Target will close nine stores in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers.The closings, which will be effective Oct. 21, also include three stores in Portland, Oregon, and two in Seattle. Target said that it still will have a combined 150 stores open in the markets where the closures are taking place. Target will offer affected workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores.Target described the decision as “difficult.”“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all,” Target said in a statement on Tuesday.Before making the decision, Target said it had invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft such as adding more security team workers, using third-party guard services and installing theft deterrent tools like locking up merchandise. It also has trained store leaders and security team members to protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues. But it noted that despite those efforts, it continued to face “fundamental challenges” to operate the stores safely — and the business performance at these locations was unsustainable.While the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move is significant. It underscores the big challenges that retailers like Target face in reducing theft in stores as they wrestle with protecting their workers and customers while trying to serve the community, particularly low-income and minority groups who rely on the local stores for necessities.For example, the Target store in East Harlem is located in a heavily Hispanic area, and residents have few choices to buy good quality healthy foods. In San Francisco, one of the stores slated to close is located at 13th Street and Folsom under a busy overpass with homeless tents in a largely commercial neighborhood with auto shops. In Seattle, one of the stores is located on a busy avenue near the University of Washington.Target CEO Brian Cornell has been one of a handful of retail CEOs flagging what they described as rising theft over the past year or so. Cornell had held steadfast he didn’t want to resort to closing stores even despite mounting losses. Target said in May that theft was cutting into its bottom line and it expected related losses could be $500 million more than last year, when losses from theft were estimated to be anywhere from $700 million to $800 million. So that means losses could top $1.2 billion this fiscal year.Moreover, Cornell told analysts in August that violent incidents against workers at Target stores increased 120% for the first five months of the year compared with the same period a year ago.“Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Cornell told analysts. “Unfortunately, safety incidents associated with theft are moving in the wrong direction.”The announcement also comes as Target is still reeling from being targeted for its LGBTQ+ support, in particular, its displays of Pride Month merchandise. In late May, ahead of Pride Month, Target pulled some items in particular regions and made other changes after encountering hostility from some customers who confronted workers and tipped over displays. Target said the moves were made to protect workers in the store.It’s unclear how much money retailers broadly are losing due to organized retail crime — or if the problem has substantially increased. But the issue has received more notice in the past few years as high-profile smash-and-grab retail thefts and flash mob robberies have garnered national media attention. Over the past few quarters, an increasing number of retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty have been calling out rising theft, calling it a factor in shrinking profits.The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said its latest security survey of roughly 177 retailers found that inventory loss — called shrink — clocked in at an average rate of 1.6 % last year, representing $112.1 billion in losses. That’s up from 1.4% the previous year.The greatest portion of shrink — 65% — came from external theft, including products taken during organized shoplifting incidents, the trade group said Tuesday. More than two-thirds of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from perpetrators of organized retail crime compared with a year ago.The NRF said that even though retailers continue to improve their loss-prevention measures, sometimes more drastic action must be taken. Nearly 30% of retailers surveyed reported being forced to close a specific store location, and 45% said they needed to reduce operating hours. Roughly 30% said they needed to change or reduce product selection in stores as a direct result of retail crime.Late last year, Congress passed a bill, called the INFORM ACT, that seeks to combat sales of counterfeit goods and dangerous products by compelling online marketplaces to verify different types of information – including bank account, tax ID and contact details – for sellers who make at least 200 unique sales and earn a minimum of $5,000 in a given year.Target said Tuesday that it’s making significant investments in cyber defense to combat retail theft and fraud and has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division to combat retail theft.

NEW YORK —

Target will close nine stores in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers.

The closings, which will be effective Oct. 21, also include three stores in Portland, Oregon, and two in Seattle. Target said that it still will have a combined 150 stores open in the markets where the closures are taking place. Target will offer affected workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores.

Target described the decision as “difficult.”

“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all,” Target said in a statement on Tuesday.

Before making the decision, Target said it had invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft such as adding more security team workers, using third-party guard services and installing theft deterrent tools like locking up merchandise. It also has trained store leaders and security team members to protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues. But it noted that despite those efforts, it continued to face “fundamental challenges” to operate the stores safely — and the business performance at these locations was unsustainable.

While the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move is significant. It underscores the big challenges that retailers like Target face in reducing theft in stores as they wrestle with protecting their workers and customers while trying to serve the community, particularly low-income and minority groups who rely on the local stores for necessities.

For example, the Target store in East Harlem is located in a heavily Hispanic area, and residents have few choices to buy good quality healthy foods. In San Francisco, one of the stores slated to close is located at 13th Street and Folsom under a busy overpass with homeless tents in a largely commercial neighborhood with auto shops. In Seattle, one of the stores is located on a busy avenue near the University of Washington.

