Backed by area city and school leaders plus representatives of the area congressional offices – Clinton Mayor Mark Vulich made a public pitch to keep the local Target store open. He said he has only been told it was because the Clinton store was under performing.
After the announcement the Clinton Target store and several others across the country would be closed, Vulich began his effort to get the corporate executives to change their mind. At the news conference this morning, Vulich also credited the on-line petition effort with over 5-thousand signatures.
He said the paper petitions he’s been circulating have nearly 2900 signatures. The mayor also pointed out that with the support of the Clinton and Camanche schools he’s had some students write letters of support for keeping the Target Store open. There were 477 letters on display at the news conference.
State Senator Rita Hart spoke in support of the effort to save Target, but also said the effort of the region is a sign of good things happing in Clinton and Target could miss out of those good things.
Area House member Mary Wolfe also spoke in support of the effort and she would encourage residents to shop at Target and other Clinton stores. She echoed Hart’s comments about Target could be missing out on some good things. She if ‘they choose not to be part of it, that’s their loss.”
Camanche City Administrator Tom Roth spoke on behalf of the city of Camanche in supporting the effort to keep the Target store open. He recalled a personal story of the impact and regional draw of the Target store. He said he remembered his parents making a trip from their home in Bellevue each Christmas season to Clinton to shop at Paul’s and Target. Roth said Target brought people from Bellevue then and does today and “we can’t lose that cornerstone of our retail community’ and encourage Target to change their mind.
DeWitt Mayor Don Thiltgen said people shouldn’t be surprised by the support shown for this effort. He said that rallying to a cause is a Midwestern culture and ‘it’s important we pass this message on to Target corporate.’
Fulton Mayor Larry Russell answered critics of the effort who say the decisions been made and it’s another big box store competing with local businesses by saying it’s important to keep people in the Illinois area driving to Clinton and stopping in Fulton on the way to shop.
Clinton School Superintendent Deb Olson also spoke in support of the effort to keep the Target store open. She said ‘we value this store and value the people who work at our Target.”
Vulich said he’s never seen all of the area towns and local schools in support of one major effort and that’s a good sign.
Vulich said that so far he’s not bee able to talk directly with any executives at the Target offices, but will not give up. He believes “somebody going to talk to us,” adding “I’ll continue this effort until the day they lock those doors and turn out the lights.”
Vulich said losing Target could be a bigger blow than just one store. He said the store is a destination and other smaller businesses ‘feed off’ those who come to Clinton and it has a “trickle down’ effect on other businesses.
In addition to having representatives at the news conference at Clinton City Hall this morning- Iowa Congressional Representative Dave Loebsack and Illinois area Congressional Representative Chere Bustos have written a joint letter to Target that urges them to keep the Clinton store open.
The Clinton Mayor said this type of effort and mutual support can carry over to many other projects in the region.
Attending the news conference:
Representing Iowa 2nd Congressional District Congressman Dave Loebsack is Henry Marquard.
Representing Illinois 17th Congressional District Congresswoman Cheri Bustos is Christopher Shallow
Iowa State Senator Rita Hart from the 49th District
Iowa State House Representative Mary Wolfe from the 98th District
Mayor Ken Fahlbeck of Camanche, IA Represented by Tom Roth
Mayor Don Thiltgen of DeWitt, IA
Mayor Larry Russell of Fulton, IL
Village President Vicky Trager of Thomson, IL
Mayor Everett Pannier of Morrison, IL
Superintendent Deborah Olson of The Clinton Community School District
Superintendent Tom Parker of the Camamnche Comminity School District
Other communities showing support for the effort, but we unable to attend:
Mayor Tony McCombie of Savanna, IL
Mayor Carl Bates of Mt. Carroll, IL
Village President Galen Wirth of Milledgeville, IL
