EAST DUMMERSTON — Joyce Marcel's column brought back pleasant memories of my own - getting up at the crack of dawn to go to the Newfane Flea Market with my late husband, Jonathan Flaccus, owner of The Unique Antique on Main Street in Putney.
But I'd like to add a dark moment to the story.
On Sept. 10, 2000, Jonathan wrote a letter to Bill Graham, then the Windham County Sheriff, alerting him to the proliferation of dealers selling guns at the market. These were not antique guns.
A police raid soon followed, presumably in response to his letter. None of the dealers returned; my guess is that some or all of them were not registered gun dealers, but I don't claim to know this part of it. This abrupt loss of so many dealers may have hastened the demise of the market.
I thank Joyce Marcel for her reminiscence and wish Julia Tadlock good luck with her new venture. I wanted to share this story as an example of the impact that one concerned citizen can have.