I had quite a few emails from readers who commented about my column from last week about the new Crest Foods grocery store being built in OKC just to the south of Yukon. I had asked my readers if the Progress should accept out-of-town advertising that could really take a toll on our Yukon sales tax collections, we need to operate our City. Most of the readers told me to go ahead and publish the Crest Foods weekly advertising in the Progress even though it would encourage our Yukon folks to send our sales tax dollars to OKC. Several readers commented that they had endured waiting in long lines at several of our Yukon grocery stores and they were going to start shopping at Crest since they always tend to have up to 30 check-out lanes open at one time.
However, another reader commented that she was going to stay loyal to Homeland and Sprouts and support the local Yukon businesses as much as possible. Another reader said she hoped that the competition from Crest Foods would make our Yukon grocery stores even more competitive. I know one thing for sure, Yukon folks, so far, have supported Yukon stores during this pandemic. I was very happy this past Tuesday when I got word that our monthly check from the Oklahoma Tax Commission was just more than $1.8 million. The check represented sales tax collections from April 15-May 15, about the same time so many of our Yukon stores were forced to shut down. I had predicted $1.6 million and was sure hoping to be wrong. I underestimated how many of you ordered your groceries online and either had them delivered to your homes or went to the store for curbside pick-up. It will not surprise me at all if the July check, we will receive about the 8th or 9th of the month, jumps back up closer to $2 million. I predict this number due to the tremendous hoarding that went on during the early part of the pandemic. I went into all our local grocery stores, during the first few days of the pandemic, and the shelves were empty. Yukon shoppers have more toilet paper and canned soup in their homes than a Proctor and Gamble distribution center! Plus, I don’t see a downturn in sales tax collections during our current summer months since so many people are staying home and not going out-of-town for any vacations.
In any case, look for a big surprise on the pages of the Progress as the Grand Opening of Crest Foods draws closer. I think you will like it!
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How many of you remember when John Holt was the General Manager of the Jackie Cooper Auto Galleria on Route 66? (now home of Discovery Church) It was about 25 years ago on a Tuesday afternoon when Holt called me and told me he needed a full-page AD in the weekend paper. He told me to, “get over here-it’s ready to go.” I asked John what he was doing and he told me he had brought in the Bungee Cats from Shreveport, Louisiana and that Yukon kids were going to have some fun on that hot, summer weekend.
I remember driving over to the Ford store where Holt’s office was. I think the “Yukon Legend” Terry Halbert had occupied that office for the previous 100 years. (That’s going to be a where are they now story.) Anyway, Holt was all excited, running around telling me to go home and changes clothes. I looked at him like he was crazy-because he is crazy. Holt wanted me to scale the 20-story ladder, bungee jump off the platform, have our photographer take a picture, and run it on the front page. He told me to go put on shorts and tennis shoes and if I would jump he would run the AD twice. I quickly headed home to change clothes and beg my then wife not to divorce me for my stupidity!
I returned to the dealership, they quickly loaded me into the harness and had me start up the ladder to the platform. I remember looking down at John Holt and thinking how he looked like an ant. I held onto the handles and leaned out over the platform. I looked down at the large safety balloon on the ground then I let go. In a matter of seconds that bungee cord had full control of me. It was so much fun. It was not scary and everyone watching was cheering.
That weekend John offered FREE BUNGEE JUMPS for the kids of parents who took a test drive at the Jackie Cooper Auto galleria. John’s team had a giant weekend selling 51 cars and trucks.
I am going to try to get the Bungee Cats here to Yukon this Summer if we can make it happen. I think the kids will love it and give them something to do since many of them and their parents aren’t going on vacations. What do you think? Contact me and let me know!
Thanks so much for reading. I will see you next Saturday. Would you like a Progress?
Yukon Progress Publisher Randy K. Anderson can be reached at (405) 517-5168 or Randyk.anderson@sbcglobal.net
