Meri 26 Bt A Ph J & ; oT oes 2... i ED PRS LR Le Ne NU RR SY a Sm ES I a As - The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 10, 1996 3 Florists (continued from page 1) “We're competing in a free-en- terprise system, like Wendy's and Burger King setting up on oppo- site corners,” he said. - “Do_they pay taxes?” asked Not -Parling, who sells flower and vegetable plants from the fam- ily farm on Hildebrant Road in Dallas. “The main attraction of the Flower Tents is that there's a tent sét jap. Why can’t they put up a building and pay rent and taxes like we do? They shouldn't just come in out of the blue and set up for a few weeks. Only in the flower and agriculture business can you do.this, We don’t blame the public for patronizing them. We just hope the public is there for us.’ b .« Darling said he has accounts ‘with Penn State Seed and Newell Fuel; both located in the Back Mountain. “Ido business with people like Rave’s and Darling's,” said Agway manager Ralph Gott. “We all deal with ach other. We should all be on equal ground. I don't think a man ‘should go into business for $10 a year.” “'Rave's manager Ron Woolbert asked the supervisors if the town- POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE Norm Darling Sr. said he hoped his customer would support his business. ship couldn't raise the permit fee and make the Flower Tents ab- sorb some of the same expenses other businesses have. “Dallas Township raised their fee to $300,” he said. “I might as well shut my doors, set up a tent and work only four months a year,” said Jeff Hosle, owner of Hoss's Garden Hut at Harveys Lake. “This kills my busi- ness. The general public doesn’t realize what they're doing. It’s just easy access for them. I'm at the end of the line at the lake.” Unfair (continued from page 1) worth it. The tents are a magnet for customers.” '-'Hesle said when he and an- other grower approached the Dal- Jas Borough council about the flower tents five years ago, offi- cials promised they would change the ordinance. When he obtained a copy. of the ordinance Monday, it hadn't been changed at all, he said. . Kimberly Hillman, owner of Kimberly's Floral on Route 415, in front of the roller skating rink in Dallas, says she had a unique encounter with Ansilio this win- ter, . i “He asked me to run the tent for Wir she said. “I told him to go take a hike. It took a lot of nerve for him to do that.” The tent is about 100 feet from 2 front, door, halfway between her shop and the Dallas Nursery, she added. Hillman, a full-service florist open the entire year, said her sales of potted plants were down tintil customers told her they pur- posely: came to her shop after réading about the tents in a daily neWepaper “It's not fair to take business away from other merchants,” she said. “It’s not right. We're here all year round and they're not.” Ron Reese, owner of Southfork Floral on Route 309, said his pot- ted plant sales are down by about 50 percent. The rest of the year he sells arrangements and other fresh flower products. : “They (the flower tents) really messed up Easter for me,’ he said. “Ifthey were here all the time and paid the same taxes, rentand utility bills that I do, it would be différerit. They just come in here for Easfer and Mother's Day and walk, off with all the gravy — then say. théy aren't competing with us.” y ow omoToowmom gence ih oe can come in here and pay $10 a month to set up, while we pay hundreds of dollars a year in taxes,” said local grower Norm Darling, whose business is Jocated on Hildebrant Road in Dallas Township. We WHT SED SR GER RCS BESS RE BOR SEE RE 16 Carverton Road, Trucksville call Ahead JYeIRPR [OV Eat in or Take Out Try Our Wings! Mon.: 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm Tues., Wed., Thurs.: 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm Fri.: 11:00 am - 12:00 Midnight Sat.; 12:30 pm - 12:00 Midnight « Sun.: 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm “I could say they're cutting in on me,” Ansilio said. “Our compe- tition is supermarkets, K-Martand Wal-Mart. You can find fresh cut and potted Easter flowers on any corner of any street and even in convenience marts.” He said he hasn't totaled up all the figures yet but knows he has had “a pretty good year.” “I believe in the free enterprise system,” he continued. “My cus- tomers benefit from me. I provide something they may not be able to get locally. We don't give our flow- ers away, we must make a profit from sales.” All plants sold in his tents come from “local greenhouses in North- eastern Pennsylvania,” he said. According to zoning officer Len Kozick, Dallas Township raised its fees to $300 for 60 days in 1994. "It was increased partially be- cause of the flower tents,” he said. “They're the same as the farmers coming into the township from Clarks Summit to sell corn during the summer — or the guys from North Carolina selling furniture from the back of a rig along the highway. They take business away from our local farmers and mer- chants.” According to Dallas Borough's ordinance, a peddler’s license is either $25 for 30 days or $75 for an entire year. “Are the people who run the tents their own agents?” asked Marge Gorko, who works at Rave's Garden Center. “Did the town- ship check to see if these people have