Open letter to Timothy P. Jagneau, Sr Construction Project Manager, Dollar General
To the editor:
My husband and I have been residents of Pine Island since 2001 after falling in love with the unique people, the rich plant life and the many creatures who share this beautiful spot. We purchased an existing home rather than clear a lot and build as we had originally planned. I don’t think you understand how residents here feel when we see bulldozers ripping up a lovely open field or tearing down native trees. The board of directors and other decision makers at Dollar General need to change focus a bit and think as we do when gopher tortoise burrows are filled in and covered with concrete or when other creatures lose the bushes and grasses that provide essential cover. I, myself, have three pine trees that I’d rather not have in my yard but can’t bring myself to cut them down. They have been here, I understand, for about 100 years longer than I.
You may believe we’re just a silly bunch of tree-huggers who will eventually come around to shopping at Dollar General; that we just don’t like change; that we say one thing and do another. Unfortunately for you, you’re wrong if you do.
Most things we can buy at Dollar General we could already purchase at Winn Dixie or CVS. I do shop at Dollar General on Pine Island Road occasionally. I plan trips off island for appointments and some shopping and, like most Pine Islanders, do my best to cluster my business into one or two trips per month. I purchase 95 percent of my Christmas gifts at locally run island shops (who, by the way, follow the signage rules even when it’s unfavorable to their business). But we were impressed because your company agreed to abide by the rules when designing your building and signage. We relaxed and thought about how we would welcome your store to the community. We believed that you did have a sense of what a community is all about and wanted to blend in; to become part of our unique identity. We were wrong.
Now we have a mess on our hands. No amount of palm trees planted will soften your appallingly huge and tacky signage and the spotlight of neon that shines from your windows at night. Do you have a clue that the majority of people on the island think of Dollar General as the ultimate example of bad taste? You have left my husband and I with no alternative but to boycott your store (and the Pine Island location from this day forward). You have left us with no alternative but to spread the word to others who shop at Dollar General in other cities and states, especially those relatives and friends who have been impressed by our unique island when visiting. We will explain how the Dollar General folks lied to us and built a store that has ruined our night skies and a lovely part of the landscape at our community’s center. That we can’t and won’t trust Dollar General unless we see positive action on your part.
We are looking for efforts on your part to fix this situation. We would welcome a new focus on the part of Dollar General. Look across the street at the bank and the Century 21 office building. Follow the example of these business people with their signs and storefronts.
If you change, so will I. If you prove that you want to be a welcome part of our community, I will shop at your store and urge others to do the same. You have my word. And you can trust my word.
Barbara Darling
St. James City