Target CEO Brian Cornell has been one of a handful of retail CEOs flagging what they described as rising theft over the past year or so. Cornell had held steadfast he didn’t want to resort to closing stores even despite mounting losses. Target said in May that theft was cutting into its bottom line and it expected related losses could be $500 million more than last year, when losses from theft were estimated to be anywhere from $700 million to $800 million. So that means losses could top $1.2 billion this fiscal year.

Moreover, Cornell told analysts in August that violent incidents against workers at Target stores increased 120% for the first five months of the year compared with the same period a year ago.

“Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Cornell told analysts. “Unfortunately, safety incidents associated with theft are moving in the wrong direction.”

The announcement also comes as Target is still reeling from being targeted for its LGBTQ+ support, in particular, its displays of Pride Month merchandise. In late May, ahead of Pride Month, Target pulled some items in particular regions and made other changes after encountering hostility from some customers who confronted workers and tipped over displays. Target said the moves were made to protect workers in the store.

It’s unclear how much money retailers broadly are losing due to organized retail crime — or if the problem has substantially increased. But the issue has received more notice in the past few years as high-profile smash-and-grab retail thefts and flash mob robberies have garnered national media attention. Over the past few quarters, an increasing number of retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty have been calling out rising theft, calling it a factor in shrinking profits.

The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said its latest security survey of roughly 177 retailers found that inventory loss — called shrink — clocked in at an average rate of 1.6 % last year, representing $112.1 billion in losses. That’s up from 1.4% the previous year.

The greatest portion of shrink — 65% — came from external theft, including products taken during organized shoplifting incidents, the trade group said Tuesday. More than two-thirds of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from perpetrators of organized retail crime compared with a year ago.

The NRF said that even though retailers continue to improve their loss-prevention measures, sometimes more drastic action must be taken. Nearly 30% of retailers surveyed reported being forced to close a specific store location, and 45% said they needed to reduce operating hours. Roughly 30% said they needed to change or reduce product selection in stores as a direct result of retail crime.

Late last year, Congress passed a bill, called the INFORM ACT, that seeks to combat sales of counterfeit goods and dangerous products by compelling online marketplaces to verify different types of information – including bank account, tax ID and contact details – for sellers who make at least 200 unique sales and earn a minimum of $5,000 in a given year.

Target said Tuesday that it’s making significant investments in cyber defense to combat retail theft and fraud and has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division to combat retail theft.

The post Goal to shut 9 shops together with 3 in San Francisco, citing theft that threatens staff, buyers appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target will close nine stores in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers.

The closings, which will be effective Oct. 21, also include three stores in Portland, Oregon, and two in Seattle. Target said that it still will have a combined 150 stores open in the markets where the closures are taking place. Target will offer affected workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores.

Target described the decision as “difficult.”

“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all,” Target said in a statement on Tuesday.

Before making the decision, Target said it had invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft such as adding more security team workers, using third-party guard services and installing theft deterrent tools like locking up merchandise. It also has trained store leaders and security team members to protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues. But it noted that despite those efforts, it continued to face “fundamental challenges” to operate the stores safely — and the business performance at these locations was unsustainable.

While the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move is significant. It underscores the big challenges that retailers like Target face in reducing theft in stores as they wrestle with protecting their workers and customers while trying to serve the community, particularly low-income and minority groups who rely on the local stores for necessities.

For example, the Target store in East Harlem is located in a heavily Hispanic area, and residents have few choices to buy good quality healthy foods. In San Francisco, one of the stores slated to close is located at 13th Street and Folsom under a busy overpass with homeless tents in a largely commercial neighborhood with auto shops. In Seattle, one of the stores is located on a busy avenue near the University of Washington.

Target CEO Brian Cornell has been one of a handful of retail CEOs flagging what they described as rising theft over the past year or so. Cornell had held steadfast he didn’t want to resort to closing stores even despite mounting losses. Target said in May that theft was cutting into its bottom line and it expected related losses could be $500 million more than last year, when losses from theft were estimated to be anywhere from $700 million to $800 million. So that means losses could top $1.2 billion this fiscal year.

Moreover, Cornell told analysts in August that violent incidents against workers at Target stores increased 120% for the first five months of the year compared with the same period a year ago.

“Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Cornell told analysts. “Unfortunately, safety incidents associated with theft are moving in the wrong direction.”

The announcement also comes as Target is still reeling from being targeted for its LGBTQ+ support, in particular, its displays of Pride Month merchandise. In late May, ahead of Pride Month, Target pulled some items in particular regions and made other changes after encountering hostility from some customers who confronted workers and tipped over displays. Target said the moves were made to protect workers in the store.

It’s unclear how much money retailers broadly are losing due to organized retail crime — or if the problem has substantially increased. But the issue has received more notice in the past few years as high-profile smash-and-grab retail thefts and flash mob robberies have garnered national media attention. Over the past few quarters, an increasing number of retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty have been calling out rising theft, calling it a factor in shrinking profits.

The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said its latest security survey of roughly 177 retailers found that inventory loss — called shrink — clocked in at an average rate of 1.6 % last year, representing $112.1 billion in losses. That’s up from 1.4% the previous year.

