Auntie Charo's Soapbox

I was thinking about the time we all waited with baited breath for K-Mart to open. Lordy lord, we forgot Gibson's, the Town House and other stores that couldn't buy in bulk but had been our community friends for whatever our needs were. Several stores closed their doors after K-mart opened. Stores that when asked to donate sports uniforms, or support a team or even give a gift of merchandise whenever asked....they gave generously. The big guy that closed them up is known for how stingy the store is. They don't even spend advertising dollars. Rarely and I mean rarely, do you hear the store do advertising in the broadcast media...I've heard that the only local organization that's allowed to do anything on store property are the Bell Ringers from the Salvation Army. I've never heard of them giving anything of any substance to a local organization. If you want something from K-Mart...you'd better have the moolah.
I really hope that as you walk around in shock and awe at Home Depot, that you remember how very generous the Pangelinan family who own ACE Hardware is with this community...they give until it hurts. Welcome our new friends, but don't turn your back on those that gave to your children's ball team's trip to Palau, or gave merchandise for a raffle fundraiser and the list is long.
And to our new friends, we'd like you to know about our warm Hafa Adai spirit. We'll move heaven and earth for you and hope that you give your advertising dollars to those that work here and shop at your store. Buy some local t.v. ads, I'd love to see whose house you helped with a project. And hopefully, you aren't stingy when asked to help a community cause for those less fortunate.
I hope that we have a mutually profitable relationship for many, many years to come....And to the manager who's quite savvy when he said, 'Biba Guam'....You just got some good points....in return, I say, "BIBA HOME DEPOT".