostly grey, not all black and white. Maybe if most agreed to do it we could call it the Soap Box.

Jason Spoor · Post by **Jason Spoor** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:32 pm

I'm hearing that Wal-Mart has chosen to go with higher prices in the Smelterville store since there is no true competitor in the valley. Is there anyone on this bulletin board that can give a comparison to the valley store and the PF store? I have no problem believing that a major outlet like Wal-Mart would let the name sell it's goods for as long as possible but wouldn't you really consider it a slap in the face?

Post by **Simon Miller** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:38 pm

Nords, I am not offended by discussion. That is what makes this sort of thing great. I am neither Pro or Anti Wal-Mart... I just don't think things are as great, or as terrible as they are portrayed.

You might have a good point on moving such discussions to a separate forum. I will give it some though.

Post by **Gwen Johnson** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:59 am

I'm hearing that Wal-Mart has chosen to go with higher prices in the Smelterville store since there is no true competitor in the valley.
It's amazing to me the rumors that are floating around about this place.

From what I've seen (and I haven't done a true price comparison), the prices are about the same as PF. I've heard some customers say some prices are lower than PF (but, it's the opening period when all kinds of specials are going on, so it's really difficult to say at this point).
Also, there have been rumors floating around about how many employees have been fired for theft, etc. One day I heard it was 12, then next I hear (from different source) that it was 25. I think people are getting things confused as there were a lot of applicants that could not be considered for hiring because they could not pass the drug/background checks. That's true. I don't actually know if anyone has been fired for theft. I do know that nowhere near the number of employees we're hearing in the rumors have been fired.
*shakes head*

Mike Nordin · Post by **Mike Nordin** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:03 am

If 25 or even 12 were fired in such a short period of time, I would think that would be something factualized in the newspaper. I love exagerated numbers. In addition, who are these thieves that go out and admit to being caught just so they could complain about it?