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| Post Number: 121
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usmcr 
Group: Members
Posts: 922
Joined: Sep. 2003
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2006,3:36 pm |
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liberal: thanks for posting the video & audio with the lawyer reading the letter. he generated very few questions from his comments from the owners. the owners decided that enough money has been lost & no real support from the country club set. i can not believe that the new owner would not incorporate the course into his development plans. when one considers what an asset it would be to a high end housing development. perhaps this is his intent we will wait & see. with a purchase agreement in hand it would be wise to start cooperating with the developer. why didn't the city oppose the building of the walgreen drug store as it would seem that the city has more than enough drug stores. will Walgreen's force some of the other local drug stores to close? it seems like it matters who you are & who you know!
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"Do not confuse dissent with disloyalty" Edward R Murrow
Memento homo quia pulvis es, et in pulverem veverteris
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| Post Number: 122
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scorenix
Group: Members
Posts: 1147
Joined: Dec. 2004
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2006,4:03 pm |
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| Quote (usmcr @ April 28 2006,3:36pm) | | will Walgreen's force some of the other local drug stores to close? it seems like it matters who you are & who you know! |
You aren't serious, are you?
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"Here is something for those who think I have not done much on my own to think about. I must then be one of the luckiest people around, and I think I am, I should then be able to keep that same luck going for the benefit of our area." - New ALEDA Executive Director Dan Dorman.
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| Post Number: 123
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Colorado Conservative
Group: Members
Posts: 170
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2006,5:36 pm |
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Everyone is complaining about the country club closing (and no matter what, if they block the sale or not, it is closing), yet no one will step up with counter offer to purchase and run it, (and that opportunity is on the table). I think what this shows is the communities to take responsibility.
They want the club open so that they may walk on at any time and golf with no rush due to the lack of customers, but this is the very reason that the club has lost money the last several years, like it or not, profit (or at least the ability to break even) is what drives EVERYTHING in our society (even goverment).
This is all a mute point unless some one is willing to come up with an alternative. (as far as incorporating the course into the development, there isn't enough open land around the course to be used for a development, it is already a mish mash of condos, homes, and city park.), I said it once, and I'll say it again, there is plenty of room in and around A.L. to build a resort type course, and have it be a draw for people, don't look at this as losing an old delapitated country club, look at it as an opportunity to encourage real growth, find solutions in what to change, not in what not to change.
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Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.
- Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower 1890-1969
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| Post Number: 124
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SUE JEFFERS
Group: Members
Posts: 17
Joined: Apr. 2006
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2006,5:41 pm |
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The nice thing about the country club is that you can smoke while you golf.
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| Post Number: 125
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Moparman
Group: Members
Posts: 684
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2006,7:17 pm |
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I said it once, and I'll say it again, there is plenty of room in and around A.L. to build a resort type course, and have it be a draw for people, don't look at this as losing an old delapitated country club, look at it as an opportunity to encourage real growth, find solutions in what to change, not in what not to change.[/quote]
Do you have any idea how much a new course would cost to build? Albert Lea already has enough houses for sale (just look at Yahoo real estate). There are about 12- 15 properties for sale within a 4 block radius of my house and the signs have been up a long time. The last thing this town needs is another housing development. More houses will not encourage real growth, good jobs and quality of life will.
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| Post Number: 126
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Replicant
Group: Members
Posts: 1570
Joined: Dec. 2004
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2006,8:42 pm |
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What really amazes me is that we as a community get bashed for letting the old high school (Cap Emmons in particular) get razed.
Then the bank building looks like that might be next (jury's still out on that one). And again accused of not preserving our heritage.
But when the golf course is about to the bulldozed, and people get upset, all of a sudden we're now blocking progress. 
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Some drink deeply from the river of knowledge. Others only gargle. - Woody Allen
The problem is not that we have too many fools, it's that the lightning isn't distributed right. - Mark Twain.
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| Post Number: 127
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| Post Number: 128
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munchie
Group: Members
Posts: 30
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2006,9:56 pm |
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if its closing anyway, can anybody go and golf for free now?
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| Post Number: 129
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MADDOG
Group: Moderator
Posts: 7821
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Apr. 29 2006,1:08 pm |
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Just a few random thought from a MADDOG on a rainy day.
