11/11/2023
The strength and resilience the Nemeth family has had over the past several years is utterly remarkable. To fight, tooth and nail, to get knocked down but brush the dirt off and keep carrying on and fighting; we are honored to have the privilege of partnering with them, and our only regret is that we arenāt Brooklyn Residents and able to sign the petition. If you reside in Brooklyn, CT, please take 5 minutes tomorrow to head over and sign. Sign it for us, unable to. Sign it for future businesses that will operate in Brooklyn. Sign it for the Nemethās, The Ice Box, Suto, and all of the supporters that have worked tirelessly to enact change and resolution.
We have been trying to keep a relatively low profile on social media but we here we go... This is going to be a three-part post:
1. Veteranās Day
2. Update on store closures & new online merch/memorabilia
3. Petition information
VETERANāS DAY: We canāt let Veterans Day go by without recognition. As you know, or hope you know, we always try and make an extra point of recognizing our veterans (as well as active-duty military, and first responders) by providing a military discount at both The Ice Box & SĆ¼tÅ every day. We will continue to do so even during our uncertain times because it is so important to us (military service is in abundance on both sides of our families, friend groups, customers, and employees).
Many of you remember my dad, George, as my first ice cream helper when we opened in 2019. His involvement in the Danielson Veterans Coffee House, Wauregan AmVets, etc. spurred our inception of year-round veteransā discount at both shops when we opened.
Customers often ask us how heās doing these days so we will give a brief update: My dad had a pretty quick decline and became unable to continue helping at the shop mid-2020. We cared for him home as long as we could but now, he is a resident in the dementia unit at the VA nursing home in Rocky Hill. I cannot say enough amazing things about the care he receives there. He enjoys music & art therapy, wheelchair tai chi, visits from a therapy pig (itās a thingā¦ lol), field trips to museums, and so much more.
This week was extra special for our family because my dad received a Quilt of Valor Award for his service. We equally eternally proud of him, and in awe of the beautiful handmade quilt that was created by a volunteer for our family to cherish forever.
So, in summary, please know that we honor our Veterans every day, and not one day goes by that we donāt think of all the sacrifices that were made for our county by these heroes. Our discount is the absolute least we can do for them to show our appreciation.
UPDATE ON STORE CLOSURES & NEW ONLINE MERCH/MEMORABILIA STORE:
Continued gratitude to everyone who has been coming to the shops/messaging us/calling to check on us/taking our boys for hours on end, so at least they can escape our nightmare for a little bit...
I know many are a looking for an update for either good news or a final closing date. Unfortunately, at this point we have neither.
We are completely mind blown by our group of supporters/
advocates who have been giving us so much of their personal time to try and figure out a way to find a solution for us. The community generosity we have received via the gofundme organized on our behalf, t-shirt fundraiser sales, and employee donation jar at the registers have all bought us a little more time. That time is fleeting, however and we continue to operate on a day-to day basis.
I wish I had any clear answer on āhow people can helpā, āwhat can we doā, āwhat do you needāā¦ but I just donāt. Weāre fresh out of ideas as we feel as though we have tried everything we could over the past few yearsā¦
One of the silver linings in this madness is the connections with local people & small businesses who have stepped in big time with support for us.
One of those fellow small business is Thelemic Printshop, we have only known these people/this company for less than a week. But not only did they host last weekās fundraiser for us, but now they have graciously offered to host an online store for for the community. This new opportunity allows us to offer Ice Box memorabilia for all who have been coming in wanting to have Ice Box memories after we are gone without out of pocket costs to us. This is something I never imagined we'd be able to pull together but they have taken so much off of our plate for us!
IMPORTANT MERCH INFO: This is no longer a fundraising site, Thelemic is being beyond reasonable in their pricing. This is simply a way for generations of Ice Box customers to make final memory purchases. The online merch store will be open through 11:59pm on Sunday November 19. You can select to pick up your purchase at the The Ice Box & SĆ¼tÅ OR have your order shipped to you ā for example, if you are a former Brooklynite who managed to leave town (a true unicorn for sureā¦) you can have items shipped out of state!
PETITION: I am sharing this on behalf of our support group: They have drafted a petition on our behalf, calling for a special town meeting. This will allow Brooklyn residents an opportunity to call for a special town meeting. This will allow residents to receive updates/ask/questions etc. regarding this ongoing matter. Brooklyn Town Meetings are generally only held annually or under special circumstances. At last weekās BOS meeting, attendees asked the Board to call for a town meeting to be scheduled but they did not confirm setting one based on that request. To accomplish their goal the group is soliciting 500+ signatures from residents. Participants must be a registered voter in the Town of Brooklyn for your petition signature to count. If you are willing/able to participate we will have petitions at both shops all day tomorrow (11-8 Ice Box 11-4 SĆ¼tÅ)- ink signatures only, no online option, must be a registered voter... . The goal is to submit complete paperwork to the town hall on Monday morning (short notice to wrangle up 500 people, I know but time is running outā¦)
Again, we continue to grasp at straw and receive nothing but pushback but nevertheless we persistā¦
Continuing to send you all the light and love back to you that you have been sending our way. āļøā¤ļø
Jenn, Matt, and the crew
https://tpsstores.com/TheIceBox/shop/home