The greatest portion of shrink — 65% — came from external theft, including products taken during organized shoplifting incidents, the trade group said Tuesday. More than two-thirds of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from perpetrators of organized retail crime compared with a year ago.

The NRF said that even though retailers continue to improve their loss-prevention measures, sometimes more drastic action must be taken. Nearly 30% of retailers surveyed reported being forced to close a specific store location, and 45% said they needed to reduce operating hours. Roughly 30% said they needed to change or reduce product selection in stores as a direct result of retail crime.

Late last year, Congress passed a bill, called the INFORM ACT, that seeks to combat sales of counterfeit goods and dangerous products by compelling online marketplaces to verify different types of information – including bank account, tax ID and contact details – for sellers who make at least 200 unique sales and earn a minimum of $5,000 in a given year.

Target said Tuesday that it’s making significant investments in cyber defense to combat retail theft and fraud and has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division to combat retail theft.

_______

Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio

Copyright
© 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

The post Goal to shut 9 shops together with 3 in San Francisco, citing theft that threatens staff, customers appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• Commercial real estate landlords are abandoning once prestigious properties in San Francisco.
• A lack of hope among property owners is due to office vacancies, but crime also plays a role.
• Expect the downtown downturn to get worse before it gets better, Manus Clancy von Trepp said.

The crash of downtown San Francisco is progressing rapidly.

Landlords big and small are waving the white flag amid mounting pressures the city is facing, in part due to the downsizing of some of the largest employers and the inertia of remote work.

In May, foot traffic to San Francisco offices fell nearly 60% compared to 2019 — the largest shortfall among major urban centers in the US tracked by Placer.ai, and it shows. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city’s 18 million square feet of vacant office space is large enough to house 92,000 people.

Since April, the office tower at 350 California Street has sold for a worrying 75% less than its pre-pandemic estimate. The owner of the flagship Hilton San Francisco Union Square and nearby Parc 55 turned over the keys to his creditors instead of trying to pay off a $725 million loan. Days later, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and co-owner Brookfield returned San Francisco City Center to their lenders after the mall was down to just over half occupancy after retailers moved out.

The capitulation of some of the most sophisticated real estate players following tech job cuts and the increasing permanence of remote work is a dark omen for the city’s downtown. Property defaults have been expected for a long time, but not all of a sudden: Many investors thought they would happen when owners took out options to extend the terms of their loans, which could lengthen their losses.

Even more troubling, the loss of workers, the business travelers they are attracted to, and the stores they shop in is creating a vicious cycle that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon, said Manus Clancy, chief executive officer at Trepp, which tracks and manages the company commercial real estate debt.

“San Francisco is in a hole in the ground that’s getting bigger by the day,” Clancy, who lives in New York, told Insider. “Shop closures, crime and other quality of life issues are creating an epidemic of negative headlines that keep tourists and workers away. It will likely get worse before it gets better.”

A wave of downsizing by big tech companies like Snap, Meta, and Salesforce helped the city’s office vacancy rate jump to nearly 30% last quarter, up from less than 5% three years ago, according to CBRE. The workers who remain employed have resisted the long commutes that are common in the peninsular city, data from Placer.ai shows.

Last quarter, only 36% of workers commuting to San Francisco offices commuted more than 5 miles, with the lowest percentage of long-distance commuters making the return trip to cabins in Boston, Chicago, Houston, and New York. as the data show. But for workers who live closer to their San Francisco offices, the percentage who have to commute daily is relatively high.

The good thing about vacancies: Space for startups

Some of these workers are likely among the explosively growing generative AI startups in San Francisco, with about 22% of them concentrated in the region. The founders of Krea, which develops models for high-quality imaging and asset management services, packed their bags in Miami last year and headed to San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood, not far from Union Square, for a haven transformed for businesses like yours.

But because startups are inherently small, they can’t make up for the population drain. According to the Census Bureau, fleeing the city reduced the population by more than 65,000 people from April 2020 to July 2022.

As housing demand slumped, average house prices, which have been buoyed up during the pandemic, are down nearly 18% for the year through April, nearly three times the drop in Manhattan. As for rentals, landlord Equity Residential has “limited pricing power” in the downtown market and is making concessions to attract renters, the company’s chief operating officer said on a conference call in April.

Jeff Burg, a real estate investor who has been buying and renting small apartment buildings since 2002, said he has abandoned the city, citing onerous regulation.

“I sold all of my rentals in San Francisco over the past year and have finally moved out with my family,” Burg told Insider via LinkedIn. “After 23 years we move on with our lives. Whatever is going on in San Francisco, we have no interest in being a part of it any longer.”

The city is characterized by the fear of crime

Crime, or the fear of it, often creeps into conversations about San Francisco as well.

