THE FOLLOWING LETTER FROM FRANQUIN LEON (FRANKI'S GRILL) APPEARED IN THE 8/2/18 EDITION OF THE GAZETTE. IT IS REPRINTED HERE WITH THE WRITER'S PERMISSION:
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| OPENING DAY '14, CLICK ON THE PHOTO |
TO THE EDITOR:
My business has been serving Croton for almost 5 years. I bought a rundown deli and put my life savings into making it a happy place. I hired a Croton High School student to paint Croton-themed murals on my walls. I employ 5 people, including 2 Croton residents. My business generates commercial property taxes, sales taxes, and income taxes.
I came here from Ecuador. My 2 children are American citizens and I am on the path to becoming an American. I am not here just to make money.
I work hard and I want to help my community. I have supported many groups. Some of them are the cheerleaders, baseball, soccer, and the Library. I have given reduced price lunches to children. I don’t have a lot of money but I do try to help everybody who needs help.
I treat other people with respect, and I believe that I have earned the right to be treated with respect. I am here in Croton every day. If someone wants to talk to me, they can do that.
i am not here to fight or make controversy. I don’t take political sides and anybody who knows me knows that. Everybody is welcome at Franki’s and it does not matter who you support for politics.
My name was brought into the political debate about plastic bags by a Croton resident who did not talk to me.
I ask people if they want a bag, and most students say no. I also have paper bags which can hold a sandwich and soda. My landlord has a paper recycling container and I put my cardboard in to be recycled. When the people came to me and talked about the bag petition, I thought it sounded like a good idea and that is why I agreed to sign it. I thought signing the petition was the right thing to do and not a political statement.
A speaker who spoke at the Croton Trustees’ meeting last week criticized my business. This resident says she won’t come in to my store, and that is her right. I am not pushing her to come in to my store, or anybody else. But this person never spoke to me about her criticism before discussing it at the public meeting.
I am a father. I tell my children to talk with people if they have a disagreement. It is not fair to drag my name into politics, especially if you have not talked to me. And I am not just saying this about my business: we should support all our Croton businesses because if we just criticize and boycott then we will end up with no business in Croton. People should remember that Croton businesses support Croton school activities and Croton charities because we are proud to be part of this community.
If you want to talk to me, please stop by and I will be happy to address whatever concerns you may have.
Franquin Leon, owner of Franki’s Grill, Croton-on-Hudson
I couldn't help but notice how many people who spoke in favor of the bag ban were not even from Croton! Thanks Frankie for all you do.
ReplyDeleteSame thing with the petition it seems. Looking at what I could, quite a few non Croton people on the list. Look I don't use the bags when I can but this is ridiculous. Plastic is here to stay from that i-phone on up. Want to feel good about helping the environment. Start with that electronic mass consumerism.That need to get the latest gizmo. And do us all a favor. You want to be vegan? Fine. We accept this. But stop insisting that local businesses cater to you at the expense of the rest of us. Frankie's a great guy and we're lucky to have him. Love ya Frankie, Carolyn J and the kids.
DeleteWhatever happened to civil discourse and civility among opposing views? What happened to independent thinking? I guess if you don't wear the party arm band or ribbon in Croton you are labeled, shunned and publicly excoriated on social media. What happened to our democracy? It's a damn shame!
ReplyDeleteFranki runs a great business and is a welcomed part of this community. He is kind and always has a smile on his face. I don’t care what type of bag he uses for his take out meals. Boycotting his business because of a plastic bag is insane. Whoever went to the town meeting and brought Franki’s business up should be ashamed of themselves. If you don’t want to use plastic bags that is your right but boycotting Franki will certainly not fix the problem.
ReplyDeleteAnd now calls to boycott Shoprite too until it obeys! Big employer in the area. Gives to veterans. Gives to fire department fairs, the poor, helps local causes. Whatta bunch tyrants. Don't use the bags and show by example not barking orders!
ReplyDeleteTIME TO STOP WITH THE CLIMATE, SOLAR, PLASTIC, LOW INCOME HOUSING, STUFF AND GET BACK TO BASICS, CROTON BASICS!!!!!!!! You are the greatest Franki. Enough with the politics everyone. This town is also made up of people who think differently or is inclusiveness only for who the ruling elite decides! We are a small loving town that has managed long before all this LOOK AT HOW VIRTUOUS stuff started! Enough already!
DeleteAnd speaking of shaming....
ReplyDeleteSHAME on the Croton Climate Initiative (it was one of their members who made the remarks) for taking something reasonable and turning it into something divisive. With tactics like this, I really feel the need to question this group's competence and legitimacy.
I'm a 'kid' and i don't care about bags. Franki is a good guy. Parents and our friends need to stop putting so much pressure on us to be so upright and just let us be young.
ReplyDeleteUnlike most Westchester towns, Croton residents foster and promote a level of extreme independence and indiscrimination. In addition to its beautiful surroundings, great schools and easy access to NYC, this level of inclusiveness was the primary reason why I chose to live and raise a family in Croton. Nevertheless, no matter where you reside, there are always going to be a handful of folks who act in ways that run counter to a town’s spirit. On a purely statistical measure, the opinions these folks represent an infinitesimal proportion of the town’s consensus. However, due to the fact that the squeaky wheels get the grease, these minority sentiments have a shot of inhibiting the growth and development of Croton at a time when the local and national economic indicators are in our favor in the short term. If a developer wants to build a new apartment building, let them build. If a new bar wants to open, let them open. If a new coffee shop (yes I said it) wants to set up shop, let them serve brew. Hours of public hearings and months of delays not only hurt a future tax paying business owner, it sends the signal to other prospective investors that there is too much red tape in Croton. Let’s be smart here. Listening to everyone’s opinion and exhibiting a level of respect is of course necessary and required. But we should be civil, engage in a courteous dialogue and not succumb to paralysis by analysis because two of the 8,000 residents have loud mouths.
ReplyDelete- A practical liberal
If it were only two loud mouths...it's not...................................
DeleteI only want apartment buildings that pay their full share of taxes. Apartment buildings that are low income or affordable housing pay pilots and not their fair share.
DeleteIf you could have heard the hooping and the hollering and the booing when anyone had anything to say that ran up against the plastic bag ban that night. And not a peep from the dais. Now a good business has had to defending himself in the paper and the area's biggest employer and possibly biggest taxpayer is subjected to talk of boycoting.
ReplyDeleteFranki, good for you for writing that strong and effective letter. Does anyone else find it ridiculous (and scary) that someone could care more about the use of a plastic bag than a person and his family? PEOPLE FIRST. You will have no community left if your goal is to alienate people. And you will wind up alienating yourself from your community if all you care about is vilifying people for things that are not crimes. Find a way to enact change POSITIVELY. Dragging someone's reputation, and trying to ruin their business, is not the way to do that. Using plastic bags does not make someone evil. Eating meat does not make someone evil. Trying to destroy another person DOES make someone evil.
ReplyDeleteGet the pitchforks! Any business that does not provide free sitting for the masses all day, composting forks and spoons,free reusable bags, reusable straws, free wifi, gluten free tofu vegan organic veggies, space for my dog to sit for hours, subsidized housing for the tri-state area, must be boycotted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a crazy place we live in.
ReplyDeleteI heard the law is being changed to include delis, liquor stores, and Chinese food. Do you know if that is true? I also heard the delis are outraged.
ReplyDelete