From Kevin Hinterberger, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central North Carolina:
“Local government could find itself cash strapped in a very short time if it was helping every single business.” Hinterberger said.
Hello, Greensboro and Winston-Salem city councils? But the bigger issue surrounding Hinterberger’s comments is the possible demise of Gboro’s 60-year-old Bessemer Curb Market:
Meat and produce are this market’s specialty. But owner Harold Powell isn’t selling it like he used to. He said competition from the nearby Wal-Mart, as well as an aging building that limits what he can sell and a generation less interested in cooking are all hurting his store, which has been open for more than 60 years.
“Honestly, it’s sort of day-by-day,” the 68-year-old Powell said last week. “If things don’t change, we may have to close our doors.”
You guessed it –Powell is pondering going to the city for money to help keep his business afloat. You can probably guess that Powell noted the city’s $250,00 grant to get the Renaissance Co-Op off the ground, not to mention the city’s $100,000 loan to get the Deep Roots co-op going.
Hard to imagine how the city can say no to Bessemer Curb Market should it ask for financial help. It’s an institution, it’s on the east side of town (food desert) and sells fresh, healthy food —including hog jowl and souse meat. Besides, the city said ‘yes’ to the other grocers….
