But, What About the Children!

This is ridiculous - only in Massachusetts.

Adam Goldberg thought his business would be welcomed with open arms by its prospective neighbors in Jamaica Plain.

After all, his coffee and ice cream shop, an Emack & Bolio's, was going into a space that had been home to a Brigham's for 40 years. An ice cream shop replacing an ice cream shop -- no big deal, right?

Wrong, as Goldberg was to find out. He likens the experience of dealing with neighborhood opposition to having a baseball bat taken to his head.

For Christ's sake, you'd think this guy was trying to open a gun range in Jamaica Plain. For the benefit of my readers who are "from away", JP is, shall we say, one of Boston's more diverse (read: slightly left of liberal) neighborhoods. Here's the money quote:

"One neighbor wrote a letter saying coffee, ice cream, and baked goods is going to have a negative impact on families in the neighborhood," Goldberg said last week.

[voice=Butthead] Uuuuhhhhh... [/voice]