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McCook Gazette

Walmart celebrates grand-reopening

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Shary Skiles
Twenty four Walmart associates, who each had more than 20 years of service to the company, were given the honor of cutting the ribbon for the grand re-opening ceremony this morning at Walmart. Cathy Bradley, who is holding the ceremonial scissors, was the employee with the most tenure. (Shary Skiles/McCook Daily Gazette)

After three months of hard work and dedication from Walmart associates, Store Manager Nate Henning declared, "we took a good store and made it a great store" at this morning's ribbon cutting and grand re-opening celebration.

The store remodel expands aisle space, reduces clutter, and provides an open and clean shopping experience for their customers. "We made this transformation for the customers," Henning told the crowd of community leaders and Walmart associates who gathered.

Boy Scout Troop 132 presented the flags and McCook High School Junior Kim Holthus sang the National Anthem.

McCook Public School Superintendent Grant Norgaard stepped in for Mayor Dennis Berry, who was called away on a family matter, and commended Walmart for the financial support the company provides for the school through scholarships and materials. "We rely on each other as a community," said Norgaard.

As part of Walmart's commitment of giving back to the community, Walmart Donation Coordinator Jennifer Porter presented checks to fourteen organizations:

St. Patrick School -- $250 for the purchase of books; McCook Optimist Club -- $250 for various youth activities; McCook Fire Department -- $280 for a drug awareness project; Sertoma -- $500 for youth activities; McCook Arts Council -- $500 to help keep the arts in the schools; Head Start -- $600 for the purchase of child-size picnic tables; Health and Human Services -- $1,000 to provide financial aide and services for the community; McCook Chamber of Commerce -- $1,000 for the Heritage Days celebration; Southwest Public Schools -- $1,000 for the purchase of playground equipment and for benches which will also be used by the community; McCook Public Schools -- $1,500 for various projects throughout the district; Cambridge Public Schools -- $1,000 to purchase more technology products or software; Hitchcock County Schools -- $1,000 for new technology to be used for new instructional methods also available to the public; Oberlin Public School -- $1,000 to buy equipment to enhance ability to provide hot and fresh food for all activities; Arapahoe Public Schools -- $1,000 for career services and entrepreneur opportunities and to upgrade communications between schools.

Henning also recognized the McCook Elementary first grade class, which exceeded its goal of gathering 800 pounds of plastic bags for a recycle challenge.

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  • They remodeled the store and took 25% of the items out. Can't find most of the plain label brand things they used to have.

    Sometimes it would be a blessing if we didn't have a Wal-Mart here. We would have at least three grocery stores to chose from and clothing stores with good items and not the made overseas stuff they promote. Alco and Orscheln's have better clothing than Wal-Mart.

    -- Posted by edbru on Wed, Sep 30, 2009, at 10:32 PM

  • GO WAL-MART!!! THE STORE LOOKS FABULOUS AND IT'S A BLESSING TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE TO SHOP...Just to let Ed and others know if we didn't have a Wal-Mart there would be over 300 people plus their families who didn't have jobs, heatlh insurance, life insurance, retirement funds, dental insurance, short term & long term disablility, FOOD ON THEIR TABLE, houses, cars, clothes, etc, etc...And by the way they did not take out 25% of their items...where did you get that number??? It's very unfortunate that people don't truly KNOW their facts before making incorrect statements, but alas isn't that how it always goes to those who speak before they THINK?!?!

    -- Posted by happyhealer on Thu, Oct 1, 2009, at 9:49 AM

  • happyhealer, It could not have been said any better. Alco, I happen to think there stuff is not as good quality as Walmart. You can please some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all the time.

    -- Posted by fish4star@gmail.com on Thu, Oct 1, 2009, at 6:29 PM

  • I already thought about it. We lost two grocery stores, a number of clothing stores, a dress shop that sold fabric, and a few others that were closed by a big corporation. The downtown area has quite a few vacant buildings now.

    As for the 300 people, they just moved to a different place of employment and are still here. And if you were paying attention, you would know the items that they don't carry anymore.

    -- Posted by edbru on Thu, Oct 1, 2009, at 7:52 PM

  • Te grocery section has turned into a generic store. Pretty soon it's going to be all white label Walmart brand.

    -- Posted by norm on Mon, Oct 5, 2009, at 8:36 AM
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