How to stimulate retail experiences in Martin, Tennessee

I am a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, which is in a small town with little opportunities for myself and other students (along with the rest of the community).

Martin does not have very many manufacturing opportunities but MTD/Club Cadet, Greenball, and newly, Dong USA. Loss of manufacturing jobs causes economic decline including retail and restaurant closures. UT Martin is also an economic driver with faculty and staff employed (along with visiting students who attend school). College students are looking for shopping and retail opportunities that would make them feel more like home. However, Martin does not provide the opportunities that these students typically find in a big city.

Many brick and mortar retailers are suffering because more people are shopping online without traveling long distances to find items. Many online shoppers are from small towns/rural communities. I would like to suggest some ideas to help turn the retail industry around.

There are new local eateries that have opened up in 2019 along with more in the works. Burkes Outlet is being constructed on Commons Drive between the two strip malls. However, more work needs to be done.

I should ask if anyone is going to move any businesses to the abandoned Weldon Plaza shopping center soon and it should be a good starting point to rehabilitate the shopping center if the structure is in good condition (remodeling is needed). My first idea is that Martin needs a second laundromat (besides Len Haven next to the motel where drug dealers and registered sex offenders commonly reside) where it is safe. The new laundromat is a great idea for Weldon Plaza because it is in close proximity to the Martin Police Department in case if there are any problems and a very good neighborhood. I would like to suggest Murray, Kentucky’s, iWash idea (benefits used on Murray State University students) to cater to UTM students (a wash, dry, and fold service that is paid by parents per semester up to 20 pounds per week).The entire laundromat idea should be self-service, and paid laundry and dry cleaning services under one roof. I also should recommend wi-fi and TV services while customers wait on their laundry. There is also a shopping center on Lindell (the area around the Hearth Restaurant) that also needs rehabilitation. There has not been a business since Warehouse Foods went out of business (probably vacant since the 1980s when I first came to Weakley County).

Now, I need to brainstorm retailer ideas since not very many people in Weakley County (especially UTM students) can afford high-end items. Here are some ideas for discounted clothing retailers besides Factory Connection and the future Burkes Outlet if the community wants to consider: TJ Maxx, Ross Stores (also known as Ross Dress for Less) with opportunities for loss prevention specialists, Marshall’s, Cato (for women), Plato’s Closet (where young people can buy and sell their gently used brand-name clothing), Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth Avenue (not Saks Fifth Avenue with expensive prices), Old Navy, Gordman’s (one is opening in Dyersburg in September in place of Peebles), Burlington, even a Tanger Outlets mall. I don’t think that Aeropostale is doing well as a business entirely, but we can use one of their stores for polo shirts and khakis/twill pants for school as well as other stylish tee-shirts for UTM students as well as everyone else.

Now with other discounted retailer ideas: I think that Martin needs a shopping competitor besides Walmart since it is a college town and Target (even a SuperTarget) should be considered so we would take advantage of the Cartwheel app and REDCard. Walmart does not have a rewards program since they’ve done away with the Savings Catcher and transitioned to Walmart Pay. Martin also needs another drugstore besides Walmart and CVS–let’s try Walgreens along with a locally owned pharmacy with delivery and charge accounts. Oh, by the way, CVS needs to build on an expansion so it would have the items that other CVS stores have (including photo, greeting cards, household, cosmetics, and grocery items). Dollar Tree should be relocated away from E.W. James on Commons Drive into a bigger retail space so it would have refrigerated/frozen foods (has Dresden ever thought about its Dollar Tree location being a few doors down from E.W. James?), probably another rehabilitation thought for Weldon Plaza. What about Lowes Home Improvement (or a Home Depot in Northwest Tennessee)? Now, here are a few more suggestions for discounted retail: Big Lots, Bargain Hunt, HomeGoods, Five Below, Family Dollar (if management and security requirements are met because the one in Murray, Kentucky, gets shoplifted all the time), Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Harbor Freight Tools, Gabe’s, and Tuesday Morning. Forgot to mention about Hobby Lobby since we have not had a Christian bookstore in years (with access to crafting and décor projects). Someone asked me a few years ago where the Hobby Lobby store here in town is and I told him, “there isn’t one here.” We will avoid warehouse clubs since memberships are very expensive. Here’s a hint, if CVS in Martin does not want to expand, then putting a Target in Martin will have a CVS Pharmacy inside along with Starbucks and Pizza Hut Express (or generic snack bar alone).

