Community support needed for Rex Hardware

June 28, 2006

EDITOR: In the wake of the Rex Hardware tragedy, I propose that the community come together and support the Tomasinis. That store has been the heart of Petaluma for over 60 years. It was the place that neighbors ran into each other and stopped to chat, reaffirming the bonds of friendship and connectedness. It was the place that you could find gizmos and gadgets to fix anything and if you didn't know how to make those gizmos and gadgets work, they showed you how to use them. It was an icon of a lifestyle passing us by.

I believe that we should show the Tomasinis how much we depend upon them by giving a community barbecue. I think the merchants and my fellow Petalumans would come out in droves to thank them for their years of service and to encourage them to rebuild the store.

LYNNE ATKINSON, Petaluma