You Can't Win Them All... RED Loses It's Case vs. Wal-Mart...

Jeffries Creek in Florence, and a Wal-Mart that will dump stormwater into it.

Here's a good tip for everyone........ Don't get too high from winning, and don't get too low from losing. Although I had two big wins earlier this week, my happiness was tempered when I learned that the State Supreme Court decided against Responsible Economic Development in their lawsuit versus Wal-Mart's proposed superstore across from West Florence High.

I've been on the Board of RED for the past 3 years. I wouldn't consider myself a key member of the team compared to the others, but I've been there, and I want to just tell you how hard the Board has worked, and the good that has come from it.

Carolyn Jebaily and Peggy Brown have been there from Day One, and the amount of free time they have given up to do what they felt was right is staggering. In fact, one of them ended up divorced in part due to it. While people think we were anti-WalMart, the fact is that we were protecting the Creek and the kids who go to school across the road. We had alternate sites, but there was just too much money being thrown around for anyone to listen or budge. Most people would just throw in the towel, but we fought it out, and now we've had our day in court to allow a decision to be made on an issue that was never brought in court at the State level.

More importantly, we have changed the town we live in. The County Planning Commission no longer has real estate agents and developers on it, greenlighting any project that came up. If a city or county official has a question on any related issue, they instinctively call Carolyn or Peggy! Other state conservation groups that get scared by an issue invariably call RED to stick it's neck out in it's defense. We are far more than just Wal-Mart, and no doubt RED will still be around to do what is right - and to tick off all the right people!

Carolyn, Peggy, Sara, Rachell, Tom, Walter and Janet..... YOU GUTS ROCK !