Tomorrow is a big day in Versailles Borough.
Well, big by Versailles' standards, anyway, and if you live there, or in Christy Park or Haler Heights or Eden Park, it will probably be a big day for you, too --- a full-service supermarket is returning to Olympia Shopping Center as a new Shop 'n Save opens in the space recently vacated by Giant Eagle.
Of course, Olympia has had a supermarket of sorts. There's a Save-a-Lot in the center (ironically in the space that used to be occupied by the Shop 'n Save), but Save-a-Lot is more of a limited-service grocery store, with, to be honest, a lot of off-brand and generic merchandise. A supermarket implies more fresh food (especially produce), a full-service deli and meat counter, and maybe a bakery.
Nobody cares about any of this, I'm sure, except for me, but I've found the whole situation that has played out with the supermarkets at Olympia fascinating. Ten or 15 years ago, there were two supermarkets there: Giant Eagle, where Shop 'n Save is opening now, and Scozio's Shop 'n Save, where the Save-a-Lot is now.
(Try to follow along, because there will be a quiz in class next week.)
When Oak Park Mall opened in roughly, oh, 1994, the Scozio family opened a new Shop 'n Save there, and it was clear that the Olympia store --- smaller, older, cramped --- was living on borrowed time. Its conversion to Save-a-Lot left Olympia wide open for Giant Eagle.
Except that the Scozio family had a rather well-publicized falling out with Shop 'n Save's corporate parent, Supervalu, which eventually led them to buy the Giant Eagle franchise in Olympia and move it to Oak Park Mall.
It's hard to fault them for that --- Giant Eagle is arguably a much stronger brand name to have in Western Pennsylvania, especially with the "Fuelperks" program that gets you a few cents off per gallon when you buy gas at Giant Eagle's "GetGo" stores.
Shop 'n Save has responded with a similar gasoline discount program at some local Sunoco stations, but it doesn't seem to provide price cuts anywhere near as large as Giant Eagle's.
I'd argue that the Giant Eagle advantage card, too, has much better market penetration than Shop 'n Save's "Greenpoints" tie-in with Sperry & Hutchinson --- would you rather save money now, at the register, or save "points" for a set of dishes or towels?
Nevertheless, I kind of like Shop 'n Save, and wish the owner of the new Olympia store --- Jeff Ross, who also owns the Foodland Downtown, along with another Shop 'n Save in Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County --- lots of success.
The "Shop 'n Save" brand, by the way, is a corporate sibling to Foodland, in case you didn't know that --- both are controlled by Minneapolis-based Supervalu --- though they don't spread that news around.
What's the difference? The Foodland stores tend to be independently operated neighborhood locations, while the Shop 'n Saves tend to be in regional shopping centers or malls. Personally, I think it's a distinction without a real difference, and that Supervalu is hurting itself in Pittsburgh by splitting its advertising money that way. But of course --- no one asked me.
More useless trivia: There are two completely different, unrelated Shop 'n Save chains, both owned by Supervalu. The other one is in St. Louis, Missouri. Again, I don't really understand why Supervalu would have different corporate identities for two different chains operating with the same name in different markets. But what do I know?
I don't know what the supermarket line-up was in Olympia when it first opened, but I can recall that in the '70s, there were three stores there. Giant Eagle was located where Shop 'n Save will open tomorrow, while there was a Thorofare Market (aha! Anyone remember Thorofare?) down near the "arcade shops" in Olympia, in the storefront that was most recently a "Rainbow Rentals."
The building that now houses Save-a-Lot, and was previously a Shop 'n Save, was built as an A&P --- you can see evidence of that in the mansard-style roof with the fake shingles.
A&P ("The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.") is still very much alive and well, though much smaller than in its 1940s and '50s heyday, when there was literally an A&P in almost every town in America. In terms of market penetration, it was the Wal-Mart of its era, and small independent grocers hated it every bit as much as small merchants despise Wal-Mart now. (There's a lesson there for Wal-Mart --- even A&P eventually fell.)
