Founding Member Meeting this Friday and Co-op Update!

[Capital City Market]

Good morning Co-op supporters,

Just a reminder, this Friday at 5pm at the Northern Light United Church, we will hold the first meeting of the membership for Capital City Market Co-op.   It’s not too late to become a Founding Member and participate in the meeting -- just show up at 4:45pm with your completed form and payment.   A membership form is attached.  

Our deep appreciation and thanks go to Patricia Hull, Ken Burch, Karen Lawfer, and Linda Kruger, in addition to Odin Brudie, Evelyn Rousso and Greg Fisk, for agreeing to be nominated to serve on the co-op board.   Voting for the board of directors will take place at the meeting.

Now for some news:  Looks like the new Board will have some money in the bank as things move forward, because we are pleased to announce that we have been awarded our seed grant for $10,000 from the Food Co-op Initiative!!   The Initiative is particularly excited about the Capital City Market Co-op and staff from the organization recently visited Juneau and met with our steering committee members.  

Also, we have launched the market study with Bert Hambleton of Hambleton Resources, Inc., a market research firm out of Seattle.   In light of the new ownership of the Foodland store, the market study scope was revised to look at three other locations in the Juneau borough for viability of a grocery co-operative.  We look forward to the results in the next couple weeks if not sooner. 

That’s it for now; we look forward to seeing Founding Members this Friday.  If you can’t make it, don’t forget to send in your ballots!

Cheers,

 

Sally Schlichting, Secretary

Capital City Market Co-op Steering Committee

capitalcity...@gmail.com

 

 

[Marta Lastufka]

I am not sure if this group is still active or if all plans to move forward on a co-op have been shelved. I am very disappointed in the direction that IGA Foodland is going and several conversations with friends confirm that they are also unhappy. One friend calls it a giant 7eleven for the quality and prices of it's stock. I only shop there when I have forgotten something or don't have time to drive out to the valley. From a business standpoint it seems like a lost opportunity and I don't feel as if this business is serving the community well. Yesterday I went in to buy a snack for a group of 12 children and was hard pressed to find something I could reasonably afford that wasn't crap. Is anyone in this community willing to sign a letter to the owners requesting better service? Is there anyone who wouldn't mind helping to draft that letter? Should I bother? Is there another market in the works or does anyone have any better ideas?

Thanks

Marta

 

 

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[Ann Symons]

I'd like to concur and also express my disappointment with IGA Foodland.  We live in Douglas and often don't want to drive to the valley.  After this last three weeks of finding prices high, particularly on produce, quality low, I will shop elsewhere.   

Cheers, Ann

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[Patricia Hull]

The Capital City Market Cooperative (CCMC) is still active. If you haven't taken our current survey on customer buying habits please do so by visiting 
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CGP26QP. 

It is interesting how different people view the changes at IGA. I volunteered at the CCMC booth at the food festival yesterday and over the course of the day heard  many differing opinions on IGA, some were quite positive including those who said their suggestions to the manager had been listened to: for example, that the store carry more organic produce. 

I believe the best action any dissatisfied customer can take is to directly contact a store manager directly with a brief note with suggestions for specific changes/ products you'd like to see.  Most store owners are very grateful to hear from their customers and the more specific the suggestions, the better. 

Best wishes, 

Patricia 

[evelyn rousso]

Last week the manager of the IGA made a presentation at a meeting sponsored by JEDC about the Willoughby district.  He told us that they have plans to completely renovate the store; you may have noticed the construction.  True North federal credit union is moving in as is heritage coffee.  They are going to have a very large bulk food section, larger deli and bakery and a community room.   He said the store will be completely renovated.  I have no idea if their plans will address the issues mentioned below but  I will see if I can reach out to someone to get the message to the new owners.

 

Evelyn Rousso

Capital City Market Co-operative

Juneau, Alaska

907 321 3443

[Marta Lastufka]

Thank you,
It is great to hear that they are taking input from the community and I will write a letter right away. I hope other people who are dissatisfied, as well as customers who are happy with their service, will as well.