Thomas Baltimore, the CEO of Park Hotels & Resorts, which gave up Union Square hotels last week, said in a statement that “road conditions” were adding to record-high office vacancy rates, adding to the increased strain on properties. Some neighborhoods — including the Tenderloin District, which borders Union Square and Westfield Mall — had higher homicide rates this year, although San Francisco’s homicide rate is at the lower end of major cities citywide, according to ABC 7.

According to the San Francisco Travel Association, crime doesn’t seem to have held tourists back, with numbers up 29% last year to 21.9 million and expected to reach 23.9 million this year.

Still, there are signs of crime everywhere in San Francisco. Assaults and robberies have risen while rapes have fallen, ABC 7 recently noted. And social media posts, including one from Elon Musk denouncing “horrific” violent crimes following the stabbing death of tech executive Bob Lee in April, are adding to the fear.

A Whole Foods market in the Mid-Market District — also near Union Square — experienced a crime wave so widespread that managers simply closed the store in April after it opened last year had been opened. According to the New York Times, 568 911 calls were received from the store over a 13-month period, many related to violence and drug use.

A commercial real estate agent, who asked not to be named, told Insider that on a recent family trip to town, his tour guide said the tenderloin had become so poor that cops were being paid more to keep the beat. People affected by homelessness have long congregated in the Tenderloin neighborhood, while the number of homeless people across the Bay Area has risen 35% to 38,000 since 2019, McKinsey & Co. found.

Frank Scavone, a veteran commercial real estate debt investor who is now a managing partner of Third Point Real Estate Strategies, pondered why the workers weren’t coming back, but was more certain of the result — plummeting building values.

“I wonder what the reason for the openings in San Francisco is,” Scavone told Insider. “Is it because nobody feels safe in downtown San Francisco? Is it because the ground-level merchants and amenities associated with downtown have disappeared because of crime?”

He continued, “Is it because downtown San Francisco is a little harder to get to from the Marin County suburbs or the East Bay?”

“Taken together, these issues set the stage for workers to say, ‘We don’t want to be there because we don’t feel safe, it’s not a comfortable work environment anymore, or we feel like we’re entitled to another work week. ‘ design,” he said.

WATCH NOW: Insider Inc.’s Popular Videos

Loading…

The post San Francisco’s Ache Worsens As Staff, Guests, and Customers Depart appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

While shopping at HEB, shoppers can now also find nearby dog ​​walkers, groomers, pet sitters, trainers, cleaners and landscapers through a partnership with Thumbtack.

Thumbtack, which connects customers with professional service providers like plumbers and electricians, is rolling out displays in more than 300 HEB stores across Texas. Shoppers use their mobile phone to scan a QR code on the displays to find animal services near them.

Certain HEB stores also have Thumbtack’s “On Demand” feature, which connects shoppers to local home improvement, lawn care companies and cleaning services at a 10 percent discount. The partnership marks San Francisco-based Thumbtack’s first foray into retail and reflects San Antonio-based HEB’s broader push to expand into additional categories outside of grocery.

“Thumbtack’s mission is to make taking care of everything in and around the home a seamless experience for the homeowner,” said David Steckel, senior director of strategic partnerships at Thumbtack. “Expansion into physical retail takes us a step closer to that by enabling us to be a partner to consumers, whether they’re shopping in-store for their pets or preparing their yard for housing.”

HEB and other grocers are installing more in-store departments and services to increase traffic, sales and profits, and diversify revenue streams in an industry known for razor-thin profit margins. Some of the categories are more profitable than groceries and result in shoppers spending more time in stores.

The San Antonio-based company has added Home by HEB sections including throw pillows, rugs, vases, chairs and table linens; HEB brand shops with t-shirts, socks and baby clothes; True Texas BBQ restaurants; bars serving beer, wine and cocktails; and health clinics with primary care and nutritional services.

The HEB store at US 281 and Evans Road has a beauty department with cosmetics, hair products and testing stations. The company also has small shops in some of its stores, such as Mia’s Mirror, Bonita Brows Bar, Diamond Decks, and River City Flooring.

madison.iszler@express-news.net

The post H-E-B customers can discover pet companies by means of new Thumbtack shows appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The following news items are reprinted from the Manistee Daily News for the week Dec. 2 – Dec. 8, 1921 and are compiled by Teena Kracht from the newspaper archives of the Manistee County Historical Museum. Read more of the 100 Years Ago column at manisteenews.com.

MNA Fri. Dec. 2 pg. 3

“The first robbery to take place in Manistee for some time was committed last night at the Tom Morris coal office, Water street.  About $220 in cash and some stamps were taken from the safe which had been left open, also a box of matches…

“This morning the office was found in a disorderly state, the papers on the desk mixed up and the safe ransacked…

“Police so far have not been able to obtain a clue … Just how entrance to the building was effected, has not been ascertained either, the door to the building being found locked this morning.  

“Golden Rule Bargain Days are to become an institution in Manistee. 

“After two successful attempts, it can be safely said that the project … has been completely accepted by the buying public. 

