. . . who are somehow taken in by a pandering story in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, a newspaper published in Menards' home town ("Menards sues company over recalled wood"), here is a helpful review of the April 29th story in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ("Suspect firewood lingered at stores: Two Wisconsin Menards tardy with recall, state says").
The items below are quoted directly from the Journal-Sentinel story. And - surprise - not at all mentioned in the Leader-Telegram:
- The recall order came April 13, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and Menards was given 24 hours to get the job done. But more than a week later, government inspectors found contraband wood still for sale at two stores in southern Wisconsin.
- In 2004, Menards was investigated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture for selling live ash trees in an area of the state where the sale of ash trees was prohibited.
- Menards was let off with a warning after a company attorney promised it wouldn't happen again in an Aug. 24, 2004, letter to the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Then last summer, a Menards store in Traverse City, Mich., was caught doing the same thing, according to Jim Bowes, enforcement security officer for the Michigan Agriculture Department's pesticide and plant pest management division.
- Menards said: "Menards discovered a shipping error caused by a. . . vendor that mistakenly caused a small amount of ash trees to ship to a northern Michigan store. Regrettably, the mistake did happen, but to the best of my knowledge, no trees were sold. The mistake was caught and the trees were transported back to the vendor. The vendor was fined heavily and put on sanctions by Menards internal compliance department." Bowes, however, said he believes several trees were sold at the Traverse City store.
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture spokesman Michael Schommer said Menards has been "very cooperative" in the recall effort.
An Iowa official, however, is less thrilled about Menards' response so far. Although there is no evidence the company violated the letter of the recall, Iowa state entomologist Robin Pruisner believes it did violate its spirit.
Pruisner said she found some Taylors firewood on a Menards store shelf on April 21, which she believed was well beyond the date that it had been ordered removed.
All interesting elements to the story. Yet none of it reported in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram story.
Madison's Capital Times didn't hold back: "State: Menards Not Complying - Recalled Wood May Contain Ash Borer."
Given the incredibly high stakes, one could certainly call Menards' lackadaisical response less than inspiring. In my opinion, criminal negligence could - - would - - certainly be explored if an infestation were to be traced to any of the above actions.
That's not to say that the Menards corporation might not suddenly do something remarkable to redeem themselves - - I'm an optimist. And the "Menards Guy" spokesman is from my hometown!
But for now, Menards big move is suing their supplier. I don't know whether they get a parade in their honor for that.
If they catch the golfer who flicked a lit cigarette in the Hollywood Hills a few days back to spark the current wildfire raging around Griffith Park, I suppose he or she will immediately sue the tobacco company that made the cigarette ...
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