Alma WI praises, beefs about area stores

Sixteen Alma Women’s Institute members attended the Feb. 21 afternoon meeting at Alma Hall. Answers to the roll call, “Where do you buy your food locally?” showed strong support for nearby grocery stores and for stores in Drayton, Elmira, Guelph and Wat­er­loo, especially the farmer’s market at Waterloo stockyards.

A few of those same stores drew criticism for lack of advertised products, incorrect pricing, high pric­es. and a shortage of assistance to find products, or to reach them from high shelv­es

Late advertising flyers or none at all, frustrated some members.

Learning about a “Fri­day only” sale on Saturday, or reading about “Saturday yard sales” on Sunday does not serve the consumer, or the advertiser who paid for his ad.

Convenors for this Family and Consumer Affairs program were Pat Mc­Kay and Joyce Wilson. Members enjoyed sharing a wide variety of shopping pet peeves and gave good solutions to some problems. Ev­ery member contributed to the lively discussion. Joyce Wilson shared some funny poems with us.

Telemarketers beware. Responses to telemarketing tactics of cold calling these ladies were all negative, abrupt, and final. Too many phone scams have made us wary of strangers with telephones.

Sharon O’Sullivan thank­ed hostess Lenora Ar­buckle and the lunch committee Ethel Bott and Thel­ma Bosomworth for a delicious assortment of loaves and cheeses. O’Sul­livan thanked president Arbuckle and Secretary-Treasurer Wilma Snowe for their attention to detail.

The program convenors were thanked for providing a forum for members to vent consumer frustrations.