The People Squawk, Wal Mart Walks

"Wal-Mart is dropping plans to build a “supercenter” store in the township. The plans had drawn staunch opposition from some residents of the Charlevoix County community. Wal-Mart notified the township planning commission of its decision in a three-sentence letter to Nancy Rajewski, the panel’s chairwoman. It gave no explanation.

Robert Hoffman, representing a group called This Is Our Town, that led opposition to the supercenter, said members were elated. 'The store was too big. It didn’t fit in our community and it would be detrimental to what Charlevoix is,' Hoffman said. Community opinion wasn’t unanimous. Brian MacDonald, a Charlevoix resident, said many ordinary people appreciate Wal-Mart’s low prices. 'I live from check to check,' he said. 'In my opinion, (Wal-Mart) would have been more than welcome here.'"

Thanks to Richard Layman