The Health Department isn't playing with poor old Ray Alvarez, whose eponymous Candy Store has been an Avenue A institution for generations. The indispensable East Village photographer Bob Arihood has the latest update on the beleaguered snack shop, which has been paid four visits from Health inspectors this week. The shop was initially shut down by the DOH on Monday after racking up 53 violation points and the discovery of an "extensive mice infestation." Arihood reports that the latest inspection produced even more violations than the first inspection, and he thinks the city is coming down too hard on the Candy Store.
We have to say here that though we are aware that Ray is not without fault what this city is doing to him and to other small businesses is wrong .With this soulless ravenous beast of a city administration at the door of every small business regularly , few will survive . This is not the way of responsible, accountable, good and just government Mr. Mayor!
We've noticed that for each inspection there is always a different inspector. We would expect that each inspector would see the situation a bit differently, find different violations, and as we all know there's always something... right? If more different inspectors, who are each of course motivated to find violations, come to Ray's more of those somethings will be found , arbitrarily new violations will be found . This inquisition could go on forever and Ray's Candy Store will never open.
As we've seen this week, when it rains it pours. Arihood says there will be another inspection today, and hopefully Alvarez will have everything in order. A team of supporters have been thoroughly cleaning the establishment, and yesterday Alvarez told us an exterminator had been down in the basement and gotten the infestation under control. He'll be inspected again at noon, and we called him just now he said, "I'm vacuuming and I have to run to get the place ready." Break a leg, Ray... or break some mice legs maybe.
