Note to Goliath: David Is Kickin' Butt and Taking Names

The news yesterday of Home Depot taking down their Home Depot Sunland Tujunga Website had us scratching our heads. They are still deep into their lawsuit, suing Los Angeles because our elected representatives uh... actually represented us in our battle against them placing a store in our sleepy little enclave. They were still battling having to do a full environmental report and failing to use the part of their address that points out their proximity to an elementary school on their paperwork.

But late last night, the local heroes that run our No 2 Home Depot campaign, got the word. Home Crapot is giving up. They had been scheduled to open a few years ago, mere months after leasing the property for forty years - the last large parcel of property in our town, trapped between three mountain ranges and a freeway. And, now they won't.

There were other reasons we didn't hang up the welcome sign for Home Crapot:
*The property is surrounded on three sides by residential homes.
*We have a Home Crapot, just six minutes away. And five more in connecting towns.
*We have several local Mom and Pop hardware stores as well as a Do It Center and OSH up the mountain.
*And the one that got so much ridicule: we don't have a place to buy socks and underwear since Kmart left. That requires a ten minute drive to Burbank or twenty to Glendale or Pasadena.

It's been a long, hard fight. We knew we were the little guy but we didn't care. We've written letters to every politician and committee. I personally even wrote to the shareholders of Home Depot, wondering how they sleep at night.

They have called us racist. They bussed in paid supporters... apparently unable to rally real ones.
They spent millions on lawyers, websites, advisers and orange t-shirts for those would be supporters.

We had bake sales and yard sales to raise money for our fight. And then we donated more. And in the end, the little guy won!

I am so proud of US, Sunland - Tujunga! I'm so grateful for our fearless leaders, Joe Barrett and Abby Diamond! Joe keeps our No 2 Home Depot updated so often that when you Google "Home Depot," WE come up! They have done a great job of getting the word out and rallying the troops. And the people of this tiny town have been awesome! There are some very passionate letter-writers around here!

But our work is not done. Now, we must attract a store - preferably one that sells socks and underwear - and make them realize S-T is a great place to do business.

All the "Davids" around these parts will be walking a little taller and prouder today!