state and federal tax identi- fication numbers? Did you check to see if they pay payroll taxes?” Paul Sabol, chairman of the supervisors, said no one did. Dee Graziano of Fort Durkee Florists in Hanover disagreed with Ansilio’s comparison of his busi- ness with fast food places. “You have to eat three times a day,” she said. “You buy flowers only with your extra money. Flow- ers aren't a necessity. Local busi- nesses contribute to the tax base. You supervisors won't have jobs without a tax base. You saw the tent — didn't it register? I don't understand why township offi- cials don’t have their fingers on the town's pulse.” John Sirack of Hunlock Creek said, suggested a solution which he felt might appeal to both sides. “Why not limit size of tent to 10 x 10 area, just like a farmer selling produce?” he asked. “What's at- tracting people is the size of the tent. Limiting the size of the tent would allow everyone to compete.” “Would you be happy with that?" he asked Ansilio. “No,” Ansilio fired back. After members of the audience asked the supervisors when they would be able to follow up on the situation, Herb Hill suggested the florists and growers pitch in. “Why don't you people draw up an ordinance and tell us what you want, and then we'll make it le- gal?” he asked. “I can't write an ordinance,” Darling said. “I'm speaking only for myself, but it's way beyond my means.” “We just can't take another municipality’s ordinance and use it ourselves,” explained Randall Glidden. “Our solicitor must first review it to make sure it complies with our ordinances. Just because an ordinance hasn't been tested in court doesn't mean it's legal.” The supervisors said they would take the matter under advisement and possibly have something for their May 8 meeting. After the meeting Tim Ansilio “It bothers me that they say POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE Ralph Gott pointed out that local stores support one an- other. we don’t do anything for the com- munity. We're members of the Back Mountain Jaycees and I'm the vice president. Last year the Jaycees ran several projects for the community. We worked on the Fall Fair. We visit The Mead- ows four times a year and adopted a two-mile stretch of Route 415 between Pickett's Charge and the Castle Inn.” His brother, Tom, who came in after the meeting, described the Flower Tent chain more thor- oughly. “We aren't a temporary busi- ness,” he said. “We are a full-time business that is seasonal in na- ture, like a miniature golf course or the concessions at Harveys Lake. It just so happens the prod- ; uct we sell is only available at | Easter and in May. We can't sell them any other time.” : There's nothing that tells people | how to structure their own busi- ness, he added. “We go by every « single local law and pay all appli- | cable taxes wherever we're set! » up. i He wondered if the other deal- | ers are buying in the wrong spot. “If 1 found good prices, why can't they?” he asked. “If people are coming back tous it's because | we offer a quality product at a fair - price. We compete with the super- | markets and chain stores like Wal- Mart and K-Mart. We're not cheaper than they are, but our quality is how we compete with | them.” He described his family as local people from Kingston. Their par- ents live in Dallas. “We're a good family and honest businessmen,” he said proudly. Flower tents are nothing new, Tom Ansilio said. “We didn't in- ~ vent it. People have sold flowers from tents for hundreds of years.” . far right, won a special prize. HURST EGG..CITING Hundreds of youngsters turned out for the first Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Back Mountain Business and Professional Ass'n. The event was held Saturday at Penn State in Lehman. In the lower photo, Erin Elizabeth Fallon, Dallas, jumped to touch a bunch of balloons. Near right, Samantha Shriner, 2 1/2, Dallas, brought her own fine basket. Sarah Brin, Loyalville, POST PHOTOS/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK HOME SPECIALTIES COMPANY In Business Over 46 Years FINANCING AVAILABLE Awnings | Doors Windows Roofing Siding 527 Scott St. Wilkes-Barre, PA (717) 824-3572 1-800-233-7284 Quality Products Innovative Ideas DRESSES ¢ SPO AFTER EASTER 18 for infants, toddlers, girls & 0% ALL SALES FINAL © ALL qa CREDIT CARDS prae 3 Open Monday-Saturday 10:00-5:25 Thursday 10:00-8:00 *Previous layaways not included ¥ L} i BP AR» eo COATS ~ United Penn Plaza ¢ Kingston DIG JANE BY VN (Q 3 BAN @1 5 BRANLY WAIT! Will have extended hours v.91 MAIL BOXES ETC. for last minute tax return filing ed. - Fri., April 10 -12 Saturday, April 13 Sunday, April 14 MONDAY, APRIL 15 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 12 noon - 4:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. From 7-8:00 p.m., join us for a live broadcast from MAGIC 93 - come and relax - we'll have food, refreshments & prizes Check out our other business support services: HB COLOR COPIES BW 24-HR. FAX RECEIVING BH SHIPPING-UPS Overnight B OFFICE SUPPLIES B BULK MAILING B TYPING & TYPESETTING ® MAILBOX SERVICE - as low as 69 cents - get 24-hour access, discounts on faxes, and special copy accounts MAIL BOXES ETC: Dallas Shopping Center TEL: 674-2429 « FAX: 674-2431
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