As far as grocery stores, Aldi would be a good pick along with Trader Joe’s. Let’s not mention Kroger for now since we are already satisfied with its sister store, Ruler Foods, but it can offer another pharmacy opportunity along with a gas station using points on the Kroger Plus Card. If Martin improves economically, then Ruler would be upgraded to a regular Kroger store (and get Save-A-Lot back, move Ruler to Union City). Save-A-Lot just went out of business so we won’t bring that up for several years. Food Giant has good deli chicken if they want to expand. West Tennessee does not have much of a national supermarket chain competition like Middle and East Tennessee does. Ask Food Lion, Publix, and Harris Teeter if they are willing to move into a few places in West Tennessee. We can also use a Whole Foods store as we are in need of more healthier and organic foods for our pantries.

Now, we are shifting gears to restaurants and the number 1 pick for a college community is Cracker Barrel. Other ideas: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) that went out of business years ago and we need it back only if a different franchise owner would maintain order (along with Long John Silvers), Steak N’ Shake (which is coming to Murray State’s Sodexo this fall), Hardee’s (if only opened for breakfast), Arby’s, Applebee’s (thought that I saw a rumor about one coming to Martin fairly recently), Popeye’s, Five Guys, Jimmy John’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, IHOP, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Waffle House (instead of the current Huddle House that we’ve heard complaints about), and Golden Corral. I probably left other possibilities out. Burger King should be relocated to a different part of town since their new competitor next door, Cook Out, is grilling burgers at lower prices. We need another pizza restaurant that is more locally-owned (not Papa John’s since it went out of business and hate their green peppers, Snappy Tomato Pizza also went out of business in Martin as well). Fazoli’s might also be a good idea. I may need to collaborate with someone to open a local pizzeria called “Politics and Pizza” where politics are always welcome to be discussed in the building (not on social media) with larger pizza sizes for groups and by the slice, wings, salads, subs, calzones, have occasional political guest speakers, concerts with protest music as long as it’s peaceful, other civic engagement activities and voter registration drives, a political science tutoring afternoon session five days a week for all UTM political science classes (by me), TV monitors turned on the news, no alcoholic beverages served because we do not want disorderly conduct in a politically motivated environment, and add a separate family room for families with kids without the discussion of politics. The main dining area would be for those who want politics at the table. I’m open to anyone who would teach me to open a business.

How about reasonable cosmetics and fragrances in the area. We might do with a stand-alone Sephora (no JCPenney since they’re in big financial trouble) store so we can score free samples with purchases. Someplace in Northwest Tennessee needs a retailer where men and women can test fragrances on a card or get free sample vials prior to purchase but do not want to mention a very high end store unless Martin wants to take a gamble by putting a Macy’s, Dillard’s, or Belk somewhere (but not another Stage Store like Peebles and Goody’s). I’m not much on Sally Beauty Supply.

Sears Holdings will not turn itself around until the company is completely rid of Eddie Lampert. Since Lampert was CEO when Sears and Kmart merged in 2005, the company’s profits have declined significantly until it’s bankruptcy filing. Sears Holdings needs a CEO with retail experience, not a financier. If Sears Holdings turns itself around, I rather stick to small Kmart stores without pharmacies and keep the Blue Light specials and Shop Your Way rewards program (my personal recommendation is for another major retail company to buy out Kmart and reopen stores to turn it around). According to the Sears Holdings website, Sebastian Spering Kresge started Kmart in an effort to always be there with affordable prices to families during times of war and financial depression. Kresge is rolling in his grave right now because his store is terribly messed up. Here is an excerpt of the letter I sent to Sears Holdings last fall (mentioning some of the details that I have already mentioned).

Excerpt of Elysia Duke’s letter to Sears Holdings Corporation.

Other specialty retailers: A UPS Store might be beneficial to UTM faculty and staff as well as other local businesses and residents. We might also take a Kohl’s store if anyone needs to return Amazon items.

Maybe Weakley Countians should answer to a survey of what they would like to see in Martin. Well, I think that I have enough suggestions for now.

Trump views SCOTUS as his ally

According to the Washington Post, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted a message stating that if the House Democrats decide to impeach him that he would go to the Supreme Court of the United States first. On the day after SCOTUS decided to consider the Trump Administration’s plan to include the citizenship question on the 2020 Census, Trump’s tweet is viewed that SCOTUS is considered as his biggest ally.

