With the town’s population rising, more stores and businesses are coming to town making Los Banos grow even more, but does this change the small town community environment?

Due to the increase and growth of population in town, more stores and businesses are opening their doors.  According the the City of Los Banos, Crumble Cookies and DD’s Discounts are a few new business in the works for coming to town.

Does the business expansion in town create less of a small town neighborly feeling? According to Lorinda Sanchez, a LBHS security guard, she says, “No, I don’t think that’s true. We will never get that big San Jose and Hollister feeling.”

Lots of stores already in LB are smaller discount chain stores, but what about the bigger box retail stores coming to town? According to Stacy Souza, Community and Economic Development Director, she says how so many discount stores are a misconception. She says that it takes lots of time and convincing bigger brand names to open up in LB and a bigger population is needed also.

According to Souza, other discount stores come because of demographics; they see how the stores already built thrive in the community and open up their doors here also. She says that the community can always reach out to the stores they want to see in town and persuade them to come, but the town needs to grow a lot more to make this happen.

With all the new houses and new families moving into town comes more students for our schools. Are our schools fit to teach and hold so many students every day? According to our school principal, Mr. Jason Waltman says, “I like the growth; with growth comes change. We have to keep up.” Student population is up to 1,622 for this school year.