Lisa Hammer, rlhammer@qconline.com

Photo: Lisa Hammer Cambridge officially opened Spartans' Discount Groceries, its new grocery store, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. From left are Mike Sullivan, Trustee Dale Doubler, owner Linda Noord, Mayor Jim Crouch, Main Street director Deb VanDeWoestyne and Denise Capps. "Let this be a new beginning," said Trustee Dale Doubler, "We all have to get behind her and support her. That's the only way it's going to work."

Photo: Lisa Hammer Linda Noord, (wearing baseball cap) owner of the new Spartans' Discount Groceries in Cambridge, talks with Cambridge residents prior to Saturday's grand opening of her store.

CAMBRIDGE - Spartan's Discount Groceries had its official opening at noon Saturday with a ribbon-cutting attended by village officials and others.

Owner Linda Noord announced her intention to start a small grocery store in Cambridge in November, two months after Cambridge's Jack and Jill store closed. The store is expected to be smaller at first with room to grow. It is located in the former Hutchcraft Chevrolet dealership.

Village officials expressed hope that residents will help the new business out.

"I saw the produce last night -- it looked very, very fresh," said village administrator Dwaine Van Meenen.

Mayor Jim Crouch welcomed Ms. Noord to Cambridge and said some of the other Cambridge businesses have been hurting without a grocery store to help keep people in town.

"This will help the other businesses so it's a pretty exciting thing," he said. "A grocery is the heartbeat of the downtown, so it'll be a good thing. Everybody needs to support all the businesses in Cambridge to keep them going."

At least one former Jack and Jill employee, Bob Hulslander, attended Saturday's ribbon-cutting. He said he planned to bag groceries for free for Ms. Noord while the store is in its infancy.

Store hours to start are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The phone number is (309) 707-1016. Ms. Noord also owns the Can Ladies grocery in Rapids City.