The Old Townie: (Almost) stolen wine and fire levies
When Steve Schnabl saw young men stealing wine at Kroger, he felt the need to do something. As Oxford voters see the fire department struggling, Schnabl says, they have a chance to do something, too.
First, I was confused; then appalled and finally spurred to action.
Enticed by the chance to earn four times the fuel points, I ventured to Kroger about 7 p.m. last Friday.
The self-checkout registers were all full, but I was next. Three of the six registers had young men with one bottle of wine each. I had seen them as I passed the adult beverage section a few minutes before. All three finished about the same time and headed out together. I moved to the nearest register only to find a message on the screen that I had never seen, rather than the “Scan your card” script. As I cleared the message, a purchase with an unpaid balance of $21.99 appeared.
My “what the …” reaction grew into anger. I hesitated until I heard the ghost of Barney Kroger whisper in my ear, “You know, I’ll just have to keep raising the prices to cover theft.” I headed after the guys, and I could see them about halfway down the parking lot. I yelled in my best grumpy-old-man let-them-hear-it-in-the-last-row voice to gain their attention. I suggested, in unpleasant language, that the young man return and pay for his wine.
To his credit, he did return after only one whining of “I did pay!” I then repeated my expectation, and he caved.
I offered a few other adulting points before he left with his bottle and the receipt.
I earned over 400 points and brought my purchases home.
But my hesitation to act, or not, kept bugging me.
Oxford has been my home for nearly 40 years, and our Kroger store has been my Kroger for that time, through three locations and at least two expansions at the current one. I needed to act.
The situation reminded me of another choice we’re all facing this year. We Oxford residents must act without hesitation to support the Issue 2 Fire and EMS Levy to maintain and grow our first responder protections. Miami is even stepping to the plate with an offer (carrot or stick) to increase their annual support IF the levy is approved next Tuesday.
Last year, nearly a quarter of all Oxford Fire and EMS calls occurred on campus, and 43% of all calls were either on-campus or for students living in the Mile Square. Like that bottle of wine, those calls all have a cost that must be paid. Let’s help ourselves by voting Yes and therefore keep Miami on the hook to contribute a fairer share.
Steve Schnabl moved to Oxford in 1985. He retired in 2023 from Oxford Seniors after a 40-year career directing nonprofits.
