Some nice creative financing is going on at The Villager, family-owned and closing but meaning to stay in business. Investor meetings are planned, under a community-input aegis, which is Oak Park is how everyone does it — except a grocery store, so far. The 24-year-old son of owner Butch Novak comments:
“This is the path we have to go down right now,” Joe Novak said. “I don’t think there should be anything to hide. This is for the community, and ultimately it’s for us and our employees to make a living. That’s what this store has always been about.”
Nothing wrong with that. Building better mousetraps is the American way, but with all respect I’d put it this way: “This is for the community, but ultimately it’s for us and our employees to make a living by serving our customers.”
Lest we go overboard on the community-venture notion.
Blithe Spirit 