Besides the A&P in Olympia, there were A&P's scattered around the city, including one on Atlantic Avenue in 10th Ward --- Tico Electric uses the building now --- and one at the Versailles end of the Boston Bridge, I think in the same building that Dr. Rudy Antoncic recently moved into.
Kroger is big almost everywhere in the country except Western Pennsylvania --- labor trouble (most of their stores were unionized) drove them out of the region in the early 1980s. I'm not sure why they've never come back.
There's nostalgia for old diners, movie theaters, five-and-10s and gas stations, but I've never heard anyone get nostalgic for old supermarket chains, which kind of puzzles me.
The supermarket is one retail outlet where nearly every American is guaranteed to spend at least some time every month, if not every week. Nevertheless, I have yet to see a picture book of old supermarkets, though there must be dozens on diners and gas stations, and there's only website that I know of dedicated to supermarket nostalgia, but it's a fine one called Groceteria.
The Mon-Yough area was home to a number of chains, now defunct, and some of whose logos decorate today's Almanac, like Loblaw's, which survives in Canada. The biggest chain around McKeesport --- at least to my young eyes --- was Super Dollar, which makes sense, since I'm fairly certain it was supplied by McKeesport-based Potter-McCune Co.
There were smaller, family-owned chains around, too --- Marraccini's had stores in Clairton, Elizabeth and White Oak, and had a great reputation for excellent meat and poultry. It survived until only a few years ago. Payday's out on Route 51, between Elizabeth and Bunola, was another longtime fixture that became a Giant Eagle and recently closed.
I also remember the Haines Super Market out on Route 51 in Pleasant Hills, mostly for its fantastic neon sign, and the great handpainted billboards that were strung along its parking lot, facing the southbound lanes of the highway. It's all gone now, replaced by a Pep Boys.
And no entry on McKeesport supermarkets would be complete without mentioning the legendary Balsamo's, located Downtown, roughly where the Cricket store, Subway and Dollar Bank are now on Lysle Boulevard.
Alas, I'm a little bit too young to have personal experience with Balsamo's, but people who "vas dere" talk about great quality meats and produce, fresh bulk nuts and dried foods, and cheap prices on canned goods. Balsamo's also exploited its location smack against the B&O railroad tracks to have entire carloads of merchandise shipped directly to the store.
In fact, if you can imagine a cross between Aldi and Whole Foods, but with tin ceilings and wooden floors, I suspect you'd approximate the Balsamo's experience. (Your Balsamo's stories are welcome here, of course.)
Sebastian Eger, of the family that later owned the Ford agency on Walnut Street, had a large food market Downtown, too, at the corner of Walnut Street and Sixth Avenue, where The Coker Building is now. (I'm not sure, but that building --- which was previously a drive-through bank --- may be the same building as Eger's market.)
This is a good place to mention, too, that the supermarket experience is really a post-World War II phenomenon, facilitated by mechanical refrigerators and suburban shopping centers.
Before the "baby boom," people who lived in cities shopped mostly at their neighborhood grocery store, which they walked to. And since you only had an "ice box," you didn't buy a week's worth of perishables at a time.
A handful of neighborhood groceries survive in the city --- Zoscak's in 10th Ward and Lampert's up in Grandview are excellent examples --- but I think that's an Almanac for another time, don't you?
. . .
To Do This Weekend: If supermarket openings aren't your cup of tea, head down to the St. Martin De Porres Church Festival, 704 Market St., beginning at 6 tonight and running through Sunday. (Sunday hours are 1 to 6 p.m.) Highlights include music, dancing, food, games, bingo and more, along with a "polka Mass" Saturday at 5 p.m. Call (412) 672-9763.
(UPDATE: Make sure to read the latest version of this Almanac, updated at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.)
We're all Republicans now
We're all united and how
For national security
And cultural purity
We're all Republicans now
Down with the income tax
Get government off our backs
Less regulation—let people be free
To work overtime and have two jobs or three
Put strict constructionists back on the courts
Let liberals have it right in the shorts
It's a free country so go and have fun
But not in my backyard cause I have a gun
We're all Republicans
All Republicans
All Republicans now.
