President James Holley explained the chapter's thoughts: "The unemployment rate for young African Americans in the county exceeds 25 percent. Our most talented African American young people are leaving Queen Anne's for Delaware and the western shore because they can't make careers here. By providing good incomes to dozens of African American families, a Wal-Mart could help reduce this exodus."

"We think they ought to put the store a little farther east - the Queenstown or Wye Mills area, either off 50 or 301," Holley said. "It needs to be away from Kent Island. That area is being loaded (with development and traffic) already."
"It's such a hassle getting down there. It's hard to get off at that last exit. There are a lot of fender-benders on the overpass. The traffic pattern is not the best," he added.

The NAACP "encourages Wal-Mart to find an alternate site closer to the African American community, closer to the long-term growth areas of the county, and farther from the Chesapeake Bay," Holley said.

"Every Queen Anne's Countian regards the Bay as sacred water, so it's no wonder the county, Kent Islanders and Wal-Mart have fallen 
into bitter dispute," states the press release. "The best solution is for Wal-Mart to find a better site, and for the county to resolve any financial issues arising from its rejection of the Route 8 site in a mater that is fair to all concerned."

Holley concluded, "If all parties would quickly and fairly resolve their quarrel, Queen Anne's Countians in need of employment, particularly African Americans, might enjoy good jobs geographically proximate to them."

Members of the local NAACP met with Wal-Mart representatives over lunch at Annie's last month to discuss the project, which was sidelined in May 2000 when the county commissioners, voting as the Sanitary District, denied the company's request for sewer and water at the Kent Commons site near the Bay Bridge. Upon appeal, Queen Anne's County Circuit Court Judge John W. Sause Jr. upheld the decision in September 2000.

However, Wal-Mart continues to pursue the project, spending more than $4.8 million in October to purchase 25 acres near the Bay Bridge, south of U.S. Route 50 and west of State Route 8. Wal-Mart Community Affairs Spokesman Daphne Davis said the company plans to appeal Sause's ruling to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

Before Wal-Mart can appeal the ruling, the judge must issue a written opinion. In the meantime, the company has been working to promote goodwill toward the project within the community. In December 2000, Wal-Mart took out ads in a local newspaper asking Kent Island residents to phone a toll-free number to register their support.

While Davis declined to give out total numbers, she said Wal-Mart received several hundred phone calls in response.
Davis said Wal-Mart is "in the early stages of outreach to community organizations."

"We're slowly trying to meet with different community groups. We want to listen to their feedback and answer questions," she said.
Davis had not seen the press release from Queen Anne's NAACP but said, "We appreciate any endorsement of the project."

Wal-Mart is continuing to pursue the project at the original location, she said.

Wal-Mart representatives are meeting with more community groups in May. If a group would like to schedule a meeting, they can call the Wal-Mart hotline number and leave a message, Davis said. The hotline number is 1-800-288-2706.