The pig and Will make a picturesque pair
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Moments later, that destiny was fulfilled as Will showed he wasn’t afraid to make the first move. With soft music, dim lighting and their hearts beating like motorboats, Will’s lips became one with the pig’s for one fleeting moment that some might even describe as passionate.
In case you missed it, that was the scene Friday afternoon at the newspaper office when Will Stewart was crowned the improbable “winner” of the Standard’s kiss the pig contest. I say improbable because heading down the home stretch Friday, Will had all of one vote. That put him approximately 57 votes behind the leader and seemingly well out of contention.
But my, oh my, how quickly things changed and Will can thank the teachers at Bobby Ray Elementary for his demise. They collected $25, which translated into 25 votes, for Will to kiss the pig and school principal Bonnie Collier brought the donation by Friday morning.
Even with the extra 25 votes, Will was still well behind and seemingly out of harm’s way. And, more and more, it was looking like I would have to kiss the pig. People flocking to our office to enjoy customer appreciation day were approaching me with broad smiles and saying things like, “I just gave $2 to have you kiss the pig.” One lady even donated $21 to the cause. As the 1 p.m. kissing hour approached, there was a small crowd which had gathered for the sole purpose of watching me kiss the pig.
Things were looking bad. I was almost to the point of applying lip gloss and making sure my breath was minty fresh when a ray of sunlight appeared. A number of Standard employees had formed an alliance, which, as far as I can tell, was the result of watching too many “Survivor” episodes.
The alliance had targeted Will as its victim using the reasoning it would be fun to have Will kiss the pig because he’s a vegetarian. Just beating the deadline by minutes, the alliance put $85 into the pot and pledged all 85 of those votes to Will. He had been double crossed by his own co-workers.
Fortunately, Will was a good sport and he looked like a fairly good kisser too. He did want me to emphasize that contrary to widespread rumors, he did not try to get the pig’s phone number after the kiss. Will was a gentleman, however, and did pay for dinner, although he maintains there was no spark, no connection, between the two.
That might be true, but for one moment in time, Will and the pig will forever be connected. The actual kiss is a thing of the past, but the memories can last a lifetime, and newsprint even longer.
And in one final note, my research shows Will is now a member of an elite club as only the second Standard employee to ever kiss a pig. As far as anyone can tell, Duane Sherrill was the first, but what he does in the privacy of his own home is his business.
Dollar General coming to Morrison
There are over 6,700 stores in the Dollar General chain, including three in McMinnville. In the coming months, there will be a new Dollar General store in Morrison with construction currently under way.
“It’s a definite go,” said Joe Hays, manager of the Dollar General on Sparta Street. “We just opened a new store in Altamont and it’s done real well. I’d think the Morrison community would be real excited.”
Dollar General is in the midst of an aggressive growth plan that’s expected to see the discount retailer open around 500 stores this year. During the lackluster economic times of the Bush administration, stores such as Fred’s and Dollar General have really been thriving.
“We’ve found that people, especially in rural areas, run for the Dollar General store because people need to stretch their dollar,” said Joe. “In fact the Dollar General in Smithville is one of the best stores in the company. We’re currently trying to open a second store in Smithville.”
What I can’t understand is this: How can Warren County support four Dollar General stores and not keep one Kmart open? It doesn’t make sense.
Flowers by Jennifer is ready to bloom
Jennifer Glasener has been in the flower business for some 14 years so it makes sense she would one day open her own shop. That day came last week when she opened Flowers by Jennifer on Sparta Street, right next to the rescue squad.
“I’m glad to be out talking to people and working with the public again,” said Jennifer, who had sold flowers wholesale for the past three years.
Her shop has a little of everything including your traditional flower shop fare – silk and fresh flowers, balloons and plants. But Jennifer also sells furniture and lamps, soaps, candles, and other home decor items.
Flowers by Jennifer is open Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jennifer also stressed that she and her husband, Chad, are available seven days a week. She said when they leave the office, they have calls automatically forwarded to their cell phone.
Davis Furniture recovers from storm damage
Davis Furniture was forced to close for three months after a storm did significant damage to the store last May. Owner Scott Davis said it took him awhile to build back his inventory, but he wants his customers to know his store is now full of merchandise.
“I’m still alive and kicking,” said Scott. “I’ve had a lot of people tell me they didn’t know I had re-opened so I want to get the word out.”
Scott said he has shifted gears somewhat and is now going with a higher line of furniture. But he also wanted to emphasize his affordable prices have not changed.
“We’re still the working man’s furniture store,” said Scott, who admitted the economy is still not as perky as he would like. “I don’t care if you’re selling furniture or tacos, it’s tough.”
Davis Furniture is located on Sparta Highway and is open Monday thru Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 815-8138.
Tobacco shop adds breakfast, lunch menus
Quick Sellers Pizza and Deli has opened inside the tobacco shop on Sparta Street.
And owner David Grace is serious about serving his customers – so serious he begins serving biscuits and other breakfast items at 5 a.m.
“We felt like we could pick up more business with this deli,” said David, who is located next to Randy’s Raceway which sells an awful lot of food.
David says he is specializing in fresh dough pizza and deli sandwiches, but he pretty much offers everything a regular breakfast and lunch counter does. There’s a short-order menu along with other plate lunches and specials such as catfish on Fridays.
And you don’t have to get there first thing in the morning to try David’s food. The deli is open till 9 p.m. every day except Sunday.
That’s all folks
The excitement of Pig Day is beginning to fade, but I’m already thinking about next year. Since our first-ever kiss the pig contest was widely successful, I’m thinking of ways to improve on Pig Day even more.
That basically means I’m thinking about a hot dog eating contest to determine the biggest, baddest hot dog eater in this town.
As for business news, I’m in constant need of new material. Give me a call at 473-2191 or send me an e-mail at [email protected].