Gazette: “Porn shop part of wide network – Founder of Capital Video has faced criminal charges”

Saturday’s Gazette has a front-page article on Capital Video Corporation and its owner, Kenneth Guarino:

“…Attempts to talk with representatives from Capital Video Corp. about its operations and its plans for Northampton have been unsuccessful. According to undated material on Metro Global Media’s Web site, the company said it planned to open as many as 20 Amazing stores within 12 months….

“The company touts its Metro East division, a 64,000-square-foot regional warehousing and distribution center in Cranston, R.I., as ‘the largest distributor of adult products in the northeast, servicing over 500 retail outlets.’…

“The building is owned by Barry G. Goldberg, of Longmeadow, who has not returned repeated phone calls from the Gazette….

“…neighborhood residents–particularly those involved with the new group NoPornNorthampton–say they don’t think the establishment is a good fit for that area of King Street.

“Others say they are curious as to why Capital Video Corp. has chosen Northampton and whether the business would survive at the gateway to the city’s downtown.

“‘I’m still mystified, to be honest,’ said William H. Dwight who, as a former city councilor cast the lone dissenting vote several years ago on an ordinance that banned live nude dancing in the city.”

Read the full article (may require a paid subscription).

A sidebar to the main article discusses NoPornNorthampton and its rival, mopornnorthampton. The latter is a creation of Jeffrey Hobbs. While Mr. Hobbs is concerned about free speech issues, he admits, “I’m not crazy about (the store) coming to my town either.”

While some towns in Massachusetts have broad adult-use zoning that goes beyond nude dancing and peep shows to extend to adult bookstores, NoPornNorthampton does not advocate such broad restrictions. Instead, we are appealing to the owners of 135 King Street to find a suitable tenant for their building. We feel this approach respects the civil liberties defended by Mr. Hobbs while asking that the community’s concerns be respected as well.