Losing Local Store

Re “ ‘Big Boxes’ Nail Small Hardware Shop: Superstores Cause a Simi Valley Business to Close After 3 Decades,” July 17.

I was saddened to read of the closing of the Holiday Hardware store. I had the opportunity to work with co-owner Marshall Shrago when I was the Cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 3609 in Simi Valley and Marshall was the pack’s committee chairman.

He was (and still is) a dedicated member of the community who continually gave his time and energy to the youths of Simi Valley.

With the passing of another neighborhood business the community loses a piece of its identity and a valuable human resource.

Part of what makes a community strong are its local businesses, owned by people who live in the local area and have a personal stake in its future. Holiday Hardware and Marshall Shrago fit into that mold perfectly.

I can only hope that if there ever is another disaster along the lines of the 1994 earthquake, the managers of the franchise-run supermarket hardware stores are there to open their stores to help us the way Marshall and his staff were there for their neighbors in Simi Valley.

HOWARD S. TAYLOR, Simi Valley