ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JOEL KLAASSEN
The colder weather is certainly welcome in these parts. Too bad we missed the snow-that really means moisture-that fell south and east of here.
I am always amazed how snowfall can vary so much from one place to the next. I even heard that one side of Kansas Highway 15 had ice on it and the other side didn’t, and there was ice on the 13-mile road about four miles south of Hillsboro but none north of that line.
The cold weather finally will kill most of the bugs, although I swatted the last fly on Sunday.
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The surface of Indigo (13-mile) Road is certainly an improvement over the old days when it was coated with tar using a broom and a bucket.
When it is slick out, though, it is always much wiser to go around on U.S. Highway 56 and K-15 traveling south, where the roads are treated and have more traffic to clear the lanes.
The latter route really isn’t any slower because you don’t encounter a stop sign. For safety, it’s a no brainer.
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Our new Wichita Eagle paper carriers have demonstrated they are serious about delivering our daily newspaper. It is on time always and right by the door. I haven’t had to search for it even once since they took over the route.
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Did you hear about the guy who was caught cheating on an ethics test?
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I don’t why this happens, but I never have the foresight to hang our outside lights for Christmas until it gets really cold and windy. Now I’m waiting for better weather to get the job done.
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I’m sure many of you have heard of secret shoppers who visit a store and then report to the investigating company about the kind of service its stores are delivering to customers.
I wouldn’t doubt that secret shopping has taken place in our trade area. But if one came to shop with you, would you pass the test?
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In our stores, the service and product knowledge we can deliver can potentially set us apart from the competition, including the big box stores and the Internet.
Studies have shown that price isn’t everything when consumers make a purchase. And the majority of purchases are made by women. Being nice to women is a good thing, but also a necessity in the competitive world we live in.
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Since I started writing my recollections last week about business people who used to have stores in Hillsboro, I have started to dream about them.
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This week I’m featuring Henry “Hank” Schultz, who with wife Alice ran the Schultz Grocery Store. Their business was located on East Grand sandwiched (pun intended) between Plett’s Cafe and The Sundries, where Emprise Bank now stands.
I remember that when I entered the store as a kid he would greet me, “Well, Kliena Klosa?” Don’t know if I spelled that correctly, but it’s Low German for “little Klaassen.”
My mom would usually give me a grocery list. The Schultzes would write the items down and off I’d go. Didn’t need money. They just sent a bill at the end of the month, I presume. I never saw the bill.
One day at coffee-business people and the help always used to go for coffee-Henry was asked if he was doing any business. His reply: “Yeah, monkey business.” I have never forgotten that remark.
