Editor,
The $2.49 avocados are not the reason I will never shop at Haggen again. The reason is I will never again see Charlie’s big smile as he bags my groceries and helps me to my car.
For 12 years, he has been a fixture at the store, as one of the people that make Laguna a special place to live. Charlie and a group of other customer service staff have lost their livelihoods as a result of a woefully mismanaged buyout. This is not how we do business in Laguna; we take care of our own.
I would be ashamed to ever set foot in that store again and hope Charlie and the others are able to find jobs in Laguna with employers that value the personality and culture of our town.
Brendan Neel, Laguna Beach
