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Hack! Cough! Boy…these smoke-filled rooms are killing me! 
Interesting response to The Masked Blogger’s first post. Nerves were struck. Scabs were picked. Hackles were raised. And opinions were shared. And that’s the point. Keep ‘em coming.
According to the survey referred to in TMB’s post on November 24th, two out of three Adams County residents believe Hastings is being controlled by a handful of people who don’t want the city to grow.
Interestingly, TMB was speaking with a Grand Island resident about this very issue. TMB asked if GI people thought their city was controlled by some cabal of self-serving business leaders. He said: “They used to. Until national retailers changed the city forever. Now national brand retailers determine what happens in town—and the locally owned businesses are struggling or gone altogether.” Hmmm. Looks like no matter what, someone’s in the driver’s seat. The difference is whether it’s people who live here…or people who don’t.
Hastings is fortunate to have a strong base of unique, locally owned businesses. We have a vibrant downtown, filled with one-of-a-kind shops—and many times it’s the proprietor who greets you when you walk in the door. We have a locally owned grocery/department store. Local furniture store. And dozens of other homeowned retailers and restaurants.
And while we’ve lost some businesses (which city hasn’t in the past two years?), we’ve gained Menard’s, Tractor Supply, Climate (the new youth clothing store downtown), Wine Styles, The Courtyard restaurant, and others—with a few more on the way.
But still, many Hastings natives bemoan the lack of choice, lack of national brand retailers and restaurants, etc.—and many are absolutely convinced that somewhere, someone is putting an economic stranglehold on the growth of the community.
So let’s get this out in the open. Don’t be shy. If you know—unequivocally—of some scheming, backroom high jinx that is keeping Hastings from achieving greatness, let’s throw back the curtain and expose these situations to full daylight.
We want specifics. Not innuendo. Not rumor. Real examples. Documentation. And not something that supposedly happened decades ago. We’re talking about Hastings as it is today. And what or who is apparently keeping us from a better tomorrow. And as you make your comments, you might refer to TheHWord.com Usage Policy.
AN ASIDE: Pat McCoy’s post on “Hastings Dining Dilemma” on TheHWord.com also elicited great conversation. Some complain about the spate of burger joints and bars in Hastings, while others hearken back misty-eyed to the halcyon days of Griff’s, Ray’s Fireside, Whirl-a-Whip, Theil’s and the Sportsman. Not sure how that’s much different than today’s line-up of McDonald’s, Murphy’s, Runza, the OK Café and Bernardo’s. A similar mix of fast food, bar/grills, home cookin’ and steakhouses in both the 1960s and today. Maybe things haven’t changed as much as we thought?
Tags: choice, conspiracy, Hastings
About the author: The Masked Blogger
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i moved here in 1976 from a town of the same size in south dakota. the culture shock for me was tremendous, as i left a city with all kind of restaurants and entertainment and moved to a city where nothing happened after 8 pm. there were a select group of businessmen who did not want any new industry or restaurant to move in, even mcdonalds restaurant was voted down for fear of traffic jams. two new industrial parks were developed and people came in from other areas of the country with new ideas. so, compared to 30 years ago, this town has progressed greatly. i am glad i stayed, only the restaurant issue is still bad. kearney and grand island are bigger and near the interstate, they get all the restaurants. if we were the only major city in 50 miles, we would get the restaurants. People drive 70 miles from kansas to shop here, there is nothing south until hays, kansas at 160 miles from here.
I haven’t lived in Hastings for a long time but still come to visit at least yearly, I have seen the town change a lot. I know that one of the biggest gripes is that the mall is owned by someone from out of state who just uses it as a tax write-off therefore allowing it to die. I remember in the day when everyone and I mean everyone from Hastings shopped there at Christmas and that place was fun and busy. The owners (I am guessing/what I have heard from the locals) have raised the price of the rent so high that local business can’t afford to have their business there. It is sad. Now, you have an outside mall. Who in their infinite wisdom thought that an outdoor mall was a good idea in Nebraska? I can see it in California or Texas but Nebraska when the temperature gets below freezing. People don’t want to walk around in the crappy weather. As someone who returns to Hastings, I do enjoy dining at the many of the places I enjoyed as a child but I feel bad for the people who live there. No choices as far as a mid-priced steak house or buffet or a decent Italian restaurant. Those of us who have family who live there all hear about the good ole’ boys network. Does it exists? Who knows. Wouldn’t surprise me and I don’t think it would surprise many who live there. Why can other towns the size of Hastings has an Applebee’s but Hastings can’t seem to get one? Guess that is the real question.