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Sound Off for Aug. 27, 2008
| Wednesday, Aug 27 2008 3:57 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Sep 5 2008 10:34 AM
Reader: I am not wilting away!
I am Harold (Robby) Robinson. With my family I own and operate Robby's Nursery. I work somewhere in the nursery every day, sometimes in the retail location sometimes in the growing grounds. I have passed my 80th birthday. I've been in this business for 68 years.
I have seen many changes, both good and bad. My love for the nursery industry and working outside in nature is why I have been able stay in this business all these years.
In 1962 my wife Joan and I opened Robby's Nursery and Landscape Service on South H Street. We later opened a store on Norris Road. Thirty-two years later we closed both of these nurseries and moved to our current location on Hageman Road. We have been here for 14 years.
We have always tried to stay up on current trends and watch market changes, adjusting when we need to. We were one of the first to introduce garden gifts into our product lines and we were the first nursery in Bakersfield to buy from top quality growers like Monrovia Nursery. We have always felt the responsibility to carry the best products we can find for our customers. Many times I have said, "I don't carry that because I wouldn't put it in my yard."
I have proudly hired and trained many young men and women over the years who are now nurserymen, architects, gardeners and landscapers. All my children have worked in the industry.
I have always tried to present myself and my business in a good professional light and to set a good example. I do take great pride in my business.
If, in today's market, it makes more sense to sell all or part of my property, I have that option. I have relocated before and can again if our property sells. (It hasn't yet). Your recent article implies I have failed and I am just giving up. This makes me quite angry. The way I look at, it's another adjustment, one that could make sense in the current business atmosphere. Robby's Nursery has been a huge part of my life for a lot of years, one I have loved. One I'm not yet ready to let go.
Be sure I am not "wilting away." If the time does come to retire than we'll have a big party to celebrate, we will not be "thrown out with last year's petunias!"
Thanks to all our loyal customers who called and came out this weekend to check on us and our status. It is quite wonderful to know you were worried about us and now understand that we are still here and plan to be for some time.
-- Harold E. Robinson (Robby)
Reader: The more I read the article by John Cox, the madder I get. I cannot believe he has taken it on himself to suggest Robby's Nursery has "succumbed to economic and competitive maladies."
How dare he declare that we were "once hearty enough to pass from one generation to the next" but can not now. After 46 years of serving Kern County I would think we may still have the ability to thrive in this changing economy. Does he think this is the only slowdown we have ever encountered? I think not.
If we do sell some or all of our land it does not reflect a lack of business savvy. To the contrary, I would say my Dad (Robby) has and is displaying some pretty good business sense.
I especially hate the picture he has painted that we have failed in our industry. What an insult to us as professionals in our field. We have great pride in our business as it is a big part of our life. Shame on John Cox and The Californian for this belittling article!
How about a retraction and equal space on our success. On the fact that we have kept our employees over the years, on how many successful employees have moved up thru our ranks and out into our industry. How about the hundreds of landscape designs Robby has drawn to help beautify this town. Or the fact that we try to offer a wonderful selection of plants. What about all the free classes we offer and the advice we give daily! The list could go on.
I still cannot believe this article. It makes me sad!
-- Kathy Robinson
Jenner: It's rare a story will generate a negative reaction such as those from the family that owns and operates Robby's Nursery.
The story, published Saturday, was about how the economy and the incursion of big-box home improvement stores have battered locally owned nurseries. A call from Kathy Robinson about her family putting their land up for sale was actually the impetus for the story.
We never said the Robinson family is bad at business, nor was that ever implied. We did say a land sale is more attractive now because of the economy, and we made it clear they may reopen in another location. Kathy Robinson emphasized to me that the family has no intention of closing the business, whether the location is sold or not.
I regret the Robinson family took offense at this story.
Reader: You stated in The Californian that the paper was going to change in width and that you would not change the size of type. Phooey! It's so small I cannot read it comfortably. I have to use a magnifying glass and this irritates me a lot. I already have trifocals to aid my reading.
Before you changed the size of the type (you said you would NOT change), I was OK and could read the print. Now it's almost useless to pay for the paper! That's like buying spoiled food. All you can do is throw it away.
So, instead of producing something that is useless, why don't you add a page or is it costing you too much to produce?
I'm very disappointed in you.
-- Donna Huffstuttler
Reader: I am a subscriber to your newspaper. I just want to say that I do not like the new setup on your newspaper. I think it's awful.
My husband is having a hard time and so am I with reading. He can't read a lot of the print it's so small.