I guess the co-op market project is not taking off?

Marta

[evelyn rousso]

The co-op I still alive (if a little dormant!) but our original focus, to be a full service grocery to serve downtown, may no longer be valid.  We are starting a public outreach campaign to determine how a food co-op could best meet the needs of our community;  how a new market could fill gaps in our current system of food acquisition.  As patricia mentioned we had a terrific response at the food fest and I urge everyone to take a survey about your grocery buying habits.

  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CGP26QP

please feel free to forward this link! 

[Judy]

I agree with you completely, Marta. I had been more and more disappointed with IGA but it really struck home how pathetic it is after having spent three weeks in Minneapolis and shopping at lovely neighborhood supermarkets there. Foodland/A&P used to have canned goods, etc. on sale at the ends of the aisles, now they have huge bags of chips. The new additions I really find repulsive are the bags of cheap bulk candy in front of the deli and almost blocking the path to the checkout stands. I pity parents of small children for the obstacle course they must run to get out without temper tantrum meltdowns. 

Judy

On Sep 1, 2013, at 2:11 PM, Marta Lastufka <sweets...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Marta Lastufka]

I agree with you, Judy. The quality of a lot of the food is bad and prices are high. I was really disappointed in the baked goods, not that it has ever been great but it certainly could be.  Foodland at one time had the best butcher in town. The quality has been declining for years, but I was hopeful that these owners would reclaim it. The truth is our community has a population that is diverse financially. It will always be a mystery why we don't have better restaurants given how much we all love food. Many of us make a strong commitment to cooking and enjoying good food together. I think it makes sense that the downtown grocery would cater to all of us that share that value. I do understand that there are other people who live here who don't have the luxury to talk about beautiful bread, organic produce and free range meat, but still everyone deserves affordable healthy food and my family, no matter our tastes, have to be careful in how we spend our money and, as I said, yesterday I was hard pressed to find an affordable, relatively healthy snack for 12 children. I kicked myself for not remembering earlier so I could have gone to Costco.
I will work on my letter.

Marta

[kimberly metcalfe]

Hello, all--I agree that Foodland can be more than it currently is. I don't think it's terrible, though. I compare prices and frankly, I think Fred Meyer's pricing on produce is really high. I rarely shop at Carrs/Safeway, but their produce is really high, too. I rarely shop at SuperBear, but their produce is terrible. Their fish/meat is really good. Costco is, of course, great re: pricing, but as a single person, I can't justify buying quantities that feed six or ten people. I buy at Costco for parties--best deal in town, and buy selectively for myself. Nothing in this town is perfect. What I do is decide not to buy things I think are a rip-off. I know I will be going to the valley eventually and will defer purchases of, for example, cat food, until I go to Costco. Shop around, make do with what they have at Foodland and be happy we have a store downtown!!!

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From: Marta Lastufka <sweets...@gmail.com>
To: cron...@gmail.com
Cc: "capitalcity...@gmail.com" <capitalcity...@gmail.com>; "kelle...@gmail.com" <kelle...@gmail.com>; "juneau-f...@googlegroups.com" <juneau-f...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 1, 2013 5:29 PM

Subject: Re: {Capital City Market Co-op} Founding Member Meeting this Friday and Co-op Update!

[Wheeler Paris Family Computer]

At the Willoughby District meeting last week, the manager of Foodland said that their upcoming renovation will include an expanded natural foods section, a bulk foods section, a full-service meat counter, a full-service fish counter, an expanded deli and an expanded bakery.  Sounds like they are going to expand into the vacant spaces on either side of the current space.  I don't know any specific details besides that, but if someone wanted to know more, I bet you could meet with the manager.

Cheers,

Marc Wheeler

[Marta Lastufka]

Thanks Marc.

and good luck on your new venture!