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Trails End Deli Protesters: 'Boycott isn't About Race'

A group of Verplanck residents staged a boycott and handed out flyers in front of the Trails End Deli in response to a number of controversial videos and photos that were posted by a family member of the stores owners.

There’s a good chance the boycott that took place outside of the Trails End Deli in Verplanck Saturday won’t be the last, according to organizers.

“This isn’t about race,” Laurie Lyford said as she handed out flyers across the street from the deli. “It’s not fair for someone to come from another country, have a business in our country, take our money, disrespect us, mock our religion, say you hate the United States, and record people without their knowledge.”

Lyford was one of about a half-a-dozen people who stood across the street from the store Saturday morning. A photo of the flyer that was handed out is attached to this story. 

The deli has been a growing source of controversy in the hamlet over videos and pictures featuring one of the store’s workers.

The 20-year-old Ammran Morshed, whose family owns the establishment, is shown in a YouTube video taken five years talking to two customers sitting in a car outside the deli. The customers use profane language and spout anti-American rhetoric during the clip.

 Here's a link to another YouTube video where, no anti-American language is used, but the video does show Morshed getting in a verbal dispute with at least one customer

A Facebook group called “Boycott Anti-American Trails End Deli, Verplanck, NY”  has already sprung up and has nearly 1,800 members. Although no threats of physical harm have been made to workers at the store, a number comments can be found from people expressing outrage.

Morshed apologized for the video and said it was taken five years ago. The Facebook group also has also posted what appears to be pictures of Morshed holding firearms, including one photo where there appears to be playground in the background. It’s not clear where those pictures were taken.

Lyford said she isn’t moved by Morshed’s apology.

“That was just to save the business or to save embarrassment,” Lyford said. “That was not a true apology. You can hear someone in the background telling him what to say.”

Lyford said her group will try and pressure the store for as long as it takes.

Check back for more updates on this story as they become available.

