July 11, 2012
which was passed into law in April by a bipartisan majority of state legislators and requires operators of roll-your-own cigarette stores to collect a tax on the cigarettes that their customers produce with the stories’ roll-your-own cigarette machines. Franklin County Superior Court Judge Bruce Spanner issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, June 25, preventing the state from collecting the tax on its planned
start date of Sunday, July 1, by ruling that Initiative 1053 required state legislators to approve the tax by a two-thirds majority, which they’d failed to obtain. Unfortunately for Murphy and his fellow roll-your-own store operators, the state Attorney General’s office then sought and obtained a stay of Spanner’s injunction from the state Supreme Court within the same week, and a rider has been attached to the federal transportation bill before President Obama, which would revise the IRS tax code to require roll-your-own store operators to obtain manufac-
turing permits. “Except they’re not even registering people for that license because they don’t want to get dragged into the courts with other lawsuits against tobacco,” Murphy said. “I’ve kept the building open to tell my customers personally what’s been happening, and because it’s cheaper to just pay the rent than to move everything into storage and then haul it all back out if things turn around.” Murphy’s wife and daughter both quit their jobs to come work for him, and barely hours before he received word of the stay on Spanner’s injunc-
FOURTH FROM PAGE 1 “This is set up really nice for the kids,” said Michael Graham, as he slathered son Karter with sunscreen. Michael grew up in Arlington and now lives in Marysville, but that hasn’t kept his family from returning to his old hometown for the Fourth of July for nearly half a dozen years. “He’s looking forward to getting candy in the parade, while I like to see the old vets.” Before the Grand Parade could kick off, the Kiddies Parade proceeded along the same route, boasting a lineup of nearly two dozen entrants this year, including the five
tion, he was seriously considering finally buying a new truck that he’s needed for a while now. “Usually, if a new business can make it through its first year, it’ll be alright,” Murphy said. “Around the six-month mark, I was wondering whether we’d make it, but just before the House bill came up, I was pretty sure we’d cleared the hump. I’m 54 years old and I’m going to walk out of here owing $30,000 if we close up shop. I didn’t need to be any further in debt.” Joe Baba, an Everett-based tobacco distributor for the state
children of the Mucklestone family, who came dressed as Tin Tin and his supporting cast from the Belgian comics. “We’re all fans of the comics,” said Rosie Mucklestone, who dressed as one of the Thomson twins. “We loved them even before the movie came out.” Donis Chopelas and her niece, Heather Gallagher, sported butterfly costumes and a large wooden butterfly on wheels that Heather rode, but it wasn’t the first year for that butterfly in the Kiddies Parade, which was previously ridden by Chopelas’ daughters nearly 20 years ago, and Heather’s other siblings in the years since then. “It’s a family tradition at this point,” said Laura Gallagher, Heather’s mom. Grand Marshal Kody Cunningham, a fifthgrade student at President’s Elementary who has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, was proud to show off his custom-fitted uniform as Arlington’s Police Chief for a Day, but a bit nervous about being seen by so many attendees of both parades, even with Arlington Police Chief Nelson Beazley’s encouragement. “It’s a little stage fright, but I’ll get over it,” Cunningham said. “This is such an honor.”
who owns multiple roll-your-own cigarette stores in the area, echoed Murphy’s accusation that “Big Tobacco” has been funding efforts to undermine the roll-your-own cigarette stores out of fear of competition. “We’re only allowed to use one brand of tobacco now, which isn’t even available yet,” said Baba, who hopes to continue the fight through the courts. “The government feels like it has the right to take away our customers’ right to choose. Our machines may be silent, but our voices are loud.”
After being forced to dump its ducks on the grounds of Haller Park last year, the Great Stilly Duck Dash lived up to its name again this year by sending its ducks downriver, albeit reduced from their usual complement of 10,000 to only 150, due to this year’s river conditions. While Caponey’s 8-year-old son Hayden insisted that he would buy “a solid gold toilet” if he won the $5,000 grand prize, the youngest winner turned out to be fellow 8-year-old Sally Jane Pierce, whose grandfather, Chuck Tripp, purchased the ticket that won her the $2,000 second prize. Pierce promised she would save the money. “This has given me the opportunity to see the spirit of the community firsthand,” said Linda Jenkins, one of this year’s ducks alongside Wally Thomas. “You see that the people who live here love to be here. I got all sorts of hugs and high-fives in my duck costume.” That evening, the fireworks show’s spectators included Brian and Ann Beckley, their daughter Briann and his mother Bonnie, who sat under blankets on the flatbed of their truck. “Not a lot of towns still do their own parades and
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo
Arlington firefighter Erik Gustafson proposes to girlfriend Jacklyn King during Arlington Fourth of July Grand Parade. fireworks for the Fourth,” Brian Beckley said. “For the parades, you should set up your chairs early on the north end of Olympic Avenue, where they start, because by the time they get to Legion Park, they’ll have run out of candy.” “I look forward to Arlington’s Fourth every year,” Ann Beckley said. “It’s a small-town tradition.”
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