To the editor:

What is the harm of a Dollar General in Wilmington? A Dollar General sells items other than what the name implies. Canned goods, boxed mixes, milk, eggs, candy, snacks and soda are available at competitive prices. School supplies and cleaning supplies, detergent and personal hygiene, flip-flops and towels for the beach, table settings for a backyard barbecue — they’re all available at prices everyone can afford.

As far as being detrimental to the Little Super Market, a half-mile away, the Little Super Market will always have a local following. It sells beer, cigarettes, lottery tickets, the local papers and coffee to go, not to mention the best subs, soups and salads in the area. Everyone appreciates being able to purchase gasoline and diesel there.

Competition is not a bad thing. A Dollar General would help quite a few locals stretch their money in this time when everything is skyrocketing. Some people in town do not drive and cannot get to Lake Placid or AuSable Forks.

It has been previously stated that Wilmington wants to be recognized as a “trendy skiing and mountain biking town.” I do not see anywhere in town where you can rent or buy skis, or any place where you can get air for your bike tire, let alone rent or buy a bicycle.

Honestly, Wilmington has quite a few businesses that are closed more than they are open, like campsites, ice cream stands and part-time eateries. That’s just the way it is. Fewer places of business now than 40 years ago. Having a full-time Dollar General might not be so bad.

Let anyone who has never bought anything at a dollar store be the first to sign a petition against it.

Gary Bushy

Wilmington