March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

I am the former proprietor of the Family Market, now the Market Cafe. I rented the building from Antonios Dimoulas, the present owner. I started by establishing a redemption center in half the building. Antonius had just bought the building. My redemption center did well and soon I talked Tony into renting me the entire building. I had fainting visions of operating a nice little neighborhood variety store.

My first contact with the code enforcement officer was bad. He was sarcastic, negative and had disposition. He gave me the impression that he did not want me to open a redemption center. He apparently checked with someone who had a clue and they must have told him to shut up. Apparently redemption is incidental to a convenience store.

In this circus no mention has been made of cash flow. I wonder how the town has the power to tell a retailer how to set up their tables and shelves in the fixed parameters of their building. Apparently, Old Town gets right down to percentages. I am confused, because I always thought a meal was a Twinky and a Coke. As the former proprietor, I would also like to clarify that in Old Town, considering cash flow, the operation of a neighborhood variety store is “incidental” to the sale of cheap beer, cheap cigarettes, sugar, fat and a good assortment of pornography. The milk, bread and dog food is mostly for appearances.

The real issues here are 1) a reactionary government that advocates the sale of tobacco, beer, junk food and Zig Zags; 2) a property dispute with a lousy neighbor; 3) traffic congestion and the need for a wider bridge over the Stillwater River; 4) parking and its relationship to eating a good meal as opposed to a wax-covered doughnut; 5) a grumpy code enforcement officer who lacks social skills; and 6) vague ordinances that were written during the Great Depression by people who are now probably dead. Wesley Mallett Veazie


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