Woot!
Let’s Go To Nader’s by Clay Jones
At least we’ll know what we’re getting Read on Substack
This cartoon was drawn for the FXBG Advance.
Back on July 6, I published another cartoon on this same issue. A sketchy developer is asking for Fredericksburg to zone an area for homes, apartments, retail space, and for it all to be anchored by a “specialty” grocery store. The catch is, the city won’t be allowed to know which grocery store it’s getting. And now, they’ve taken a closer step to approving it.
Nader’s is a downtown grocery store in Fredericksburg, and it’s an institution. But over the years, I’ve heard complaints about it being the only grocery store downtown. It’s probably Fredericksburg’s version of a Bodega. A Bohemian friend of mine wrote a song about the place. I think Nader’s name has changed, but it’s always going to be known as Nader’s. It is by the Purina tower and the train station.
Creative note: I came up with this idea while on the train to my convention last Thursday. Because of all the shenanigans happening here, I wasn’t able to finish the cartoon until Friday afternoon. I drew this in the lobby so I could spend more time with my colleagues, and a LOT of them were looking over my shoulder watching me draw this. That would have been intimidating a few years ago, as most of them are better artists than I am, but they’re really the coolest people and are super supportive.
During the awards ceremony Saturday night, the president of the AAEC, Marc Murphy, mentioned that the winner of the Rex Babin Award was drawing (a local cartoon) in the lobby with friends watching. And that’s how I knew I had just won the award. More on this soon. (snip)
Scottie's Playtime 
I lived in Fredericksburg for many years, and Nader’s was the little grocery I used. The downtown area has zero space for any other grocery, unless Fburg decides to vacate a building and use it instead. The only place to build is across the river, and that is protected land (G Washington’s parents farm on the historic register, etc. ) Can’t see the Historic register giving up space. Fburg is also known for their city council’s shenanigans…I can see this becoming a huge issue.
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I thought of you when I posted this, suze. There was one of Clay Jones’s that was about a school question, and you mentioned you’d lived there. I thought you might know of Nader’s! I hope this is a pleasant memory.
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it is…I adored that city and the people at Nader’s were wonderful. They’d “special order” darned near anything one could want.
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🌞
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