“Shedding Some Light” is a regular feature on the Opinions Page that will consist of our spin on local, state and national issues.
The Caboose — more than just another business
There are two ways you can go with last week’s top story about The Caboose. You could be a pessimist and believe that one of Tracy’s most important businesses will never be the same with new owners, and that this is the beginning of the end. The food won’t be as good, you won’t have your favorite watiress waiting on you. Change sucks, you would say to yourself.
Or, you could stay positive and be thankful for all that Diane, David, Doug and John put into this business. You can wish them well on their new adventures and trust that the new owners will pick up where Diane and her crew left off. The food will taste just as good, and the waitress with the familiar smile will be at your beck and call.
We choose the latter. But first, we want to express our sincere appreciation for all those fine people have done throughout the years. Running a restaurant is not easy. There are far more long days than short ones, and if you commit yourself, it’s more a lifestyle than a business.
But to us, The Caboose has been more than a place to get a good deal on a burger and fries. It represents a staple in our small town, and over the years it has drawn so many thousands of folks to town for celebrations and other special events in the banquet hall.
Tracy needs The Caboose. We need whoever the new owners are to respect that. He or she can make changes if they’d like, of course, and put their own stamp on the place, but they also need to realize and appreciate the business’s importance to our small town.
Tracy has enough empty buildings to, well, fill an empty building. And we’re not alone. Downtowns have become deserts in a way, at least compared to what they were 30 years ago, and as far as our highway strip, vitality is a hitor- miss proposition. While we have some fine and important businesses along Hwy. 14, we can’t afford another hole, another vacant building.
The highway is where people’s first impressions are born, and currently, if you enter Tracy from the west, you see a wonderful museum with a sprawling campus to your right and a well-used Dollar General on your left. But the next thing you come upon is an empty building that reminds you we used to have a Dairy Queen to your right and a substation to your left. After Salmons, there’s a picturesque scene that is home to ancient gas pumps that belong in a museum (or landfill) somewhere. After Casey’s, there’s Subway and The Caboose. Imagine The Caboose empty. Perish the thought.
We don’t know how long it will take for a new owner to take over at The Caboose, and while we wish Diane, Doug and John nothing but the best in their future, we need to stay positive about The Caboose’s future. And Tracy’s as well, for that matter.
