East Lyme First Selectman Paul Formica's plan to find more public parking in downtown Niantic reminded me of some thoughts I had several months ago.

I happened to be walking through the back parking lots of Main Street when I noticed an unusual number of signs posted that all read "No Parking for the Black Sheep."

Because the signs are posted behind and on the sides of multiple businesses, my first thought was that there is a local conspiracy against this restaurant. However, upon inquiring I learned that the parking lots were owned by the same individual, one who has had an ongoing conflict with the Black Sheep restaurant.

Now, I'm not going to pass judgment on the owner of the lots because he has every right to reserve parking for his tenants, but the business people of Niantic, especially his tenants, might be interested in knowing that prior to the Black Sheep's opening I rarely visited Niantic. I've probably not spent more than $200 in the last 10 years in the town, but since I've been enjoying the food and beverages of this new restaurant I rediscovered some other great places.

A quick tally of what I've spent since my first visit to the Black Sheep, not including the restaurant, exceeds $3,000. The businesses that have received my patronage include the theater, book store, package store, pizza restaurant, sandwich shop, natural foods store, candy store, the previous food market, and the dance studio. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's been spending more money in Niantic since the Black Sheep opened.

Since Niantic recently lost Colonial Market, an "anchor" store, I'd think the business community would request that at least some of those signs were removed so that it wouldn't convey such a strong negative message to the new visitors in town.

Maybe the new food market would have a better chance to profit also.

Editor's note: The writer lives in Lyme.