Rexville Store -- the Koreans might buy it

Stuart and Joyce Welch have operated the Rexville Store, between LaConner and Mount Vernon, for eight years, but they are looking to sell it.

They built the business up very nicely and everybody loves going there, but 12 hour days, seven days a week got to be a bit too much after all these years, so a for sale sign got pounded into the ground in the gravel parking lot.

I hope they can sell it for a lot of money, and all cash -- they deserve every penny and may they take a long trip to somewhere else and maybe send us a postcard. They gave us so much, we can only be grateful and wish them the best.

So, I want to firmly counter any criticism of the Welches should they decide to sell it to the Koreans, who happen to own most of the other small grocery stores in this area.

For one thing, I like the Koreans, they are excellent merchants. It's true that they can be a little stiff in their presentation, and not too much of that "Hey, how are you doing?" like you get from Stuart and Joyce. The Koreans actually are friendly people, just a little shy and a little formal.

Anyway, the idea that the Welches owe the community anything -- like selling the business to the kind of people we want -- that is repellent.