Town Council Meanies Kill Boy’s Worm Biz Because Of Sign

Published on August 12th, 2006

“Waddya mean the kid can’t sell worms anymore?”

Haven’t these guy’s ever heard of the word ‘exemption’? Can you imagine anyone in town complaining if this kid were allowed to keep his sign?

Town Gives Teen’s Worm Biz The Hook

Local worm salesmen, beware. As 13-year-old Joe Cadieux learned recently, Cromwell can be a hostile environment for those looking to break into night crawler vending – particularly if they advertise with a yard sign.

A worm business that Joe has operated since he was 10 was shut down two weeks ago when Cromwell’s planning and zoning commission issued a cease-and-desist order because the teenager’s sign violated local zoning regulations.

“It’s ridiculous,” said the middle school student, who made $5 to $10 a month selling worms collected from his front yard, where they are plentiful after spring rainstorms.

“What kind of town am I living in where they’re going to put the kibosh on a 13-year-old’s worm business?” Reil said. “It was just to teach him the values of working and getting paid for it.”

14 users responded in " Town Council Meanies Kill Boy’s Worm Biz Because Of Sign "

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# 1 Bruce said, on August 12th, 2006 at 5:48 am

Push back. For the city to come and arrest you, and make sure all local tv and radio is there to witness it.

Just write “F*** Off!” on the C&D and send it back.

# 2 Drew said, on August 12th, 2006 at 6:01 am

Agreed #1 – these cities really have their priorities in the wrong order.

# 3 OhForTheLoveOf said, on August 12th, 2006 at 6:36 am

Bruce and Drew…

I couldn’t agree more. Sitting down and taking it… like sheep… is how we got here. It is time for people to stand up and say that we will no longer tolerate the insipid micromanagement of our lives we’ve come to tolerate from the government, at all levels, and from corporate America as well.

These people work for us. It is not our job to be obedient.

# 4 gquaglia said, on August 12th, 2006 at 6:39 am

Sounds like my town. Small towns have a rule and ordinance for everything. Probably some cry baby neighbor complained and the town official was forced to act.

# 5 RonD said, on August 12th, 2006 at 7:37 am

Just let the boy have his night crawler stand, said First Selectman Paul Beaulieu. Reason, he said, should have stepped in when the regulations were vague.

“There’s the letter of the law, but there’s also common sense,” he said. “This was over the top. Kids selling night crawlers and lemonade are part and parcel of life in small-town Connecticut.”

Amen!

# 6 BobH said, on August 12th, 2006 at 7:53 am

What’s really needed is a common sense ruling from the Supreme Court. Said edict should carry with it a severe fiscal penalty for frivilous lawsuits as well as absurd ordinance creation/enforcement.

# 7 James Hill said, on August 12th, 2006 at 9:05 am

Anyone know a lawyer in Hartford we could hire to fight for this kid?

Also, anyone know the home phone numbers of the town council members? I’m sure the Internet would like to spread this informaiton.

# 8 Clayton J. Quinnell said, on August 12th, 2006 at 10:17 am

A t-shirt I saw last weekend comes to mind.
“Stop Whining…
… and start a Revolution!”

# 9 glenn said, on August 12th, 2006 at 12:54 pm

But require him to look up the spelling of “night”.

# 10 OmarTheAlien said, on August 12th, 2006 at 5:08 pm

The worms, I suspect, are happy.

# 11 RonD said, on August 12th, 2006 at 5:21 pm

He said he told Cromwell’s zoning enforcement officer to deal with the problematic worm sign, which he said could hurt the residential character of the Washington Road area.

“In a residential zone, if you want to put up a business and work out of your home you really need a special permit,” Diaz said. “You come before the commission and state your case …and then a decision is made. Chiropractors do that, lawyers do that, doctors do that, and then you’re allowed to put up a sign.”

So the real problem is the kid did not go grovel before the commission to get permission for his business. I would think that home businesses that involve a profession such as doctor or lawyer would be more hurtful to the “residential character” of a neighborhood than would a kid’s fish bait business.

# 12 Mr. H. Fusion said, on August 12th, 2006 at 6:11 pm

I really don’t understand this. The kid is no different from any other business, so why should he get special treatment. Sheesh, did they insist he get a Business Permit first? Did they insist he carry insurance? Did they insist he obtain a Vendor’s License? Did they insist he have a Sales Tax Number? NO !!! All they did was enforce a zoning law that requires permission before erecting a sign in residential neighborhoods. All they did was enforce the residence to the same standard that every other house on that street is held to.

If the zoning law prohibited animals other then dogs and cats, would you complain if he wanted to raise a cow for the 4H Club? How about if he started a body shop? Or a rendering plant?

If you disagree with the law, then let your representative know. If your representative doesn’t listen, then vote for someone else or run yourself. In America we follow the rule of law. We don’t start a rebellion because we don’t like the zoning laws.

# 13 RonD said, on August 12th, 2006 at 7:14 pm

I think the kid is different from other businesses. His is more in line with lemonade stands or farm produce stands which don’t require the zoning commission’s permission for their signs. Now if the kid was running a full fledged bait and tackle shop it would be different. But he is only selling worms for $2.50 a dozen and in a good month makes $10. Meanwhile, the public outcry is having an effect. The commissioner who objected to the sign is now saying that “other town officials overreacted to his inquiry and that he will ask the board to rescind the order when it meets again in September.” But the minutes of the Cromwell Zoning Commission meeting in June indicates that Diaz is the one who said the sign should be removed.

http://tinyurl.com/gxwvk and http://tinyurl.com/h83u9

# 14 Mr. H. Fusion said, on August 13th, 2006 at 7:50 pm

So the kid is special. Instead of everyone getting equal treatment, some will be allowed to erect a sign while others can’t. He has run the business out of his home for 2 or 3 years, so it is not a transient lemonade stand but more of a permanent business.

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