Decade dawns with deaths of two downtown businesses

I BEGAN WORKING A THE RED ROOSTER ABOUT A WEEK BEOFRE CLIFFORD GILES BOUGHT THE SHOP FROM BECKY BLOUNT. RAVEN WAS THE MANAGER THEN, BUT LATER SHE WAS FIRED. SHE WAS REPLACED BY CHERYL CHESTER. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BREAD, TV, AND BAD EMPLOYEES. WELL AS STATED PREVIOUSLY BY MY GOOD FRIEND AND CO WORKER MELISSA CHAPMAN, THE BREAD SITUATION WAS NO FAULT OF OUR OWN. THIS IS WHY WE FIRED OUR BREAD GUY AND STARTED BUYING FROM INGLES. THE TV, WELL THAT WAS A DUMB MISTAKE ANYWAY YOU YOU LOOK AT IT. I WORKED AT THE SHOP AT LEAST 5 DAYS A WEEK AND ALMOST EVERY SATURDAY MORNING FROM SEPTEMBER UNTIL IT'S CLOSE. THE ONLY CUSTOMER TO EVER "WATCH" THE TV WAS A GUY WHO OWNED A RATHER LARGE BUSINESS IN TOWN (I'M NOT GOING TO MENTION HIS NAME, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF PREVENTING CONTROVERSY). NOW ON TO THE EMPLOYEES: AFTER BECKY LEFT RAVEN HICKOX WAS THE BACKBONE OF THE SHOP, WITH HER GREAT SISTER MISCE HELPING, THE STORE WAS MAKING A RE BOUND. NICK WAS A GREAT EMPLOYEE TOO. I JOINED ABOUT 1 WEEK BEFORE BUGGY DAYS. SHORTLY AFTER I WAS HIRED, ABBY GARREN WAS HIRED. SHE WAS GREAT. WE LOVED OUR JOBS. WHEN RAVEN LEFT, THE RED ROOSTER LEFT WITH IT. MISCE AND NICK LATER LEFT ALSO. THIS IS WHEN CLIFF BROUGHT IN CHERYL CHESTER, SHE IS THE ONE WHO HAS PROBABLY BEEN POSTING ALL THESE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SHOP. SHE ULTIMATELY WAS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK IN MY OPINION. SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS AND FRANKLY I THINK SHE DIDN'T CARE. THIS IS A PEOPLE'S BUSINESS AND WHEN YOU AREN'T NICE OR ATLEAST COURTEOUS TOP YOUR CUSTOMERS, THEY LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK. AFTER ALL OF THESE DEPARTURES CHERYL HIRED 2 OF HER FRIENDS DONNA EVANS AND KELLIE LIVELY TO COME WORK FOR US TO HELP WITH THE LACK OF EMPLOYEES. THESE 2 GIRLS WERE GREAT! I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU, I KNEW THE STORE WAS IN BAD SHAPE, BUT WE ALL WERE TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK, SOME MORE THAN OTHERS. IN MID-DECEMBER CHERYL ANNOUNCED SHE WAS LEAVING THE RED ROOSTER. WE HIRED A NEW MANAGER NAMED DEIDRA KERCE. SHE WAS A GREAT PERSON. SHE HAD A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS FOR THE STORE. LIKE I SAID EARLIER I WORKED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT THE SHOP, I LEFT THAT SATURDAY, JANUARY 16TH AT 2P.M. AS ABBY GARREN WAS COMING ON FOR THE NIGHT SHIFT. THAT WAS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. I WAKE UP SUNDAY MORNING WITH A TEXT MESSAGE ON MY PHONE FROM CHERYL SAYING THAT WE HAVE ALL LOST OUR JUBS BECAUSE CLIFF IS CLOSING THE STORE. THIS BY FAR IS THE MOST SPINELESS DIRTY THING I THINK I'VE EVER WITNESSED. A TEXT MESSAGE? REALLY? THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST HAD THE NERVE TO CALL, OR HELL HAVE A MEETING TO LET US ALL KNOW WE MIGHT NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR JOBS, BUT CHERYL AND CLIFF HAD OTHER JOBS SO THEY WEREN'T IN ANY DANGER OF LOSING ANY INCOME, BUT ABBY, DONNA, DEIDRA (WHO HAD JUST QUIT HER OTHER JOB TO BE OUR NEW MANAGER) AND MYSELF ( A STUDENT) WERE ALL JUST LEFT OUT ON IT, AND HAD TO BE TOLD THROUGH A TEXT MESSAGE. I BELIEVE THAT WHOLE THING SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED A LITTLE BETTER. AM I MAD I LOST MY JOB? NO. I'M SAD THAT THE SHOP IS GONE, THAT USED TO BE A FUN JOB.

P.S. AT LEAST I REMEMBER THE RECIPES SO I CANMAKE THEM FOR MYSLEF AT HOME!!! :]

Christopher E. Hunter