NORDLAND — Tom Rose knew something was up when he saw a lot more people crowding into his Nordland General Store than usual.
It became clear a little after 9 a.m. Friday when a group of about 30 people led by Marrowstone resident Corky Parker gathered to yell “Thank you, Tom!” and present him with a custom-printed poster proclaiming the day as the first Nordland General Store Bagel Day and Shop-a-Thon.
Rose, who is especially low-key, didn’t show a lot of emotion at first before cracking a joke.
“It’s going to be real bad when we put that ‘for sale’ sign up,” he said.
“I’m going to feel really guilty.”
Rose, 64, actually plans to keep the store at 7180 Flagler Road on Marrowstone Island running for 20 years and will retire at that time, he said.
After working as a cafe owner and a grocer in Seattle, Rose bought the store in 1994 with his wife, Sue, a nurse at Jefferson Healthcare who was unable to attend Friday due to her work schedule at the hospital.
Everyone in the crowded store bought at least two items, one for themselves and another going toward the store’s food bank contribution.
“This is a double play on Thanksgiving,” Parker said.
“We are saying thanks to Tom and Sue and also making a contribution.”
Parker said the store carries a large variety at prices comparable with those at large supermarkets.
Four people work in the 1,500-square-foot store adjacent to the Nordland Post Office.
The store features movie rentals, crafts and miscellaneous items in addition to the expected grocery fare.
Parker said Tom and Sue Rose make a “monumental” contribution to Marrowstone Island and its 600 year-round residents.
They take a community photograph and put it on a calendar, bring in and decorate the community tree, and most notably organize the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge, every one of which Tom has participated in except this year, when he was sick.
Parker hoped the Friday event encouraged people to shop local, but most of those attending already had received the message.
“We were talking about this as an annual event, but it really should be a weekly event,” she said.
“There is no other place where this community crosses paths, and it’s really easy to take this store for granted.”
The store is busier in the summer months, so Friday’s event could give it a needed boost.
“We wanted to get everyone together so we could get them through the cold, dark months,” Parker said.
The store is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
For more information, phone 360-385-0777 or visit www.nordlandgeneralstore.com.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
