Everett council right to condemn closure of Fred Meyer

Published 1:30 am Sunday, September 28, 2025

I applaud the Everett City Council’s resolution rebuking Kroger for its closure of the south Everett Fred Meyer (“Everett council rebukes Kroger for plans to close Fred Meyer store,” The Herald, Sept.18). This wasn’t just a store—it was a lifeline for the people of south Everett. The city bent over backwards to keep that store viable—this wasn’t neglect from our side. Investments were made, crime dropped, trust was extended. Then Kroger walked away.

Mayor Cassie Franklin’s leadership in naming this harm matters. The resolution affirms what many of us have felt for months: that corporate abandonment has real consequences, and that silence is complicity.

Which is why Councilmember Scott Bader’s lone vote against the resolution is so telling. In a moment that called for moral clarity and solidarity with the community, Bader chose to protect Kroger’s feelings. Whether out of caution, corporate loyalty or plain cowardice, his refusal to stand with Everett speaks volumes.

This resolution may be non-binding, but it binds us together in truth. Every revolt starts somewhere. And Everett deserves better.

Alice Hedges

Everett