Let's look once at who stands to lose the most with the CC closing.
1. Members lose their elite course.
I've lived here for nearly 25 yrs., and have always know it to be more of a private club. How many members have you heard come down from their golden throne at their place of business and asked their employees (common joes) to consider joining the CC instead of Green Lea? Perhaps post on the bulletin board in the employees break room listing all the reasons why they should join the club.
How many membership drives has the club had over the years to increase membership? I mean out and out encouraging its members to go to the general public to raise membership. Sell themselves as to why common folk should bew a part of their group. Put ads in the area papers advertising how attractive a PUBLIC club it is to join?
This club has been, in a sense, handed down from the powerful business owners of the past, to their sons and daughters who now operate the businesses their fathers once ran with pride and concern for their workers. The son's have other ideas, just $.
2. City of Albert Lea. They finally seem to be losing one of their prides an joys that they are actually concerned about losing. One green space they don't want to give up. An asset they deem irreplaceable.
I looked back through some of my notes and didn't find anything pertaining directly to the club, but wasn't it partly incorporated into Albert Lea Listens?
The city didn't raise this kind of passion for "Cap" or "the vault" which were/are worthwhile assets. The course does?
3. Paul Sparks. Hey, how is he going to continue being so successful in bring in actual new businesses, hiring new people, bringing them not only to A.L. to work, but to live here, increasing our population, raising our tax base and making life just plain more enjoyable to live here. What reasons will he have to convince new industry to come here when he can't even take prospects for a round of golf at a somewhat "private course".
Now, let's look at the owners. They have a CC failing to profit them. They have done essentially nothing to increase their profitability. Sure they have brought in professionals to operate the restaurant and golf pro to brag about, but nothing proactive to actually turn it into a profitable business.
Evidently, they don't have the people skills or fortitude that perhaps is needed to properly market their product. Like so many of the "Sons Club" we have in this community, the common folk just aren't as important to them as is their money.
Now, the owners want to sell. They have found a player in Lafavre. A shady and a slick operator with not exactly the best track record.
The city has known for a long time about the loss being incurred. The members have known.
Now the owners formally want to unload this seemingly white elephant. Obviously the member or city has never shown enough interest in it in the past.
Has there been any sit downs over the last years with the owners from either the city or the members to try to work out something to turn things around? Oh, sure you have the CC members board, but remember who they are. They are the ones who haven't gone down to the local watering hole or such and try to convince the blue collar worker to come to the club and join. Count them out. The city knows the risks involved in entering into public ownership.
All of a sudden, seemingly out of the blue, the club is for sale and a buyer has already been found. Again, remember who the buyer is. Just what link could he possibly have to any of the owners? Is there a connection? Does he actually have the purchasing power to folow through with this large of a project? Does he have financial backers to pay for this?
Now the members rise up and holler. The city does also. The paper publishes closing dates that have been moved back several times allowing the city and members to yell more, but with no intent. Rumors fly about selling off equipment. (Has this been verified?)
The closing date nears, no action by the council or club members.
More glitches. More time. Seems to me that with each stumble, the public is notified. Both Lafavre and the owners are talking. When a businessman has a pending deal, the last thing he's going to do, whether they are the buyer or the seller is dicuss it and possibly kink the deal.
Now the owners deliver an ultimatum of sorts to the city and people of Albert Lea. Whether it's sold or not, they're closing the course. And soon.
Maybe the salesman in me is thinking too deep into this, but something just smells.
I don't know, but when you wave a carrot in front of a horse that won't pull and he still won't go; you get another horse and wave it in front of him to make the first one want it more.
Sometimes it's best to just sit back, do nothing and see just who the fool really is.
One thing that definitely needs to be done. Whether the property is sold to Lafavre, retained, or sold to another entity is to reassess the value of the land and let them know that it will be done on time for the next property tax billing. Whether it's zoned residential, commercial or privately owned recreational, start making them pay for the true value of the land.
Guess that's my nickels worth.
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Actually my wife is especially happy when my google check arrives each month. Thanks to douchbags like you, I get paid just for getting you worked up. -Liberal
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| Post Number: 130
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hymiebravo
Group: Members
Posts: 4989
Joined: Jan. 2006
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Posted on: Apr. 29 2006,1:23 pm |
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..................
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