Another victim of King George

This is the story of Paul Kueker, an amicable fellow and the personification of how King George of Niantic, in his misguided attempt to protect his asphalt, continues to act like a horse's asphalt instead.

Kueker, a Niantic resident, was shopping last Friday night at Niantic Farms, the new grocery store that replaced Colonial Market. Kueker's car was parked in the lot that King George Mitchell owns.

On the way back to his car, Kueker got a text message from a friend about having a pint at the Black Sheep, the popular eatery/pub near the grocery store, whose patrons have their cars towed quite often from the King George Mitchell Parking Lot.

Seems that King George, who not only owns the lot but the Niantic Farms building, wants only patrons of his businesses to park in his lot. He does not own the Black Sheep.

Kueker moved his car a few spots closer to the Black Sheep, walked out, went inside, enjoyed a pint ... and came out to see his car had vanished.

"I thought, who would steal my car in Niantic?" Kueker said a few days later.

Turns out that it was towed. Why? Kueker was seen walking from his car to the Black Sheep.

King George couldn't find anyone in East Lyme or Niantic to tow Kueker's car - yes, at least some people in town have a sense of community - but found a willing participant in Sireci's of Waterford.

Kueker had to get a ride home from the police and to Waterford the next day. He learned that it would cost him $140 to reclaim the car.

Kueker, who technically did not violate King George's parking fetish because he was a patron of the grocery store, still had to pay $140. This just in: King George, who spoke to Kueker by phone about this, still hasn't volunteered to allay the towing fee.

And so we ask: When is this going to stop?

Kueker, as is the case with so many others in town, is more collateral damage from King George's conflict with Leo Roche, the owner of the Black Sheep.

See, here's the story nobody tells: This has nothing to do with who parks where.

This is about King George's desire to buy the old Smith's Pharmacy building where the Black Sheep stands. This is about King George being denied (and you just don't deny King George in Niantic), about Roche's purchase of the property and about King George doing everything he can to tweak Roche in any way possible.

The victims, meanwhile, are the people about town whose cars are being towed left and right because they have the nerve to enjoy a pint downtown.

Note to King George: Your lot is huge. It has plenty of room for everyone, especially at night when nobody is food shopping. Trying having a sense of community and some respect for your neighbors.

And grow up.

This is the opinion of Mike DiMauro, whose column appears in Daybreak once a month.