PHOTOS: Pizza Party for Walmart Backers Before Redlands Public Hearing

About 20 people took part in a "Walmart pre Party" Wednesday at Redlands Community Senior Center before the public hearing at Citrus Valley High on the proposed Walmart Supercenter at San Bernardino Avenue and Tennessee Street.

Organizers of the pizza party referred questions to a spokesman who was not present at the senior center. There were pre-printed, one-page questionnaires for those who attended.

People who agreed to be interviewed were all in favor of the Supercenter, which is the planned anchor for a 256,614-square-foot retail and commercial center on 32.9 acres.

Jean Davis said she is "70-plus" and she's lived in Redlands since she was "about 12 years old."

"The one that's been here it's more than 15 years, as my memory serves," Davis said. "It's been there a long time. . . . for the Supercenter, my point of view is I want it very badly for the community.

"Personally myself, because of items that you can get in a Walmart Supercenter that you cannot buy in any other gorcery store," Davis said. "Other grocery stores carry Peppridge Farms frozen cakes. They carry the chocolate, the carrot, the coconut. Nobody but Walmart Supercenters carries the lemon, and one, the red velvet.

"Another one, for an example, I can think of is Edward's Pies," Davis said. "They carry the strawberry cream. Nobody else does. They carry the key lime, they carry all the other flavors, and I enjoy those things. . . . Aside from desserts, I just like the Supercenters. They carry a larger variety of products you can find in any other store."

Davis said she's been to the Supercenters in Moreno Valley, Beaumont and Hemet, and it's worth the trip each time.

"The one thing I have against this is all these protesters," Davis said. "They're coming in here, they're paid to do this . . . by whoever runs the protesters and the union, Occupy LA, Occupy California, whatever it is. We watched them one meeting. They came in there. There was one man who had a whole stack of things he had printed up.

"As people came through the door that were against it, he would pass out talks. He'd say 'You get up and give this talk. You get up and give that talk.' It's all professional. It's all organized. Where those of us who live here and want it, we're not organized like that. We're just normal people that want our store."

James Cresswell, 62, said he's been in Redlands since 1959.

"That first Walmart opened way more than 10 years ago, maybe 15 or 20 years ago," Cresswell said. "The Supercenter, I think it's great. It will bring a lot of revenue into the city, and create jobs for a lot of people that are out of work right now. I believe so.

"I've been around this country, going on vacations and stuff like that, and you see these Super Walmarts, and there's a lot of people working in there, kids working in there, it keeps them off the streets," Cressswell said. "They do a good job, especially through the Midwest and like that.

"I think we need it here," Cresswell said. "We need the competition. Competition's good for business. I've been in business in this area since 1974, and I'm a barber and I've got a barbershop, and when a guy opens up across the street we find out the old competition will build your business. You've got to be sharp. And that's good for other businesses in town.

"Redlands itself though has always been kind of negative about businesses, they don't like big businesses coming in," Cresswell said. "They want to keep that hometown, small look to it. But guess what, we're not small any more. It's time to let the jobs come in, let the revenue pay for some of the things that need to be done in this town.

"Not like the Donut Hole where they lost it to the county," Cresswell said. "We fought for that for years and years and years. Originally there was supposed to be a hospital going in there, but people with the city and others, they fought it. Then some guy comes along and pitches a shopping mall and beat them by going straight to the county. Look at all that revenue and the city's not getting it."

Barbara Brown, 79, said she's owned property in Redlands since the 1980s.

"I love the Supercenters," Brown said. "We were going back east to meet some friends in Detroit in our motor home and when we were on Interstate 80 at Princeton, Illinois, my husband had a heart attack. It was pouring down rain, there was these concrete K-rails had the lanes down to one lane. He was having a heart attack. We managed to get off of the road and there was a Supercenter there.

"We went into the Supercenter, and I asked for a taxi," Brown said. "He didn't want to call an ambulance, he said it wasn't serious. The taxis were broke down. Then I asked if there was anybody who getting ready to get off work. He said 'I'll be back.' He came back in about two minutes and said 'See that blond over there? She'll take you over to the hospital as soon as she checks out.' She did.

"She took us over there, put us out at the door, and the hospital there sent us to Peoria, Illinois, immediately we were on our way by ambulance," Brown said. "When we got to Peoria I called the Supercenter in Princeton. They watched our motor home . . . and when we got back to Princeton they helped us out more. They gave us a place to park our motor home, helped us with water and electricity, and with dumping, and they did not accept a dime for their help for three and a half months. They were so nice to us. That's why we love Supercenters."

Brown held a copy of a newspaper clipping about the help she and her husband received in Princeton. She said they keep a "Thank you Princeton Walmart" sign in their motor home to this day.

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