A small town of fewer than 2,000 residents has become divided over plans for a local business owner to open a pub, with many residents fearful it will lower the tone.
asserted
it → become → tone
Jamie MacNair bought Northern Bay Market in 2017, hoping to keep the beloved convenience store open in her hometown of Penobscot, Maine.
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MacNair → buy → Penobscot
She began dreaming up building a second structure behind it and opening Penobscot's first pub with her now-ex-husband.
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She → begin → husband
However, the plans were sidelined after their son was diagnosed with cancer.
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son → sideline → cancer
But now, just over a year since their son, Avery, was declared cancer-free, her dream is back on the table for the town of 1,163 residents to vote on.
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town → declare → residents
'We're hoping to add a pub to [the market], and then that will create a place for everybody to meet and not just pass through,' the mother-of-three told the Daily Mail.
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mother → hop → Mail
However, some residents are worried inviting a bar into town will also invite unwanted visitors – including nearby townsfolk and dreaded chain stores.
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inviting → worry → townsfolk
'What will we next embrace?
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we → embrace → What
' disgruntled resident, Michele Barber, wrote in a letter published in The Rising Tide, a local outlet.
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resident → write → Tide
'Once crossed, a line cannot be uncrossed.
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line → cross → ?
Penobscot’s unique historically preserved way of life is worth guarding.'
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way → preserve → life
Northern Bay Market in Penobscot, Maine, is one of the few businesses in the area, which chose to remain pub-free after prohibiton ended.
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prohibiton → choose → area
Owner Jamie MacNair's plans to open a small pub in the store has angered some locals
A rendering of the planned pub is shown.
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rendering → open → pub
MacNair said locals like her have nowhere to socialize with friends.
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locals → say → friends
Some warn the pub could attract anti-social behavior
Northern Bay Market is the only stop in the 50-square-mile town, with no restaurants or grocery stores within its limits.
uncertain
Market → warn → limits
There are no public spots for residents to catch up with friends for food and drinks
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residents → be → food
The nearest bar is in Blue Hill, which is roughly a 20-minute drive away, MacNair said.
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MacNair → say → Hill
MacNair must now convince the town of 1,163 people to change the law through a town vote, which is set for November 20.
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which → convince → November
Currently, Penobscot is a partially dry town, as liquor can only be sold in containers.
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liquor → sell → containers
This law change happened in 2019 to allow Northern Bay Market to sell alcohol.
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Market → happen → alcohol
Adding alcohol to her inventory helped the little store thrive – a move MacNair deemed 'necessary.'
'We knew we had to do something else.
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we → add → something
And I want to stay in Penobscot, but the cost of doing business has increased insanely, and so this is another way to hopefully increase revenue so I can stay a mom-and-pop shop,' she said.
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she → want → revenue
MacNair has shrugged off complaints her pub would lower the tone of the town and said such criticism has only been made by recent arrivals to Penobscot.
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criticism → shrug → Penobscot
She also said the establishment will close at 7pm, only be open Thursday to Saturday, and will help her keep the market everyone needs open.
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everyone → say → market
'There's no place in town to have lunch or meet a coworker after work,' she told the Daily Mail.
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she → be → Mail
'You could come and get a Coke and a slice of pizza, and enjoy eating that, sitting down and eating, and having a great conversation.
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You → come → conversation
It's going to be a great space for the community'
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It → go → community
Liquor can only be sold in containers.
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Liquor → sell → containers
This law change happened in 2019 to allow Northern Bay Market to sell alcohol.
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Market → happen → alcohol
She also said the pub will close at 7pm, like her market does.
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market → say → pm
'I live upstairs.
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I → live → ?
We're not going to be doing something all hours of the night,' she told the Daily Mail
Adding alcohol to her inventory helped the little store thrive – a move MacNair deemed 'necessary.'
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MacNair → go → inventory
Adding a bar, she said, would also keep her business alive
'
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she → add → business
Preserving Penobscot should not mean preventing Penobscot from evolving,' she wrote in response in The Rising Tide.
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she → preserve → Tide
'For me, this is not about changing Penobscot into another town.
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this → change → town
It is about investing in the town we already have...
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we → invest → town
I believe Penobscot is strong enough to welcome a small pub without losing its identity.
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Penobscot → believe → identity
MacNair also lives above the market, meaning she's also not interested in rowdy drunks singing badly into the long night.
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she → live → night
'I live upstairs.
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I → live → ?
We're not going to be doing something all hours of the night,' she told the Daily Mail.
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We → go → Mail
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
