In:
Subj: Mpls digest, Vol 1 #1400 - 16 msgs
Date: 3/19/2003 10:50:26 AM Central Standard Time
Susan Maricle wrote:
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A related note on the subject of Paul Wellstone and a
Minneapolis business owner:
Tom Sengupta, the owner of Schneider Drug in Mpls.,
was an avid supporter of Wellstone, and of affordable
health care in general. {His store is on University
Avenue SE, across from the KSTP building...I'm not
sure which Mpls. neighborhood this is.}
Tom is a quiet, industrious, Indian-born man who has
owned the store since the 1960s. When visiting
politicians would ask Wellstone about healthcare
issues in MN, Paul would tell them, "You gotta talk to
Tom." Once Bill Bradley telephoned Tom, who, business
as usual, had to put Bradley on hold to take a
customer's call. Strib columnist Doug Grow once wrote
about Tom's store, which is the site of monthly
political discussions. {Steve Brandt, can you provide
a link?)
A few years ago I had to get an after-hours
prescription, so I got it at the Broadway Target. The
Target pharmacist looked at the empty Scheider Drug
bottle I brought and asked, "Schneider Drug...are they
still open?" Later I mentioned this to Tom. He said,
"You tell Target we're still open and we're going to
be here for a long time." It was one of the few times
I've heard fire in this gentle man's voice.
On any day you will see signs promoting affordable
heath care in the front window of Scheider Drug.
As of late, there is an additional sign, one of those
crawling-message signs with a message that reads, "We
remember Paul Wellstone."
If anyone who lives in the area wants to support
Wellstone's memory, as well as an independent business
owner, visit Schneider Drug. I have my monthly
maintenance prescriptions mailed from there, so you
don't even have to live in the area.
Susan Maricle
Bruno MN
formerly of Folwell
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Schneider Drug is located in Prospect Park in a
building that has housed a drugstore for about
a century. I have been a customer of Schneider
Drug and its predecessor, Elsenpeter Drug, for
sixty years. Tom Sengupta has been the
proprietor for thirty-one years, after buying the
business from Earl Schneider, who had owned it
for about fifteen years. Tom has been able to
keep this neighborhood institution competitive
with all of the chain pharmacies.
Neal E. Simons
Prospect Park