Elysia’s Take and Recommendation:

It’s been a broken record since 2015 when Trump declared his run for President of the United States. It’s not about the money, it is about his past all along the campaign trail into the Presidency. Look at his bankruptcy records and is this someone who would turn this country around economically as well as his refusal to release his tax returns? Look at the women and the disabled journalist who he’s offended! I decided to vote for a third-party candidate because of what he said to Megyn Kelly in a debate (and didn’t need another Clinton in the White House). I was a disabled college journalist at the time when Trump offended the disabled journalist who was reporting on him and wouldn’t want a guy like him talking to me like that. I would set boundaries if I were ever to interview him to maintain neutrality or given the interview to a colleague. And look at the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington some few blocks from the White House, did he (or his family) have the right to convert the historic Old Post Office Pavilion into a hotel?

Trump International Hotel Photo: Elysia Duke

With the redacted Mueller report recently released, it was found that Trump did have communication with the Russians although no crime was yet found. However, House Democrats must also look at how Trump conducted himself in rapport with legislators along with the media and the public, which was all negative and does not exhibit the character of a President of the United States. I suggest all women to come forward with credible evidence to put any male politician on trial for sexual misconduct along with rape because it all must be punished in a criminal court of law. It is unprofessional conduct. Trump should also realize the messages that he communicates in private as well as in public. It is not right for a POTUS (President of the United States) to drop the f-bomb in any professional communication (only belongs in the movie and music industry). Also, he discriminated against people of his own kind not limited to different races, Muslims, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, women, etc. Worse yet, Trump barred House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from taking an international flight on a private jet and was forced to ride coach on a commercial airline instead after he declined her request to postpone the State of the Union until Congress agreed with the new budget deal over border wall funding. Democrats are doing everything they can to promote their message to ensure Trump is punished by not re-electing him or impeachment if they just do their jobs. Professionalism must be restored to the Executive Branch of government and should learn that Congress only has authority to make the laws.

Trump asked his staff to skip the White House Correspondent’s dinner. This is a red flag indicates that the people must get together to communicate proper White House codes of conduct to him. Melania has the right to divorce him if she is indeed not happy with Donald and the women he’s harassed.

I have talked to friends about this mess and one suggested declaring martial law. I am against confiscating guns away from the people, only the on the guilty party. I also kind of think that only a military coup should be declared to remove a misconducted politician from power if the people unanimously vote for this method of removal (including Congress). It is not in the U.S. Constitution to have a recall election in the U.S. Government (including POTUS and U.S. Congress), but I think that a recall election should be implemented in this case because the people were still divided since the 2016 Presidential election and are still (both Democrats and many Republicans) complaining on the outcome with dissatisfaction up to this day. The recall election should be decided on popular vote with a wide range of both Democratic and Republican candidates if voters decide to recall Trump. The Electoral College should also be abolished because it was first manipulated in the 2000 Presidential election. If Congress can be decided by popular vote, then shall must be POTUS!

Trump should also understand that there are SCOTUS justices who dislike him and he will never get his way each time. The left-wing justices must also have an opportunity to speak out more and Trump should take time to listen to them. However, all federal judges are supposed to leave their political baggage at home and never mention about it at work, but they are mentioning clues of their personal views during speaking events, and siding with interest groups/causes as proven in their backgrounds before they were confirmed by the Senate. I should make a recommendation for each SCOTUS justice candidate whom the President nominates, to never reveal their personal backgrounds to the media, including religion, what they support, affiliations with certain groups, what they sided on, etc. If you notice a pattern on what cases they sided with, you get a trend/insight of what they really support. In a better way, it should never be discussed on the news.

The Treasury Department is also protecting Trump by not sending the tax returns to House Democrats on deadline. What happened to having a working rapport and maintaining political neutrality with integrity (including bipartisanship)? Simply turning over tax returns under subpoena is a nonpartisan task. A slight change of subject of bipartisanship, there are bipartisan political couples who have stayed married/gotten along by not sharing any of their personal views. It should also stay the same in the rest of the political field (in the workplace).

Again, I am sick of hearing this mess on the news and is hard for me to follow the Executive Branch anymore without getting upset. Even the White House cannot keep stable employees and it must also be considered with Trump’s poor reputation. I will never send him my resume because it is a very hostile work environment. I do not anticipate this mess ending without action towards the Executive Branch.

