LIFT A LEG

LIFT A LEG: Foodland founder Maurice “Sully” Sullivan’s scion, Foodland CEO Jenai Wall and her goons have apparently stopped the telephone harassment of and threats toward (see update at bottom) Foodland boycott-movement leader Linda Harmon and given her actual written shibai implying that Foodland isn’t responsible for cutting down the Koloa monkey pod trees that were cleared to put in their specialty stores in the monkey-pod-tree logo-ed “Shops at Koloa Town”.

Although previous reports that were repeated here that Foodland would be an anchor tenant appear to be untrue (for which we apologize) Wall somehow maintains that Foodland couldn’t stop the development even though they were putting in various Foodland owned specialty stores and apparently did not use their position to leverage even appreciation for much less adherence to community concerns over the tree removal..

“From the time the concerns were first brought to our attention in December, we have communicated our concerns with the developer on numerous occasions and have been told that various alternatives were being considered” wrote Wall in a letter to Harmon.

“Despite the fact that neither Foodland nor any of these stores has any control over what is done with the property in Koloa, we felt it was important to share our concerns and the feedback we received with the developer.”

Of course telling the developers they would not participate in the shopping center was apparently never on the table for Wall. Yet she somehow has the nerve to imply they did all they could in sharing their concerns.

Gee, thanks for sharing Jenai. But she didn’t end there. She ended her blow-off letter by saying “we care about our community and have a vested interest in our environment. While we recognize that development is often necessary and beneficial, we also feel strongly that environmental impacts and community concerns should be taken into account when decisions are made. “

Harmon has a few suggestions for Wall who continues to promote Foodland's concerns for it’s “carbon footprint” by cutting down trees . And though we suspect a few might be to tell her where to shove her feigning of corporate responsibility- perhaps into the grave in which her father is probably tuning over, “Sully” famously being one of those old-style bosses who actually seemed to take at least minimal community responsibility in his business operations- here are the actual three she is graciously asking for.

1. Go public with a statement of regret for the destruction of so many trees in Koloa.

2. Publicly request the Knudsen Trust to spare remaining mature trees on plaza site.

3. Ask that subsequent trimming, or pruning be done by community approved arborist with the purpose of the survival and health of the trees affected.

The boycott demonstrations continue in front of the Waipouli Foodland this Friday, April 4th, 2008 between 5 and 6:30 p.m.

Oh- and by the way long time Kapa`a merchant- jeweler Jim Saylor is another tenant as is ABC Stores. No one, as of yet (ahem), is boycotting them.