For those who live here or visit here, we cannot give up our fight against the encroachment of Dollar General into our Wallowa County.

Dollar General has demonstrated again and again, in more than 20,000 neighborhoods across the country, its prioritization of continuous growth and increasing corporate profits over the well-being of its employees and the communities it exploits.

Please plan to attend the next meeting of the Planning Commission on Tuesday, March 26th at 7 p.m. at the Wallowa County Courthouse. This is a crucial meeting when the Planning Commission is expected to take an initial vote on the appeal of the Planning Department’s decision to approve Dollar General’s application for a zone permit that allowed for the development to proceed — without any public notice or opportunity for public involvement.

If you value preserving what makes Wallowa County uniquely special and want our Planning Department to follow required procedures for public involvement in land-use decisions, it is important to attend and have your voices be heard by the Planning Department, the members of the Planning Commission, and by the Wallowa County commissioners.

The battle against Dollar General is a fight for the soul of Wallowa County. We cannot afford to let the development of this type of business compromise our integrity, natural resources, safety, and cherished values. Stand with us in solidarity to protect the essence of our community.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the well-being of Wallowa County.

Teresa Smergut

Wallowa

(The author writes on behalf of the Coalition for No Dollar General.)