You've heard of the bluebird of happiness?
Call me the spatzie of negativity.
While pundits are predicting a major surge toward the center this fall --- and away from the borderline cuckoo far-right politics of the last few years --- I am already seeing signs that the Democrats, both in Pennsylvania and nationally, are well positioned to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.
In fact, I've been seething for several days over "Fast Eddie" Rendell and his idiotic comments to Selena Zito of the Tribune-Review. (Tip of the Tube City hard hat to Jonathan Potts' The Conversation.)
"Rick Santorum has proven that he gets the job done. Time and time again he has come through," Rendell told Zito. "I will eventually campaign with (Bob) Casey. But, no, you won't see me attack Santorum. I work well with him and (U.S. Sen. Arlen) Specter. When it comes to Pennsylvania, Santorum delivers."
Excellent fence-straddling, Ed! It's this kind of leadership that made Marshal Petain such a beloved figure in France, even to this day.
In a nutshell, Eddie's obviously not sure that Bob Casey can win. So he's hedging his bets and hoping that he'll be able to cooperate with Rick "Torquemada" Santorum, R-Inquisition, if he gets re-elected.
And after all, there's lots of reasons that Rendell should compromise and try to work with Santorum. Because, you know, Santorum has been the voice of calm moderation and bipartisan cooperation with liberals throughout his career.
(Erp! Excuse me, I just burped up some of last night's dinner.)
. . .
So, you stopped just short of endorsing Rick Santorum, Gov. Way to undermine your own hand-picked candidate. Way to hand Santorum a cudgel that he can use to bludgeon Casey in the fall.
There's an old British political joke (I think I heard Alexei Sayle tell it) that goes like this: "In America, they have the Republicans, who are like our Tories. They also have the Democrats, who are like our Tories."
In fact, Quislings like Ed Rendell (and Joe Lieberman) prove that there's some truth to the complaint of leftists that there's not a dime's bit of difference between Republicans and Democrats.
Many Democratic leaders stand for nothing except their own re-elections, which they try to ensure by voicing mealy-mouthed platitudes sure to offend no one.
Hey, dummies: You're in the opposition party. The other guys hold all of the marbles. They have absolutely no reason to cooperate with you, or grant you anything you want.
Therefore: It's not "optional" for you to oppose them --- it's your damned job, and if you don't want to stand up for the values that you supposedly endorse, then get out of the way.
. . .
Meanwhile, there's Casey. The more I've heard from him, the more I've warmed up to him --- I think he's a thoughtful, contemplative guy --- and I think he's done a good job in the state offices he's held.
Admittedly, they are administrative positions, where strong, visionary leadership is not required --- but on the other hand, try to find someone who will say positive things about Catherine Baker Knoll's term as state treasurer. (Besides Cathy, of course.)
Unfortunately, I'm not hearing nearly enough from Mr. Casey. Indeed, I sent his campaign office an email a while ago asking where I could get some Casey yard signs. I'm still waiting. You'd think someone there could answer those Internets, unless, of course, the tubes are clogged.
I want to see Casey holding noisy, colorful rallies in McKeesport and Greensburg and Washington and Monessen.
I want to see him giving Tricky Ricky, the junior senator from Virginia, what for.
I want to see some evidence --- any evidence --- that Bob Casey Jr. really wants to be a U.S. senator.
I mean, Santorum began running ads attacking Casey as soon as May's primary ended. Casey's responses have been weak and late by comparison.
. . .
Santorum is an excellent campaigner, and the people running his campaigns are ruthless. They are going to do anything --- say anything --- to get their man re-elected. (Case in point: The "Al Jazeera" crud they put out recently.)
At the same time, Ruthless Rick's hard-core supporters believe passionately that their man is standing on the side of the angels, defending the nation against Godless gay-marrying terror-appeasing baby-killers. Packs of wild dogs are not going to be able to keep them away from the polls.
