Old Paris Flea Market faces extermination
By Jesse Olivarez
The Oklahoman

Anyone who has shopped at the Old Paris Flea Market has probably encountered Mike Fowler.


For the past 20 years, Fowler has earned a living selling hand and power tools at the market on weekends. For Fowler, 60, the casual interaction with customers and no-pressure sales environment allows him to do what he does best -- talk.

For him, it's the preferred way of doing business.

"I sell this way because I love meeting people," he said. "It's mentally healthy for me and I get to learn from them and they from me. I just love meeting people." Fowler's way of doing business may soon come to an end if the Crooked Oak School District has its way.

Last week, the Crooked Oak School Board authorized Superintendent Shannon Goodsell to begin making offers to purchase five properties immediately north of the school. One of the properties district officials want to purchase is the Old Paris Flea Market, 1111 S Eastern Ave.

Goodsell said the property will be needed because the district is looking to add a new high school to help ease the strain caused by overcrowding. He said MAPS for Kids funds would be used to purchase the properties and that offers would be made within the next two weeks.

If an agreement cannot be reached with the property owners, Goodsell said the district would use its right of eminent domain to gain control of the lots. Rodney Wood, the market's manager, said he had not been contacted by the district yet but was surprised by the school board's recent action.

"This came as a shock to us," he said. "The superintendent had asked us before if we would be willing to sell, but we told him we weren't interested. I guess now we're going to have to deal with this." Wood, a member of the family that owns the Old Paris Flea Market, said a decision would not be made whether to sell or stay until district officials make their formal offer.

The market is home to about 400 businesses that sell everything from clothes to electronics, Wood said. He estimates from 800 to1,000 people are employed by the various businesses at the market. He said only a few of the vendors know about the district's recent action. He said the reaction from those who did know ranged from nervous to angry.
Fowler is one of the vendors who is upset.

He said he feels cheated by both the city and the school.

"I feel stupid," he said. "I've been paying taxes all these years to build up MAPS and now my own MAPS money is putting me out of business. I feel stupid cause I'm doing this to myself."

Another concerned business owner is jewelry repair shop owner Eugene Baker. A retired firefighter from Lawton, Baker, 56, has spent his weekends working at the market since the 1980s. Baker said the small business is his primary source of income and provides him with the funds to buy medicine for himself and his wife. He said the school's pending action has made him anxious.

"If they close this place, I'm going to be in trouble," he said. "The money I earn from here pays a lot of the financial bills I have. I guess I'll have to go home and start picking up cans for a living."

What bothers jewelry shop owner Joaquin Ruiz Jr. is what he perceives as the lack of concern by school district officials for the small businesses. He said his family has faithfully paid taxes while occupying a booth at the flea market.

Ruiz said the district's decision not to consult with small business owners is frustrating.
"We've been here for 20 years," he said. "Where is the compensation for the vendors that have been here?"

Although he sympathized with the vendors, Goodsell said the school has no alternatives.
"It is a regrettable situation," he said. "If we could have gone another route, we would have. Old Paris has been a big part of this community for many years and we hate having to do this, but ultimately the needs of students come first."

Although he hopes an agreement will be reached with the school, Fowler said he is going to prepare for the worst.

"I would have liked to die here but I guess I can't now," he said. "You can't fight city hall."