Two-for-two

I had my second letter published in "The Morning Sentinel," which is our newspaper. The last one, if you remember, was a refutation to the claim that laptop computers were responsible for making students better writers. This one was a "rant" of sorts about a new Rite Aid being put up in Waterville.....here is the actual newspaper page, which you can read if you click on the picture and enlarge it. But I attached a text copy of the letter below as well. To give you thirty seconds of back-story, central Maine is PLAGUED by vacant storefronts, empty buildings, abandoned stores, you name it. Many of the communities around here (like Fairfield) look like virtual ghost towns. Waterville, however, has a certain charm about its downtown "Main Street"--an opera house, local chocolate shops, coffee houses, etc. There is also a Rite Aid, which stands right in the middle of the intersection leading to downtown; its a nice looking Rite-Aid, with plenty of parking. The building is in great condition. Across the street from this Rite Aid there used to be Darrell's Pizza, which was a restaurant that stood in the same place since 1973. They had fantastic steak bombs. If there is one thing I love about Maine, its Maine's steadfastness (although it seems to be disappearing) to procuring and maintaining local businesses; as a "non Mainer," its not "my right" to say this, but I think any "real Mainer" would tell you they are proud of their mom and pop stores! This past summer, Darrell's pizza was razed, leaving a huge double lot empty--we all wondered what would go there, and Amanda and I were infuriated to find out it was going to be ANOTHER Rite Aid....RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from the Rite Aid that is already there. Capitalism-scmapitalism.....there are things called ETHICS, STEWARDSHIP, and COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY to think about too, and I will never go into a Rite Aid again....

(here is a text version)
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Sadly enough, construction of a brand new super-duper Rite Aid less than a stone's throw from an already perfectly good Rite Aid is a sign of the times. As much as I'd love hold Rite Aid accountable, I think the fault is equally shared with the corporation and the people of central Maine.



Personally, I'll never set foot in a Rite Aid again, since I find its building of a new store reprehensible. It is sad when, in America, we consider something that's been in place for 11 years "too old" to be effective.



Notwithstanding the fact that the construction of a new store is an egregious waste of natural resources and raw materials, what truly bothers me is that the current Rite Aid in downtown Waterville will, in all likelihood, stand vacant and abandoned for a several years -- only to then be reincarnated as a thrift store, dollar store or body piercing shop (see the former Ames plaza for proof of this), degrading the "Main Street" look of downtown Waterville.



We cannot possibly exculpate ourselves from this unfortunate event. Rite Aid is undoubtedly convinced a larger store will succeed in central Maine. And why not? Rite Aid (and other pharmacies for that matter) is a store designed on selling the American trifecta: Processed junk food to give us instant gratification, drugs to make our aches and pains go away, and cosmetics to improve our superficial appearances.



Unfortunately, a new Rite Aid will thrive in downtown Waterville.



Jared Goldsmith
Fairfield