It's really difficult for us to enjoy the paper in the morning when we're having to try to squint our eyes, we're in our late 40s. We thought the paper was fine before, but really I'm not happy with it right now. I notice in your paper Sunday there are a lot of people who aren't happy with it either.
-- Patsy Cook
Jenner: There are some things, like comic strips, that are slightly smaller in the new format.
But we did not reduce the size of the type we use in news stories, nor did we reduce the size of type used in classified ads.
The type on our new TV page was at first smaller, but we've since bumped it up in size.
Reader: I'd like to say three cheers for your pet photo program which benefits our local animal programs, for the return of the daytime TV guide and for the new smaller size of the newspaper, which is easier to hold.
Our compliments for a job well done.
-- George and Evie Schmitz
Jenner: Thanks for your praise. The "Tails of Bakersfield" program raised more than $13,000 for local shelters. Please note that we are no longer accepting new photos, although we'll continue to run photos till we publish them all.
Thanks to all the animal lovers who made this program a success.
Reader: MEMO TO THE CALIFORNIAN: Obama has not won the election! One would have thought so, however, had they read the front section of the Aug. 26 paper.
I hope McCain gets an equal share of ink and fair and impartial treatment from the paper, but won't hold my breath. It is almost laughable how politically bias the paper is and how the staff are all so giddy at the possibility of Obama winning the election. A man who accomplished absolutely nothing during his less than 150 days as a U.S. senator has been running his entire campaign on how we "need change," but has never offered one suggestion of just what that change would be, has no clue what goes in other parts of the world and isn't nearly qualified to be our Commander in Chief.
-- Ernie Bentley
Jenner: We wanted to publish in-depth profiles of Barack Obama and John McCain. With the Democrats convening this week and the Republicans convening the next, it seemed appropriate to run Obama's on the Sunday before his convention and McCain's the Sunday before his.
Before we did, we discussed the need to provide an equivalent amount of space and weight to both. That's what we promised in a note to readers on Sunday's Page One.
Rest assured we will give equivalent space to McCain's profile and to the Republicans during the GOP convention.
Reader: Regarding Associated Press reporter Ron Fournier's Aug. 24 profile of Barack Obama, I have no problem with an editorial opinion, but the line needs to be drawn when it comes to articles written as news articles or journalistic pieces.
I don't need to be treated to the writing one would have found in Pravda during my youth. Is this kind of propaganda drivel and crap we are to expect from the "Third Estate?" I hope not, or we are truly doomed as an open and free society.
If the AP continues with it's political bias as demonstrated by the Fournier articles, I and my family will no longer support the newspapers which use the AP for articles.
-- Tom Blackmon
Reader: The Associated Press (whose articles are published in thousands of newspapers nationwide) wrote a story about Barack Obama's vice presidential pick that sounded more like right-wing FOX than an unbiased news organization.
The AP reporter who wrote this story, Ron Fournier, has consistently written articles during this presidential election that are biased against Democrats and for John McCain. Fournier isn't just a reporter, he's also the AP's Washington, D.C., Bureau Chief. The AP is accountable to the local papers that print their articles.
Can you write a letter to papers in your area? Tell them to contact the national AP to let them know that local readers' trust of the 160-year-old AP will be gone if Ron Fournier continues his biased reporting that smears Democrats and favors McCain.
-- Steven M. Chandler
Jenner: Because it's our policy to not run form letters, we initially rejected the letter printed above. However, I decided to run this one to make a point.
Our space is too limited to run every letter we receive. We'd much prefer to run the words of readers who've taken the time to write and submit their own thoughts than force them out with the words of others.
The above can be found verbatim on moveon.org's Web site. (I have to admit the first sentence of the third paragraph tipped us off that this wasn't an original letter).
Reader: I'm writing regarding the candlelight ceremony held at University Park on the night of Aug. 14th for Sarah Foster. It was stated in the paper that the family was not present. This is incorrect; we were very much present.
We know The Californian ment no harm in this statement and our family has no reason to point fingers. On the contrary, we want to thank everyone who has been supporting us through this!
It was a life-altering experience that will never be reversed, but how many people came to support my family in this time was utterly astonishing! Between all the help from our family, friends, neighbors, even complete strangers have held out their support to us.
And to those who were supportive during the bike run, that was absolutely amazing. My family and I can't thank everyone enough. We're short for words on how much this has helped us and we want everyone to know how thankful we are.
This dedicated community helped out every step of the way, whether people knew us or not.
Also, thank you to The Californian for being so very understanding! Even though this is one of the hardest things to dealing with, witnessing this whole community coming together as one to help those who are grieving was inspiring to all of us!
Thank you all so very much!
-- Sandie Humphrey
Sarah's big sister