I do not consider myself as a “snowflake” because I am an independent who has a mixture of beliefs from both parties. I evaluate facts. I have no control, but I do relay recommendations.

Five-year-old calls 911 for McDonald’s meal

Five-year-old Iziah Hall of Wyoming, Mich., called 911 to have a McDonald’s order delivered to him while his grandmother was napping.

According to USA Today, Hall asked a dispatcher to bring him McDonald’s but asked a local police officer to fulfill Hall’s request. The officer stopped by Hall’s house for an initial welfare check and brought him his meal. Hall told the officer that he would wake his napping grandmother mad and asked him to leave. Although Hall told WZZM that it is funny, it is NEVER FUNNY!!!!

Elysia’s Take and Recommendation: (Not to put you on the spot, young man)

I appreciate if no one would comment on my post because I do not want to be SHAMED over proper advice.  What this spoiled brat did was a crime; you NEVER call 911 for nonemergencies.  I am in the field of political science who has very strict rules in mind to maintain order and I would impose strict rules on every child in order for me to maintain the integrity and to set examples on how these rules should be followed.  The juvenile justice system should lower the minimum age to five years old (beginning of school age) because he should go to Juvenile Court because calling 911 to request a Happy Meal is a crime. There are never any Happy Meals behind bars.   The grandmother should have made him nap the same time she did and he must be supervised at ALL times he is awake and if she had to nap, she should have asked the parent to pick him up or asked someone else to watch him.  He should have allowed the cops to check on his grandmother for consciousness in order to be considered a good gesture by law enforcement and what they should have done is handcuffed him and taken him to Juvenile Hall until the parents acknowledge in person.  Since this is public record and his family knows now, I hope he’s punished.  However, I do shame parents who do not discipline their children properly.  If I were five years old and did something like this, my father would whoop my butt left and right and taken eating-out privileges away from me for several months.  If I were the parents, I would prohibit him from visiting Grandma for a year until she knows what he did is WRONG along with disconnecting all home phones and stick to cell phones protected by passcodes and never keep a deactivated cell phone around. Always donate, trade in, or sell your deactivated cell phones to keep out of reach of children.  Grandparents should always be on contract with parents to never spoil their children and to punish when necessary. Time out does not deter most forms of misconduct alone.  I also shame the state child welfare systems for prohibiting corporal punishment in schools, daycare centers, foster care systems, etc. because we are seeing more children who are out of control more than ever in addition to parents not spanking the children.  There are still good parents who spank children and I commend them.  My punishment recommendation for a stunt like this is a good ol’ fashioned spanking with loss of eating out privileges for six months to a year, make the child eat a very strict or vegan diet that prohibits the use of sugar, salt, artificial dyes/colorings, gluten, casein (dairy/cows milk, substitute for hemp or plant-based milk), starches (including potatoes), carbohydrates, processed foods, carbonated water, caffeine (including soft drinks, coffee, tea),preservatives, pastas and pizzas, anything considered junk food,  and GMO’S (including pesticides, insecticides, herbicides), etc.   Always shop at your local farmer’s markets for fruits/vegetables for your family.  I also would like for public and private schools to follow these same guidelines in school cafeterias to teach all children proper healthy eating habits, to combat childhood obesity,  to minimize disrespectful behaviors, to encourage more focus on schoolwork along with everything else, and to be respectful of other students who are diabetics, have food allergies, on the autism spectrum, have ADHD and other disciplinary issues, etc (everybody eats the same thing at the cafeteria table). Schools should also maintain gardens for the cafeteria (taught to students in all grades) so they would have good vegetables to eat.  Parents may want to establish a boot camp system to ensure that their children are being very respectful to them and others.  All children should be taught as soon as they start talking to say, “yes ma’am, yes sir, etc.” so they can properly answer their parents, elders, and siblings, and to be very respectful descendants.  There are also children who are controlling their own parents becasue they are not properly disciplined.  A parent or teacher, however, is NEVER a child’s friend because they have to place boundaries on all children.

