"A lot of people read that article," says a frustrated Pointer. "People stopped coming. They thought we were closed." The article, written by Petra Breyerova, opened with a simple statement: "World News Ltd., a popular newsstand and convenience store in downtown Clayton, probably will be replaced by a bank in about a year." The story was sparked by the news that the building in which World News resides had been sold to Montgomery Bank in July. The article went on to report that tenants, including World News, "have not received a notice of the sale."
Ridiculous, says Pointer. "We owned the building, and we sold it."
Whether or not World News will someday be uprooted, however, has yet to be determined. She explains that their current lease runs through July, at which point Montgomery Bank could extend the newsstand's lease or give it walking papers. Pointer speculates that the bank may want to demolish the old building to construct a bigger one in its stead. If that's the case, World News would move temporarily and return when construction is finished. Or the shop could move to another Clayton location. But it's definitely not shuttering.
"This is driving me crazy -- not knowing what we're doing -- because I'm such a planner," acknowledges Pointer. "I don't mind the change so much, but not knowing what my plan is is what's bothering me."
