Flea market gate reopened

FOUR LINKS. THE MOST POPULAR GATE---ALLOWING PEOPLE INTO EXPO NEW MEXICO'S FLEA MARKET RE-O...  More »

FOUR LINKS. THE MOST POPULAR GATE---ALLOWING PEOPLE INTO EXPO NEW MEXICO'S FLEA MARKET RE-OPENED THIS WEEKEND... AFTER OFFICIALS LOCKED IT UP OVER SECURITY CONCERNS. SOME VENDORS COMPLAINED THE CLOSURE WAS HURTING BUSINESS ... BUT OTHERS SAY IT SHOULD STAY CLOSED. VALERIE CASTRO IS LIVE NEAR SAN PEDRO AND CENTRAL WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. VALERIE? THE POPULAR GATE WAS OPEN TODAY FOR VISITORS TO WALK INTO THE FLEA MARKET BUT LAST WEEKEND THE CITY CLOSED IT HOPING TO KEEP TROUBLEMAKERS FROM WANDERING IN OFF THE STREET. THE ALREADY OUTDATED SIGN IS NO LONGER A SOURCE OF CONTROVERSY AFTER FLEA MARKET VENDORS SAY IT KEPT OUT A BIG CHUNK OF THEIR BUSINESS. 'Awful, it was terrible business went way down and people were very upset, it affected directly the business.'THOMAS RENNER HAS BEEN SELLING JEWELRY HERE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AND SAYS THE CITY'S ATTEMPT TO KEEP OUT DRUNKS AND DRUG DEALERS WAS REALLY MEANT TO FORCE PEOPLE TO PAY FOR FOUR DOLLAR PARKING INSTEAD OF JUST WALKING IN. 'Its nickel and diming and they figured they would close the gate off to circumvent that under the guise of keeping riff raff out.'ANNETTE SEDILLO LIKES THE FLEA MARKET AND SAYS THE GATE OFF OF SAN PEDRO IS THE QUICKEST WAY FOR HER TO GET INSIDE. 'I think they should just leave it open so people can come in, for people that are handicapped and stuff like that it makes it a lot easier.' BUT NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY THAT THE CITY CHANGED ITS MIND SO QUICKLY. 'As a local business owner with a business a block away we have a lot of illegal parking, we have some rudeness from people who think they should be able to park in our lot for free even when we have posted signs that say private property no parking.'WAYNE BERUBE OWNS A BUILDING NEAR BY AND SAYS THE ISSUE OF PARKING SHOULD BE LEFT TO THOSE WHO RUN THE CITY'S LOTS. 'You know if we're in the parking business that's great but at our building we're not interested in running a parking lot for profit or for anything.' BERUBE SAYS SEEING THIS OFFICER HAND OUT PARKING TICKETS ONLY MAKES HIM MORE SURE THAN EVER THAT THE OPEN GATE NEEDS TO BE SHUT FOR GOOD. EXPO NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS WILL MAKE A FINAL DECISION THIS COMING WEEK ON WHETHER THE GATE WILL REMAIN OPEN. LIVE NEAR CENTRAL AND SAN PEDRO..VC..EWN 4.  « Less