“The best demonstration was made yesterday when, in spite of a disagreeable rain, the amount of trading surpassed the first Golden Rule Day…

“Yesterday’s Bargain Day met the approval of many who were doing their Christmas shopping early. In a number of stores suitable presents were found at greatly reduced prices.  

“The opening practice of the High school basketball candidates yesterday afternoon in Ramsdell hall was a lively one, about 50 students manifesting their interest in the sport by trying out for the squad….

“Manistee should stand high in the list of cities which have made a good shipping record during the ‘Perfect Package’ month of November. 

“Agent Kettle of the American Railway Express company this morning said that out of a total of 1,346 shipments, only four imperfect packages were found, and that all of these four were received at the local office during the first half of the month.  Since Nov. 14, no imperfect packages entered the office … Between 4500 and 5000 packages had been handled during the month, as in many cases, a shipment is made up of anywhere from two to ten or more packages.    

“It must be great to be so rich you don’t have to pay your bills.

“If the holidays lasted ten years, even then there would be late shoppers. 

“As Noah Heap puts it: There seem to be ten ways of being mean for every single way of being decent. 

“People who jump at conclusions get the wrong ones. 

“Life to the turkey is just one darn holiday after another.

“It must make a farmer mad to return from buying eggs and see his hens loafing about the yard.

“The open season for birds, deer, squirrels, etc., does not usually last more than a few weeks, but the government hunts the taxpayer every day in the year.

MNA Sat. Dec. 3 pg. 1

“CHICAGO, Dec. 3.–Lolita Armstrong Mitchell, daughter of the millionaire packer and Chicago’s wealthiest woman, today led the fight against doctors who have closed the doors of Chicago’s hospitals to Dr. Adolf Lorenz, world famous orthopedic surgeon … ‘to repay the debt I owe Dr. Lorenz for my health and happiness.’

“A statement issued by orthopedic surgeons of Chicago gave the following reasons for opposing Dr. Lorenz’s visit:

“That although he has created publicity on the grounds that he came to America to ‘pay back this country for help given starving Austrian children,’ he has admitted to friends the real reason is to retrieve his personal fortunes.  Because of danger of arousing hysteria among many unfortunates leading to bitter disappointment if they are not cured. That the results obtained by Americans are ‘just as good.’ “

“DETROIT. Dec. 3. — Hearing that a doctor had asked that the hospitals of this city be opened to Dr. Adolph Lorenz … Mayor Couzens issued a statement … and congratulated the hospital which will allow him to practice there. 

“Dr. Wainshuis, prominent member of the Michigan Medical association, wired the federal local doctors asking that they use their influence to prevent Dr. Lorenz being permitted to practice in this city.  He said that because he believed in the slogan ‘America for Americans…’

“The humanitarian work of Dr. Lorenz…reached Manistee before his present visit.  The lad who is indebted to Dr. Lorenz is Martin Redmann, son of Mr. and Mrs. August Redmann, Second avenue. 

“Martin is being cured indirectly through the powers of Dr. Lorenz.  The intermediate agent is Dr. Frederick Mueller of Chicago.  Martin was a cripple for 11 years and now is able to walk. 

“About 20 years ago when Dr. Lorenz was brought to the United States to cure the invalid daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Ogden Armour, Dr. Mueller became his student. Later he went to Vienna for further instruction…On his return to Chicago Dr. Mueller began practicing [Lorenz’s] system and was successful … Martin, then 14 years old, was still crawling on his hands and knees, a pitiful victim of infantile paralysis.

“Born a lively, fun-loving youngster, Martin was stricken at the age of three. His left side was completely paralyzed and curvature of the spine resulted.  In this condition he literally crawled through school, completing the six grades in the Washington school. He was taken to and from school in a handcart, but in order to move around the classroom he crawled on his hands and knees. Even around his home and … at play he had to crawl…

“Three years ago … he was taken to Columbus Hospital in Chicago. In 60 days Dr. Mueller had him standing on both feet. Since that time he has had eight operations and three casts. The surgeon is now treating his spine. 

“Martin is able to walk … with a cane as his only help. He is a business college night school student and walks up three flights of stairs with the assistance of a classmate. He was 17 years old on Oct. 8.

“Manager Otto J. Lauer of the Lyric says he is indebted to Dr. Lorenz and Dr. Mueller for saving his leg.  

 “With the beginning of excavations at Fifth avenue park for a new well, one of the biggest and most desirable public improvements in Manistee for several years is under way…

“The site chosen for the reservoir is ideal. The source of pure water is unlimited…

“The construction of the reservoir will fill a long-felt want. When it is completed and in operation it is believed it will solve the water famine here every hot summer.

Pg. 3

“A team of horses, used in hauling wood from the lot between the Chas. Bigge and Jack Kann residences, to the Bigge home, this noon created a lot of excitement in that neighborhood, when it decided to take a sprint, cross-lots, drawing a large farmer wagon behind it. 

