Inland Valley News Continues Letter Writing Campaign to Walmart Executives

Upland, CA—The Inland Valley and Inland Empire communities have come to the aid of the Inland Valley News in our letter writing campaign to the Walmart corporation and its executives. Letters and calls of support have been circulating throughout the community. This will be the final week of letter writing but the issue will still continue until a satisfactory resolve can be met.

The Inland Valley Newspaper truly appreciates the support and responses we have received concerning our letter writing campaign in the removal of our newspapers at the Pomona Walmart store. We still solicit the assistance of the community. Continue your letters, phone calls, emails and visits to the store in support of this newspaper. Again, thank you and we will keep you informed of any resolve in this matter.

Royce Esters, President of the National Association for Equal Justice in America (NAEJA) led a community forum at the office of the Inland Valley News to address the issue with Walmart. One of the suggestions that came out of that meeting was to set a timeline for a response and begin a massive letter writing campaign to aid the executives in making a decision to place the Inland Valley News back in the Walmart. That time is quickly approaching and we want a resolve soon.

Written below is the sample letter and addresses to send to Walmart Executives. If you are one of the 2000 people who were picking up the papers at the Pomona store or you are sensitive to the plight of the Inland Valley News please write a letter of support.
Listed below is a sample letter:

Dear________________

I am writing this support letter on behalf of the Inland Valley News. I am a Walmart shopper. As a shopper of your store and one who would get my copy of the Inland Valley News from the Pomona, CA, store I wanted to let you know how I felt about the newspapers being taken from the store.

It is an inconvenience for me to not be able to get the newspaper from where I shop and the circumstances upon which the papers were removed causes me some concern aboutyour commitment to the African American community.

I am respectfully requesting that Walmart listen to the concerns of the community members who patron your Pomona Walmart and that the Inland Valley Newspapers are placed back in the Pomona store.
Respectfully,

Mail this letter and e-mail it to the executives as well. Please e-mail a courtesy copy to editor@inlandvalleynews.com. We truly appreciate your help and support in this matter. Our voices will be heard.
Corporate and E-mail addresses for Walmart Executives:

Michael Bender, EVP and President, Walmart West, 4127 E. Van Buren Ste. 250 Phoenix, AZ 85008
Michael.bender@wal-mart.com

Leslie Dach, EVP Corporate Affairs, 702 SW 8th Street, Bentonville, AR 72716; L1dach@wal-mart.com

Margaret Sans, VP Public Affairs, 702 SW 8th Street, Bentonville, AR 72716; Maggie.sans@wal-mart.com

Sivo Aisabonghi, Store Manager, Pomona Walmart, 80 Rio Rancho Road, Pomona, CA 91766

Jerry Spencer; Jerry.spencer@wal-mart.com

Kimberly Sentovich; Kimberly.sentovich@wal-mart.com