Flea Market Infested with Ticks, Discrepancy Confuses City Hall
By Chen Ibarra
As dawn crested over the East Side flea market on a recent Sunday morning, crowds of shoppers were dismayed to find not only stellar deals on fresh produce and home goods, but a terrible infestation of parasitic cretin. Ticks had made their home at the marketplace overnight, eating their way into all the merchandise.
"It was so yucky," said Jenny Brander, 19, a shopper at the flea market said. "It was gross, too."
As the insects began scuttling throughout the marketplace, Brander's day of shopping was over, but it was just the beginning of a protracted dispute between disgruntled vendors and city officials.
We spoke with one city official about the discrepancy caused by the tick infestation. The official insisted it was all "true," however, the official also said that "not one tick" was found at the marketplace grounds as of Friday.
Although the situation was quickly rectified, city officials were nevertheless caught off guard.
"It's just not what we were prepared for," said Bill Witherby of the city's Pest and Damage Control Bureau. "You know, considering the venue."
Witherby said that he and his team had taken every measure necessary to ensure a clean and orderly marketplace, but added that "nobody could have predicted this."
City officials quickly went into damage control mode
City officials were quick to clarify that the flea market has since been cleaned out and is open for business once more. But vendors at the flea market said that their business has been suffering irregardless, largely due to a negative public reaction.
"I tried to tell my customers that it's fine now, that they can come back out and make a few purchases," Kent Bowden said. "I mean, we're a flea market for God's sake. How did this happen?"
Bowden, who sells various trinkets, baubles and kitsch, insisted that the only thing his customers should be concerned about now is the high prices offered by his competitors.
New information on Monday, however, added a new twist. James Bartelby, a spokesman for the East Side Agricultural Association, claimed that vendors were blindsided by the tick attack, and were told previously that it could never happen.
"The city told us that they had taken measures to prevent every possible pest infestation at the marketplace," Bartelby said. "They called it the 'uninfestable market.' Well, just look where we are now."
A review of city documents obtained by Sacramento Special Report shows that the city had been conducting regular weekly pesticide sprays around the outskirts of the marketplace.
However, the East Side Agricultural Association claimed that the pesticide was not effective in preventing ticks, termites or gnats from appearing at the marketplace, and that the sprays were only effective in stopping a limited range of pests.
The city officials appeared to be somewhat confused themselves
The city officials appeared to be somewhat confused themselves.
"That's unusual," Witherby said. "That's strange."
The East Side flea market decided to rebrand in the wake of the tick mishap. The association released the following statement announcing the market's name change and its new image:
The East Side Agricultural Association's 'East Side Flea Market' was a flea market with ticks. We have decided to move past this and rebrand as simply the 'East Side Market.' We will continue bringing the community the best deals and savings but without any of the parasitic invaders.
The market will continue to operate normally under this new name. The East Side Agricultural Association has announced a sale at the next market under the slogan 'Come and See! New Name Market Tick and Flea Free!'