The Neighborhood Takes on Big Pharma(cy)
By Caitlin Hawke
Enjoying the hunt that this new blog feature naturally provides, I am struck by the sheer quantity of pieces in our block association's newsletter archives written by former co-chair Jock Davenport. I am sure this will be the first of many that I post here "from the vault." Jock headed this block association at a time that was just on the cusp of the corporatification of Broadway. He was instrumental in facilitating the boycott of the CVS that was to replace the much-appreciated Associated market that, while modest, was a square-dealing grocery that served our community very well prior to the explosion of commercial rents. You may recall that the boycotters won that battle, successfully fighting back the third (or perhaps fourth) chain drug store to move within a two-block radius. But the ensuing result proved to be mixed with the passage of time and the continued escalation in retail rents.
I think you will find both prescience and quaintness in this piece from the vault. Things have changed but I sense feelings have remained the same. And more than anything, the episode reminded me that neighbors can move mountains together -- in this instance dressed either as a breadstick or celery stalk. So be it. You do what you gotta do.
And now your blast from the past. By way of Jock Davenport.
Enjoying the hunt that this new blog feature naturally provides, I am struck by the sheer quantity of pieces in our block association's newsletter archives written by former co-chair Jock Davenport. I am sure this will be the first of many that I post here "from the vault." Jock headed this block association at a time that was just on the cusp of the corporatification of Broadway. He was instrumental in facilitating the boycott of the CVS that was to replace the much-appreciated Associated market that, while modest, was a square-dealing grocery that served our community very well prior to the explosion of commercial rents. You may recall that the boycotters won that battle, successfully fighting back the third (or perhaps fourth) chain drug store to move within a two-block radius. But the ensuing result proved to be mixed with the passage of time and the continued escalation in retail rents.
I think you will find both prescience and quaintness in this piece from the vault. Things have changed but I sense feelings have remained the same. And more than anything, the episode reminded me that neighbors can move mountains together -- in this instance dressed either as a breadstick or celery stalk. So be it. You do what you gotta do.
And now your blast from the past. By way of Jock Davenport.
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