“…The horses ran past the garage … tearing down the door. The team proceeded across the Bigge lawn, breaking several small trees, and southward across the Miller and Baker lawns … where the whiffle-tree of the wagon broke when the latter struck a large tree. 

“The horses, free from impediments, galloped south on Maple street. They were caught at the foot of the hill, near the railroad tracks.  

“The 1921-22 indoor baseball season got away to a flying start last night when, before a fine audience in Ramsdell hall the Consumers Power nine defeated the Cooper-Daniels aggregation 12 to 10 in a battle which was a series of thrills until the final out…

“Dancing to music by Spin Johnson’s orchestra followed the game and was enjoyed by close to 100 couples. Altogether it was a highly agreeable evening’s entertainment, and may be regarded as an auspicious inaugural of the league season.

“The finishing touches are being put on father’s pocketbook. 

“Cotton stockings will be cheaper next year but nobody seems to care.

“A writer inquires: ‘Why do girls leave home? Why do they come back?’ Our observation impels the belief that they leave because the movie starts at 7 and that they return about 10, after lapping up a couple of sundaes, because there is no place else to go.  

MNA Mon. Dec 5 pg. 1

“SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 5. — A murky atmosphere of whispered or implied charges of all sorts was left behind today by the manslaughter trial of Roscoe Arbuckle [Actor ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle], which ended with disagreement and discharge of the jury….

“Postmaster B. C. Briggs has secured the co-operation of public school teachers in his effort to improve the movement of Christmas mail, by having them read the following request to their pupils:

“‘Christmas is almost here. 

“‘Your great post office department has a big job ahead and needs your help.

“‘Think of what it means to be Santa Claus to our 100,000,000 people and to deliver Christmas parcels to every family in this great country…

“‘It can be done … if we may have your help…

“‘When you go home today please take this message to your parents and friends:

“‘Our postmaster has asked us to mail our Christmas parcels this week, for unless we do, Uncle Sam’s load may be so heavy … that he won’t be able to deliver all the presents by Christmas eve.  

“‘The parcels must be well wrapped … and addressed plainly … You can put on your parcels “Do not open until Christmas.”

“‘Please do this and you will win the grateful appreciation of all the people who work in your post office.’

Pg. 3

“Clothes may make the woman, but lack of them makes her mad. 

“Even when a man pays cash for an electric battery, he wants it charged. 

“If dentists sent their bills first we could grind our own teeth. 

“The average family man has enjoyed the long respite between the lawnmower and the show-shovel seasons. 

“As Noah Heap puts it:  Getting married is easier than being married….

MNA Tues. Dec. 6 pg. 1

“Definite, tangible propositions for the improvement of Manistee’s natural resort attractions through the building of lake shore boulevard drives north and south of the river and construction of a summer colony; construction of a trunk highway across the state from Manistee to Tawas City, with federal and state aid in the project; and prospects that Manistee at some not-too-distant date may become a port of entry for ocean-going steamships, were subjects brought to the attention of upward of 130 persons in attendance at the Members Forum of the Manistee Board of Commerce last night at the Chippewa.

“The meeting, second in the series and the first to really bring out discussion of local improvement, served the double-barreled purpose of giving Manisteeans a definite objective toward which to work for immediate realization…and inspiration to look for the future for even greater fulfillment…

“The speaker of the occasion, James E. Coad, secretary of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Tidewater association … had his audience with him from the start, and his exposition of the deep water project which is now making great headway, left his hearers with a clearer insight into the great possibilities of bringing the heart of the American continent 1,000 miles nearer to the markets of the world through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence river artery….

Pg. 3

“Announcement is made today by Robert R. Ramsdell, in charge of the building on Oak street adjoining the Gardner corner and owned by his mother, Mrs. T. J. Ramsdell, that John Foy had leased it for a new bakery.

“Work will start tomorrow in remodeling the interior…

“The Century System of Bakeries which bought out the Foy Home Bakery early this year, after operating successfully for two years…recently went out of business and the Foys repurchased the equipment…

“The new Foy bakery is expected to resume business as soon as the equipment is installed.  

“One thing that is sweeping the country is vacuum cleaners.

“Kids were out yesterday with their last year’s sleds and rejoiced as the crystal flakes fell. Fine opportunity to sharpen up the rusted runners. 

“‘Stage scenes have a psychological effect on the audience,’ claims a movie bug. ‘I remember when the town was wet and a bar or drinking scene was shown, scores of fellows at the close would slip into the nearest bar to slake their thirst. The lighting of a cigarette makes smokers out front want to do the same.’  

“Looks like an early Christmas.

“From Ye Olde Autograph Album: A subscriber in Thompsonville sends in these two gems: ‘Alas, alas! I am so dumb, I cannot write in this album.’ ‘The pen is poor, my ink is pale, My hand shakes like a little dog’s tail.’        

“Isn’t that tender sentiment? Thanks, Frank.  