I also believe that children should never own a cell phone nor have any online accounts until they reach 18 because they need to understand the morals of electronic communication including bullying and what to do if a friend is in danger, never to abuse others, and the financial obligations of owning a cell phone (including maintaining a job along with money to pay the bills). They should be mature. In addition, children should never make legal decisions until they reach 18 and should never date, marry, have sex, or even have children before they reach 18. Any child conceived outside of wedlock is considered an unwanted pregnancy regardless of situation. You must have full legal and responsibility in order to make these difficult decisions with your money, your body, and life.

My father always had to repeat my wrongdoings before we re-enter an environment where an infraction was previously committed to remind me not to do it again although it is repetitive to me that I get tired of it. It should also be done to every child to ensure that behavior never happens again, especially before using the phone to call a friend. Another thought, with the portable electronic age, no child should ever be permitted to use a phone at all to prevent illegal 911 calls. I do not think that anyone under 18 should ever be left home alone and a adult must always be present to prevent teenagers doing stuff behind anyone’s back. Every minor child and legally incompetent adult needs an authoritarian government system.

The states are also legal guardians of minor children (from ages 5-18) under the compulsory attendance laws, except the Amish/Mennonite traditions that their children must be schooled until the eighth grade under the Establishment Clause. They will punish a child by legal action if that kid is truant, displays very violent or serious behaviors, etc. You can say a parent does not have full control of a child from Kindergarten to high school graduation. (My common sense) It is getting to a point where “big government” will be everyone’s boss and no adult will like their rules.

Another point: if states want to control school-aged children, then they must build regional public boarding schools where all school-aged children are housed to attend school under one roof/campus. The campus should be fenced off to the public with athletic facilities, strict diets that I mentioned above, assigned daily chores with rotations, no access to electronics except for school assignments, uniforms where no student shows off skin with haircut regulations to prevent head lice and promote professionalism (with the exception of Pentecostal/Apostolic and Muslim females), dormitories with males and females separated and must be based on the child’s birth certificate, corporal punishment, they can go home during holidays and summer break, etc. The uniform policy is polo shirts, khakis with a belt (khaki skirts for Pentecostal/Apostolic females), no decoration except for boarding school colors/mascot, short hair (pixies for females) for both males and females that is easily manageable (with the exception of Pentecostal/Apostolic females who must pin their long hair up in a bun and Muslim females with hair pinned up/pixie haircut with hijab on at all times). Yes, Kindergarten will go through a boot-camp adjustment on their first week of school with Locks of Love donation drives at the school’s barber shop. As always, there are no weapons on the boarding school property and visitors must always be buzzed in at the gate and go through security checks at the door. The media are welcome to come film daily school activities to educate others with students’ faces blurred.

There are children who are diagnosed with ADHD simply because of the trend of Dr. Benjamin Spock’s book that discouraged corporal punishment and got addicted to these drugs by modern-day psychiatrists. If you don’t want your kid hooked on these dangerous medications, always spank his/her butt on every infraction. Children raised up to the 1970s are better behaved than later because they got spankings left and right and their parents always put them to work doing chores before the modern electronic age. Let’s go back to that!

I do get an anxiety attack and ticked off each time I hear a loud, undisciplined children. I also wish that a law would be passed so all legal adults have the right to spank children when the parents refuse to discipline properly with a report submitted to Child Protective Services. I do consider myself as a disciplinarian because I want to help set examples of following the rules and pass laws of implementing proper effective punishment for ages 0-18. I am glad that I am remaining celibate and never having any children because it is difficult to raise on in this dysfunctional generation. Not only that I easily get distracted by spoiled brats, it also distracts others, especially if they get loud in a waiting room while you read a magazine or meditate on what you’re going to tell the doctor.

I want to make sure that no child is unattended. If I am out at Walmart or other large public place and see a young child alone, I will ask, “where is your momma (or daddy)?” It is very important that I get that child back to the parent because that child must be protected from predators and registered sex offenders (including pedophiles). I had to help pick up a runaway toddler while traveling in Washington, DC, because the mother was overwhelmed with a baby without additional adult help.

My advice to single and other moms visiting the OB/GYN, please have someone watching your small children (and make your appointments when your children are in daycare, preschool, school) because they do not deserve to see your private parts (especially little boys). I was sent to Grandma’s each time my mother would have an OB/GYN appointment, so please keep this example.

Again, this is not a “happy meal” article.  It’s time to teach our children right from wrong. I have just explained proper parenting under big government with better ideas than true politicians. I have no heart for immature behaviors. Everyone must be taught to behave like adults.