The Hy-Vee Drugstore on Mount Vernon Road SE is closing its doors after 40 years at the location in Cedar Rapids. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
I don’t recall ever buying pumpkins from a grocery store, as I’d rather see that money go directly to the farmers who haul those heavy loads to a farmers market, or right on the farm, as I found at a stop this weekend near Chelsea.
Pumpkins are sold at the Hy-Vee Drugstore on Mount Vernon Road SE on Oct. 25, 2014. The store is closing Oct. 26. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Still, I can see that many people rely on their neighborhood stores for pumpkins in the fall and so much more, year-round. So, it’s particularly disappointing to see another small neighborhood store closing its doors in Cedar Rapids.
Formerly known as Drug Town, the Hy-Vee Drugstore at 2405 Mount Vernon Road SE is ending operations as of Sunday night, Oct. 26, 2014. The store, in operation for 40 years and within walking distance of numerous homes on Forest Drive and others right off of Mount Vernon Road, is directing customers to its newly remodeled Hy-Vee grocery store at 4035 Mount Vernon Road SE.
The much larger grocery store is flanked by an equally large parking lot and while on the bus line, is not conducive to walking. So, the neighborhood closer to downtown Cedar Rapids loses another option for fresh fruits and vegetables and other staples of the Drugstore, along with its neighborhood pharmacy, in a tradeoff for bigger and newer.
Decorated gourds are among the seasonal items for sale at a farm on Highway E-66, just outside of Chelsea, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
This comes after Hy-Vee demolished its Drugstore at 32nd Street and Oakland Road NE to build a gas station, just a block from another convenience store. And this is Cedar Rapids, where Hy-Vee has been promoting its involvement with Blue Zones: making those healthy choices (walking, buying fruits and veggies) the easy choice.
So back to the farm, this weekend was a great time to be outdoors and it was fun to see this barn near Chelsea decorated for the season and selling plenty of pumpkins, homegrown on the farm.
Pumpkins are displayed for sale at a rural Chelsea farm on Oct. 25, 2015. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The barn is decorated for the season where pumpkins are sold outside of Chelsea, Iowa, (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Sad news to me. I can’t tell you how many stops I made her as a kid. Getting everything from cards and stamps to medical items and video/video game rentals. Too many familiar local names are disappearing.
Thanks for your note, K.J.
I agree!