MNA Wed. Dec. 7 pg. 2

“Miss Martha Filer will leave this week for New York City, where she will spend a month before going to Florida for the remainder of the winter. 

“A Christmas sale will be held in the Pilot rest rooms by St. Mary’s church….

“Members of the Danish Lutheran choir will hold a bazaar….

“The Ladies Aid society of the Trinity Lutheran church, First street, will have a fair and social tomorrow….

“The members of Mrs. J. W. Gregory’s class of the Congregational Sunday school have sent a generous Christmas box to the Oteen hospital at Oteen, North Carolina, where there are 1,500 disabled soldiers….

“Mrs. Jennie Olson, who won a pig at the Elks temple recently and who is cashier at the Lyric theatre, entertained the employees of the Lyric and a few others, at a roast Monday night. Musical numbers were furnished by the Lyric orchestra. Manager Otto Lauer and Harry J. Aarons were participants in a pork-eating contest.  

Pg. 3

“…The city commission in its meeting last night finished its official business within a short time. 

“A petition that a water main be laid on Manistee street, between Thirteenth and Fifteenth … was put off for consideration until next spring, when weather conditions are more favorable.

“Another petition by Robert Mauzy and Ben Eckhoff, and endorsed by officials of all of the larger manufacturing companies in the city and Filer City was presented … It was asked that they be given the exclusive right to operate two or more motorbusses between Manistee and Filer City on a regular schedule … The petition was referred to City Manager Shields and City Attorney Campbell, and [it was] recommended that they report on it at the next meeting.

“The revised charter … was not brought up for adoption last night, as the city attorney found a number of articles which are believed objectionable.

“It was recommended that these be brought to the attention of the charter committee for amendment, and that the city attorney then report…

“The examination of [the woman] who is being held on the charge of killing her illegitimate grandchild in September was adjourned yesterday … The examination of witnesses in the case of the child’s mother…held in connection, will be continued Thursday afternoon.

“[The grandmother] throughout the examination yesterday showed no emotion whatever and it was testified by Sheriff E. M. Hallock that she has never done so, not even when the body of the child was uncovered in the woods a few weeks ago. She gives no evidence whatever of understanding the seriousness of the charge on which she is held….

“Word comes from a southern state that they are picking roses there. Pooh! That’s nothing. We got ours all picked months ago. 

“As Noah Heap puts it:  Learn to do one thing exceedingly well, and opportunity will beat a brass drum outside your door. 

“Noah Little ventures this opinion: Judging by some of the latest Invention children, Mrs. Necessity’s latest match was unfortunate. 

“Red flannel underwear, like Dad and Ma wore 20 years ago, brings a smile from us nowadays, but we wonder if there was as much rheumatic then as now. 

MNA Thurs. Dec. 8 pg. 1

“In the death at his home in Arcadia at 4:30 yesterday afternoon of Henry Mauntler, Manistee county lost one of the pioneer settlers and the town of Arcadia lost one of her most prominent and industrious citizens. 

“Death was due to complications. Mr. Mauntler was ailing since last March. His age was 71, and in July of this year he completed 40 years’ residence in Arcadia. 

“Mr. Mauntler came to Arcadia in 1881 from Milwaukee a few months after Henry Starke, also of Milwaukee, founded the village.  Ever since then he was identified with the development of Arcadia….

Pg. 2

“[What’s Doing In Our Schools] Night school classes will not be offered in Manistee this year … the final opinion being that not enough people had expressed their interest in night school work to warrant starting the classes. It appears that a large number of young men and women in the city are being served by the Part-Time school and this probably accounts for the small number desiring evening school classes….

“[High School] The second meeting of the Roman Legion will be held Friday … The general theme of the program will deal with the amusements of the Romans … A Roman Tragedy, ‘Pyrimus and Thisbe’ will be given, all parts to be rendered in Latin…

“A general assembly was held at the Lyric theater Thursday morning … The Glee Club entertained … The High School Orchestra gave some numbers … The keynote of the assembly was struck by Dr. Oldt of the Methodist Church, who spoke along the lines suggested by the fact that this is American Education Week … A feature of the occasion was the distribution of ‘M’s’ to the regulars in football, heroes of the gridiron….

“[Lincoln School] The Art classes … are busy perfecting their Christmas work … The primary grades are making Christmas calendars, gift cards, handkerchief cases, and tree decorations … Last Friday was our banner day at the Library. One hundred and twenty-three books were given out by Miss Froberg….

“[McKinley School] Our library circulation is very good. Some children read two books a week … The teachers are completing plans for a Christmas program….

“[Washington School] All of the grades are busy with their special Christmas work. The Christmas spirit pervades each and every room….

Pg. 3

“With the object of discussing the matter of having the city commission pass an ordinance which will prohibit all but licensed electricians from wiring residences and business places, the Consumers Power Company last night gave a dinner at the Midway which was attended by employees of the company, local electrical contractors and their men, and members of the company’s indoor baseball team. Music was furnished by Spin Johnson’s orchestra, the services of which were donated. 

