We were surprised and disheartened to hear about the chilly and even hostile reception to a new coffee shop in Maple Bay.
The area is full of beautiful homes, beautiful views and beautiful beach.
But it wasn't always the most welcoming place for visitors to head to, as there hasn't been anywhere for someone to duck into to grab a quick bite or cool or hot drink after some time at the beach.
While Maple Bay had a great community feel with the waterfront amenities, it was lacking in this important area.
Also, we think that any community is improved by having a local coffee shop that neighbours can walk to and congregate in.
They're a perfect place to take guests to get out of the house for a little while, or to meet friends or to hold a book club meeting.
Further, the shop employs local people.
We can't understand why anybody would be such a bad neighbour as to wish the enterprise, and all the people that work there, ill.
After all, if you don't like it, you don't have to go to it.
But its very existence is hardly an affront to anybody's sensibilities.
It's not like it's a noisy nightclub blaring music until all hours.
It's not processing smelly seafood.
It's not a new clubhouse for a biker gang.
It's sort of bizarre that anyone would have the bad grace, not to mention the cowardice, to write their un-welcome anonymously on a napkin.
Then there's the completely unnecessary vandalism to the outdoor sign board.
So the owner didn't know she wasn't supposed to put one out there. And now that it's been brought to her attention she's willing to do something else that will follow the rules.
These are trivialities. If the sign was truly the issue the perpetrator could have found satisfaction for their complaint in a much more neighbourly way.
Knocking it down again and again and again, even multiple times a day, shows a scary level of dedication and malice.
It's tough enough for someone to make a business work, even when they do everything right. Sabotage is uncalled for and pretty stupid if you want your neighbourhood to thrive.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
If nothing else, remember what everybody's mom always told them: treat others how you would like to be treated.
Oh, and we think the name is cute, too.
We're willing to embrace Bad Habits in Maple Bay.
We hope the rest of the community will get on board and adopt the local coffee shop, too.