What Do You Think About the Closing of Sears Hardware?
Sears Hardware is scheduled to close this summer.
Sears Hardware on Main Street will close this summer. A liquidation sale started Friday.
Here are some comments residents posted on our Facebook page:
- De Bellofatto Keimach said, "It's like a hidden gem. I can't count how many times we've run up there to grab something. I'll miss them."
- "Wow. How sad. Another sign, perhaps, that we need change in this town's management?" Penny Morang Richards said.
- Jennifer G. Casoli Vant said, "Too bad. We shop there a lot."
- "The whole of Rt 28 is too empty. Stores closing all over the place. I think the town needs to scout out some good businesses to bring to town. We will look like a ghost town soon if stores dont stop closing. And by all means lets not build anymore retail space," Sandy Spears Griffin said.
- Ann Marie Wright said, "I'm not sure that Stop N Shop is the best anchor store for a number of reasons. I still wish a Market Basket went in there... I agree with everyone though, the length of route 28 is starting to look sad and shabby and, frankly, embarrassing. The businesses aren't paying any more taxes than the homeowners... I don't get it."
Let us know what you think about the store closing in the comments section below.
Mel Webster
11:30 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Sears hardware stores are closing all over the country, so this is not unique to North Reading and has nothing to do with the management of the town. It has more to do with the continued growth of Internet retail and the fact that people can now buy so many things without having to leave their home. We still have two hardware stores in North Reading, but it is sad to see two others close in the past few months. Hopefully, growth in the economy will accelerate and we will see some of the empty storefronts filled. Of course, it is much more difficult to fill the old Stop & Shop building since we know that company will NEVER allow another supermarket to occupy the space, limiting the options.
Ed Canney
6:11 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
"...has nothing to do with the management of the town"
Who said that? My only point Mel, was in a depressed economy, its probably not the best idea to increase property taxes $1000/yr.
Fred Chalmers
8:28 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2012
Ed, it appears that Penny Morang Richards said it, if the article quoted her correctly. Why do you think Mel is pointing at you?
Barry
11:59 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
It's sad that it's closing, but as Mel said, it's a reflection of problems that Sears is having, not a reflection on North Reading.
That whole plaza is pretty much a dump. It would be nice to replace the whole thing with a new, attractive facility.
josh
2:46 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Play it again sports and supercuts are also moving out of the plaza because of the landlord giving them a hard time about their stores appearance. Play it again sports is moving to the hardware store next to the hess, but i dont know what will happen to supercuts.
Ashley Troutman
12:28 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Josh- Play It Again is moving, but because they want to expand to a bigger location. Check in with us for an full article on that. According to Supercuts they are not moving, and they don't have plans to move.
Barry
6:17 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Ed, will you please knock off the misinformation? Although I see that you are coming closer to the truth - down from your $300 / quarter to $1,000 per year. If you keep posting long enough, you may actually inadvertently recite accurate facts! As in, $700 for the average house with an assessment of $450,000.
Ed Canney
7:04 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Barry, as others have posted , please say who you are. Most of us give our names along w/our opinions. Your posts always have a bit of a nasty flavor, i.e. your allegations regarding Maureen Vacca.
If you disagree with an opinion, just say so, sans the nastiness!
Ed Canney
9:10 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
When the bond is actually done for a specific amount w/a specific interest rate, I'll consider your numbers. But until then I'll stay with mine, thank you
Barry
9:31 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Ed, as Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously, said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts". You have provided not a shred of evidence to support your ridiculous, hyperbolic claims about taxes. You claim to rely on information provided to you by an elected official, but you refuse to name that person. Others have posted accurate and truthful information provided to the public at the time of the vote by the Selectmen, School Committee, Finance Committee and the Secondary Schools Building Committee.
You are a one-trick pony; no matter the subject of the main article, you continue your diatribe against the schools, the school budget, the new schools and the tax increase overwhelmingly approved by the voters. I don't know what you have against the school system, but your posts are tiresome. Find something else to rail about.
Ed Canney
8:13 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Well Barry Who(?) lets look at what you claim to be accurate information. You claim $1.55/thousand will be the cost for the 25 year bond or $700 annually for the average $450,000 home.
Where did you get those figures? What are they based upon?. The bond "range" was $47M to $49M. So what will be the bond amount...$47M, $48M or $49M? Makes a difference before you assess a tax amount on the average home to know the specific bond amount...don't you think? What will be the interest rate on the bond? Do you know? 4%, 5%, 6%?
The tax rate has not been set yet, but you seem to know it will be $1.55/thousand for the bond. Based on what? The 2011's Assessors' evaluation(last years)? Can't be this years, they haven't done it yet. When they complete their evaluation, they then will recommend a tax rate to the Selectman, and then a tax rate will be set. So you can't know the bond will be $1.55/thousand or $700...can you?
As I've said before Barry Who(?), You have a nasty streak. You have made insulting claims regarding Ms. Vacca, who by the way was School Chair for many years, and to my knowledge, is well respected. You remember your nasty comments about her..don't you? So I feel I'm in good company.
A little civility goes a long way. If you don't like my posts don't read 'em
Mel Webster
12:19 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Interesting. If other stores will soon be moving from the plaza as Josh suggests above, then Stop & Shop will pretty much be in the same situation it was back a few years ago --- the only store in a plaza. Only this time it will be in a plaza with a bunch of empty storefronts. Can you spell Karma?
Shirley Miller
8:31 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
It's a shame that Sears is closing now because maybe the North Reading Hardware could of made a go is Sears closed earlier. I could get some things at North Reading Hardware that Sears didn't carry.
Shirley