“…Consumers Power company, along with other public utilities … is trying to gain co-operation … in a campaign for safe installation of electricity…

“Slides showing old and unsafe and the new and safe devices for installing switches, cut-outs, and meters were used … The public utilities are now trying to induce the contractors to adopt an iron-clad safety cabinet, of standard make, in which to enclose the main line switches and customers’ cut-outs, to insure safety.

“It was not a stormy night, but a dark one, made to order for a crime. The vicinity of the Peoples Fuel company coalyard was forbidding and foreboding.

“Patrolman Freedlund passed by the place at 10 o’clock. All was quiet. Later he went by again … and heard a noise in the barn.  Investigation revealed a horse saddled with a blanket, to all appearances ready for a hurried getaway … This horse was to be used in an undertaking far different from the steed in Paul Revere’s famous ride.

“Freedlund notified Chief Grady, who left his comfortable fireside … The two officers decided the first step … would be to remove [the miscreant’s] means of effecting an escape. So the animal was taken to another barn. 

“Next day the policemen learned there was no wrongdoing at all. A well known Stronach man, who was attending a party here, had simply sheltered his horse in the coalyard barn until he was ready to go back home.  

“Give anything. It is sure to be ‘The very thing I wanted’ and to be exchanged anyway.

“What has become of the old-fashioned girl who used to clutch at her skirts when she rounded a windy corner?

“Santa Claus may not come down through the chimney, but it is a safe bet that a Christmas present of a ton of coal would go out that way.

“Rich widows are the most desirable second-hand articles on the market. 

“Noah Little observes that old timers like himself are glad they lived in the good old days when one could kiss a girl and not taste anything but girl. 

“As Noah Heap puts it: Every town has two kinds of people–those who talk about making improvements and those who make them. 

MNA Fri. Dec. 2 pg. 1

“[Article] When you see a distinguished automobile that resembles an armored car, Monday, don’t run for your lives. It will only be Dr. J. A. King’s touring equipage leaving on the first lap of a motor trip to Florida. 

“Capitalizing his experiences of an auto trip a few years ago to southern Kansas, Dr. King has fitted out his Chevrolet touring car with every convenience conceivable and yet not destroying the flavor of camping out.  Besides himself and Mrs. King, the car will contain Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Thompson of Bear Lake.  Maurice Jones of Bear Lake and three friends will accompany the King party in Jones’ Buick. 

“On the front bumper Dr. King has constructed a platform which will hold the tent and its equipment. In the rear is another platform to hold a waterproof box about the size of a small trunk. This will contain the personal effects. An attachment is also made for the spare tires.

“The running board on the right side has been utilized to support the kitchenette. On the running board has been placed a long box with three compartments. One will house a stove, another food, and a small triangular one the eating utensils.

“A special feature of this box is the cover which can be lifted up and used for a table, a movable resting arm for it being attached to the side of the box. The running board on the other side has been equipped with a guard to hold the extra luggage. 

“Dr. King had the back of the front seat reconstructed so that it moves up and down. During the day it will serve as back-rest and at night it will be lowered to serve as a unit of a bed, the front and rear seats with a small mattress to fill the space between completing the bed. A sleeping tent for the other members of the party will be attached to the side of the car. 

“Dr. King will make his first day’s stop at Muskegon. He will continue next day to Melbourne, Florida, and there will be joined by Dr. C. A. Norconk and son Ward of Bear Lake who preceded them a month ago. They have already secured a cottage. The party expects to return home in April. 

MNA Sat. Dec. 3 pg. 4

“[Editorial] SATISFIED CITIZENS.

“Own your own home. There is no finer slogan for an individual or a community. That’s how you will do better in Manistee and how Manistee will be better because of you. The man who owns a home may not be a good citizen.  But the chances are much greater for good citizenship in the home owner than in the roomer, boarder or floater. A piece of ground and one’s own four walls makes for good citizenship.

“The city that has the most homes, the most home owners, will be the most prosperous and most happy city. Business men can well afford to aid in every legitimate way the purchase of homes. It means better labor and less ‘labor turnover.’ Henry Ford says that one secret of his success is that he treats his men fairly and retains them. The ‘labor turnover’ in his factories is very small. 

“The agitators, the radicals, the fellows who want to match more pay with less work are not of the home-earning, home-owning kind.  As a rule they can start the trouble, put on their hats and move on to new pastures. The home owner is respected and self-respecting.  He wants to give a square deal to his employer because he wants a square deal from his employer. He has a wife and family to steady him. He is not prone to preach armed revolution or sabotage. His city means something to him. He is a taxpayer on tangible property and his vote has a community meaning to him. He is an asset to the city. 

“Own your own home. However, that does not mean to buy a home on the plan of a dollar down and a dollar a week forever. It means the purchase of a home under honest, reasonable conditions that will have ownership and not promises of ownership.”

The post Consumers benefit from Discount Days procuring in Manistee appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.