Author Topic: Michael Brown - Riots - Ferguson MO  (Read 808 times)

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Re: Michael Brown - Riots - Ferguson MO
« on: March 13, 2015, 09:23:28 am »
What a ****** Up area. It just gets worse and worse, especially of the recent shooting of the cops.

Patience runs thin for Ferguson business owners

Quote
The events this week are another crushing blow to so many who lost their businesses in the violence in November.

Just a few hours ago, I met with a young woman whose beauty salon and spa in Dellwood was destroyed the night of the St. Louis county grand jury decision in the Michael Brown shooting case.

Now, Queen Barnes-Greene, and so many others, try to keep STL Together in the face of more violence last night.

"It's just not going to solve anything," says Queen. "It's just going to make things worse."

Frustration, disappointment and sadness from this mother with a baby on the way, after two police officers were shot in Ferguson. Feelings that are all too familiar Queen, who owns a salon and spa in Dellwood called Queen's Royal Touch. Today, it stinks of smoke and is still covered in soot. It was destroyed the night of November 24.

"It's just like crushed dreams is all I see here," says Queen. "I thought three months, we're going to be able to turn this thing around and it's a lot harder than I thought."

Then last night, her hopes for some real progress in the community she loves were crushed again.

"This is 2015, and we're still going through stuff that I thought my son wouldn't have to worry about," says Queen about her 10-year-old.

Queen received $5,000 from the STL Together fund.

It's a project of NewsChannel Five and the St. Louis Regional Chamber to try to get business owners back on their feet.

But for her, the real price tag to re-open is closer to $50,000 or $100,000.

"So far the lowest bid we had is $98,000," says Queen. "The lowest. And that blew me away. Are you serious?"

Money this retired teacher, who used to have 10 to 12 employees and a beautiful spot for her customers, just doesn't have right now.

"I don't have any loans," says Queen. "I started this business with my retirement. I was a teacher. Now I'm back at square one. Nothing. No retirement. Nothing."

She's grateful for the letters and support she's gotten from people as far away as Rhode Island and Mexico.

And while she's still hopeful, she knows rebuilding her salon, and repairing a community that's been torn apart again, is going to take more patience than she ever expected.

"Those young men who did it," says Queen of last night's shootings, "or whoever did it, you know, I'm going to be praying for you. Because that's just not what we're trying to do. That's not what I want to get my business back."
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