Law in a Small Town

After moving to Altha Florida population roughly 600 I found that people around here were very use to doing as they please. The majority of the people of Altha I had met or did business with showed that they were not going to like me. Treated like a stranger and being ignored and treated like the proverbial "red headed step child" or worst is easily seen as different. This small town offered a good business opportunity for someone to open a game room. Younger folks did not have any thing for entertainment. The law a lone policeman, an enemy from day one. And we expected trouble from him.

My partner and I purchased a building and opened a game room, Family Games opened the doors on January 02/2004, that night we had free games an snacks. Then on Saturday we officially opened for business a blockbuster night with 200 games of pool played. Although we did not last long in that business attempt it wasn't really the small town but the type of people that were our regular customers. How people act in a group, and how they respect your property is a major factor in running a business. You cannot continue to operate with fights and damage happening every weekend, or ban a majority of your customers. I was not going to allow customers to run over me. I make the rules and they will be followed. So talking to them when we had a dance party on a Friday and 175 people here helped and we stayed in operation for a while.

On one of the occasions when the police were here (not called) because of the customers and I was told that I would be required to hire an off duty cop for security for every hour we were open. I could afford that for their security. Nor did I want a cop to be there in general. Kids do not come when the police are on sight. Even this town has a so called gang. Said gang members were not a problem to us except some parents would not let their children visit us. On Saturday night the gang left out place and robbed a local restaurant.

That one local Altha cop, was searching our customers in our parking lot and the lot next door. He would sneak around with a flash light and run our kids off. The children were told they could not ride bikes and skate boards in our lot. I went to next city hall meeting and said, "Our customers are kids, they ride and skate to get to us. I don't care that they play in our lot. If a girl uses a cell phone it must be done outside , the phones do not work in the building well, and with the noise almost impossible to use one. When she goes outside 3 girls go with her, 5 boys go and chase girls around a car, the girls throw shoes and come back inside. they are playing" After I spoke the city attorney told the cop and council they must leave us alone.

When we opened Family Games I had free games like cards, checkers, chess and others like scrabble so that the less fortunate families could still gather and have fun in a nice environment every day. And those days when they flocked in played pool and video games we made a little profit. But the amount of work and the continuous problems it was just too much work and headache. The basic premise was good, a profit was to be made. Being disabled does have a big part to play in closing our restaurant and game room in Sept 2004. At this time we do not have an active interest in another business other than our corporation and some rental property. Plans are in works for another shot at working a business, one in which we are sure to succeed. Soon we hope to have the legal work finished and move forward with our not for profit dream. Maybe next year you will be hearing of us again