Casey's support, in contrast, is a mile-wide but an inch deep. We need to see a little more of the fire in the belly from Casey, because he has got to motivate voters to get out in November. Simply being the "anti-Santorum" is not enough, in my estimation.
Don't believe me? John Kerry thought it was enough to be the "anti-Bush." Tell me how his presidency is going so far.
As for Rendell, I'm waiting for his endorsement of Lynn Swann. At least Benedict Arnold had the decency to flee to England.
Anybody want a free "Shop-Vac"? There's one sitting on the roof of the Central Station post office, down at the corner of Sinclair Street and Lysle Boulevard, and it's been there for weeks.
In fact, the Central Station post office itself has been closed for weeks. Boxholders are retrieving their mail uptown, at the main post office on Walnut Street.
A little birdie told the Almanac that the problem is a roof leak that sends water cascading into an electrical cabinet in the building.
County tax records show that the building is owned by Valley Real Estate of Clarksdale, Miss.
Valley Real Estate is part of the The Magdovitz Group, which owns a controlling interest in more than 400 post office buildings around the country --- making it, according to its website, the second-largest owner of post office buildings in the U.S., after the Postal Service itself.
Larry Magdovitz told me via email on Monday that the building needs a new roof. "The problem is being addressed and we hope to have the building re-open as soon as the roof is repaired," he says.
. . .
In other business: You may remember my quixotic campaign to get the River Road grade crossing in Port Vue repaired.
Perhaps in response to inquiries by various parties, including the Almanac, CSX has patched part of the crossing, but it's not much of an improvement --- southbound cars are still forced to swerve out of traffic to avoid going off the edge of the pavement.
A state PUC spokesman tells me that PennDOT, the railroad and that agency are scheduled to meet and discuss that crossing and another one in a few weeks. Stay tuned.
. . .
In Washington, Pa. (aka "Little Worshington"), the city fathers are talking tough with downtown property owners, writes Christie Campbell in the Observer-Reporter.
The mayor and the code enforcement officer say that landlords who have not paid taxes or who have let maintenance of their buildings lapse face legal action, including --- possibly --- losing their properties via eminent domain proceedings.
The last thing that any city needs is ownership of vacant property --- then the white elephants become the problems of the taxpayers --- but on the other hand, you can certainly understand the frustration in Washington.
The decline of one building in a business district has a ripple effect --- it not only reduces the value of the surrounding properties, it creates a disincentive to investment. If you own an existing nearby building, you're not going to put money into it, and if you are thinking about moving into the neighborhood, a dilapidated structure is liable to chase you away.
That's why vacant buildings are so problematic in Our Fair City; they are wrecking many neighborhoods and crippling efforts to bring business downtown.
I'm wondering if Washington's efforts to "get tough" by writing more code enforcement citations is just a talk, or if they're serious.
If they're serious, then the results would bear watching by residents of McKeesport, Duquesne, Homestead and other communities where abandoned or decaying structures are a problem.
. . .
Finally: Oliver Stone's new movie World Trade Center tells the story of two transit police officers who were rescued from the rubble of the Twin Towers after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
In Sunday's Tribune-Review, Karen Roebuck told the real-life story of the Mon-Yough area people who were instrumental in the rescue.
One of the volunteers who was searching the rubble of the Twin Towers that day, David Karnes, found the two police officers and --- in the chaos --- couldn't reach the New York City police on his cell phone. So he called his sister, Joy Karnes, in Munhall.
She called Allegheny County 911, where a dispatcher from Elizabeth Township, Randy Tedesco, took the information.
Then, Mike Lupinacci, the assistant communications manager of the county's 911 center (who helped get the Mon Valley 911 center in McKeesport started years ago), contacted New York authorities.
Joy Karnes has passed away, and the movie mentions her only in passing (one character refers to the David Karnes character calling "his sister in Pittsburgh"), but she and the local 911 personnel involved received commendations from New York authorities, thanking them for their help and clear thinking.
They also received personal thank-you notes from the two police officers who were rescued.
Read Roebuck's story, and remember that the real heroes aren't practicing up at Latrobe --- they're all around you every day.
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