Not as clever as I think January 9, 2013 at 08:17 pm
They're not "their.from"
Shaun McGuire January 9, 2013 at 08:40 pm
Greg = God
Shaun McGuire January 9, 2013 at 08:41 pm
Whoever you are, I wish we were friends.
while you were out January 9, 2013 at 09:18 pm
You left a lot of the story out . http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/27/nyregion/l-from-peekskill-view-of-robeson-unrest-790958.html
Jean Wollbaum January 9, 2013 at 09:53 pm
Not as clever as I think, do you know anything about public information? It is crazy what one could find on the internet if one was so inclined. Also, are you familiar with one's right to share pubic information on a public forum such as this? Imagine if you offended some one on a public forum with distasteful comments of their community and neighbors? What if that person you offended had public information taken from the internet,for example, links to your personal Facebook account, your personal Flickr account, even a map off of Google Earth showing a little bungalow in Buchanan and posted them on here? Would that be wrong or would that just be sharing information accessible to the public? Crazy right? Maybe if there indeed was such a person, that person would be satisfied with a public apology to all the people you insulted from Verplanck.
Jean Wollbaum January 9, 2013 at 09:54 pm
Not as clever as I think, do you know anything about public information? It is crazy what one could find on the internet if one was so inclined. Also, are you familiar with one's right to share pubic information on a public forum such as this? Imagine if you offended some one on a public forum with distasteful comments of their community and neighbors? What if that person you offended had public information taken from the internet,for example, links to your personal Facebook account, your personal Flickr account, even a map off of Google Earth showing a little bungalow in Buchanan and posted them on here? Would that be wrong or would that just be sharing information accessible to the public? Crazy right? Maybe if there indeed was such a person, that person would be satisfied with a public apology to all the people you insulted from Verplanck.
Not as clever as I think January 9, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Gee Jean Then I'm glad I didn't offend anyone or call any names..other than the 2 kids in thecar spouting their stupidity...So If you were personally taken aback..re read what I wrote..you probabally know then that i have many very good friends in Verplanck...
Shaun McGuire January 9, 2013 at 10:24 pm
Short memory ? ... (sic) "especially by those time wasting losers who are carrying on" .... "about STUPID VERPLANCK should be required watching" .... I guess it's not insulting.
Not as clever as I think January 9, 2013 at 10:29 pm
The comment jean wolbaum seems to have mis understood was referring to the fictious verplanck named in the movie Drowning Mona, no actual persons were insulted or implied- so if this satisfies your implied threat so be it.
The stupidity again refers to the 5 year old comments- not made by the Trails End Deli people- which was my point. OK?
Not as clever as I think January 9, 2013 at 10:35 pm
Shaun-the film was about "stupid verpanck" not the real Verplanck- take this issue up with the write of the film...
for example here are some quotes: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186045/quotes
Jean Wollbaum January 9, 2013 at 10:39 pm
Stop back tracking Gene, admit you were wrong and apologize and I will leave you alone.
Cyndi January 9, 2013 at 10:47 pm
This was your comment "The deli is probably needed in verplanck which is more like a ghost town". I think it would also sound a little bit of an insult to the people of this town as it is in NO way a Ghost town. That itself is insulting and incorrect.
Not as clever as I think January 9, 2013 at 10:51 pm
OK, it is a store in a town that does not have many commercial enterprises, and it would probably be good for the town to continue to encourage business, and customers coming into town .
BTW I love the Paradise and dine there as frequently as I can.
Not as clever as I think January 9, 2013 at 10:52 pm
OK Jean..I appologize to you for any comment youmight have interperted as offensive- now will you delete your personal posts?
Not as clever as I think January 9, 2013 at 10:55 pm
This has gone wayyyy beyond a civil discussion of 2 stupid boys in a car saying stupid things 5 years ago, and holding a kid accountable for the youtube upload which he apparently did not upload...and saying things he did not say His poor parents are desperate to keep their business going which was probably an asset to the town.
Cyndi January 9, 2013 at 11:11 pm
You, I am going to assume for arguments sake (however, not easily detectable based on your comments) are an intelligent person. When you make the comments you have made you should expect some kind of rebuttals to the CORRECT nature of the situation. It is not a ghost town it is a HAMLET part of what makes this place a great place to grow up and raise children may just be the lack of Commercial enterprises. And the town and its people do and have supported, not only this business for years, but any business that has been local to them. The town will continue to support the LOCAL businesses that CARE about the community and people in which they are supporting!!!
Jean Wollbaum January 9, 2013 at 11:12 pm
WOW!!! All my comments have been deleted? Just because I was smart enough to figure out who these "anonymous" commentators are and because I had the balls to call them out? Shame on you Rasheed Oluwa and The Peekskill Patch. I was sharing public information! If I was sharing a list of publicly accessible list of gun permit holders you would not have deleted my comments! Scumbags!
Cyndi January 9, 2013 at 11:15 pm
So again if you can refer to my previous comment to you, that will stand. That being said, the people of the Boycott page have also stated time and time again, If the owner of this store came out with a public apology, something to this affect: I apologize for the acts of my son's friends from a video taken (lets get real IT WAS NOT 5 years ago 3 at most) years ago in front of MY store. I not only Love America but I love this community and I apologize to any of my loyal customers/neighbors/friends who were offended by this act done by stupids. I also deeply regret the videos that were taken THIS past Christmas causing embarrassment not only to my store but to my valued patron. I will make myself available to discuss any possible retribution to these people and show my sincerest apologies....." yadda yadda yadda something to this affect MAY VERY WELL HAVE gone a long way to the "poor parents are desperate to keep their business going which was probably an asset to the town."
Jean Wollbaum January 9, 2013 at 11:21 pm
I am going to direct my friends on the boycott page to read Not as clever as I think's comments here. I will also personally inbox everyone who ask's directions on how to access public information on Not as clever as I think. Then we'll see how many friends he has left in Verplanck.
Jean Wollbaum January 9, 2013 at 11:29 pm
James, all I know is the food at Arrowhead stadium is delicious!
Rasheed Oluwa (Editor) January 9, 2013 at 11:48 pm
Hello Jean, while I want this conversation to continue, I still need it to happen in a manner that conforms with Patch's terms of use policy. Yes, the information is publicly available. But, as a courtesy, I'm asking you and other users to stay on topic and refrain from posting that information.
Sue Peck January 10, 2013 at 01:51 am
in listening to you all, I find it curious that although Trails End Deli has been in the neighborhood for over 10 years, how few of you seem to know Jimmy and his family. Why is that? They are open most of the time and are directly across the street from the Post Office where we all have to go to get our mail (and why is that? Why no street delivery?).
Cyndi January 10, 2013 at 02:02 am
Sue, I am confused by the question. Is it..why is there no street delivery for the mail? Is it why do more people not know Jimmy personally? Is it why do more people not go into the store as it is open most of the time?
Cyndi January 10, 2013 at 02:08 am
Either way I suppose my answers would be the same (and I can of course only speak for me).... I do not know why there is no street delivery for the post office although that would be very nice (maybe that is something the towns people can petition the USPS for?!) Why do more people not know Jimmy and his family personally? I, again speaking for myself, have gone to many stores many times in my life, take Angies for instance and yes I know Angie Kathy and Tony when I go into the store but I do (which I have been doing for 30+ years btw) but I have never sat down with any of them to break bread. They are/were my local grocers. Sure I ran into Tony outside of the store from time to time, having gone to school together many years ago and as adults in Fulgums a few times where we have exchange pleasantries. Not personally knowing them however has never really come across my mind as I am sure it hasn't gone through most peoples mind (again I can only speak for myself however). Why do more people not go into the store as it is open most of the time? I am sure there are many reasons for that. I myself have gone in to the store a few times in the past few years BUT only when Angies or other stores where closed and not as convenient as I myself found the store pretty dingy and filthy. And the few times that I did shop at the store was mainly for cigarettes and sometimes beer. However I am sure everyone has their own reasons.
Snake Plisken January 10, 2013 at 02:34 am
Some of the questions here are just amazing. When we moved to Verplanck 8 years ago..one of the FIRST things that I wondered about..was..."why no mail delivery"...and the simple way to answer that query?...ask somebody..AT THE POST OFFICE IN VERPLANCK!...like we did............................
Sue Peck January 10, 2013 at 02:35 am
Cyndi
I go for the convenience for cigarettes too and have found Jimmy very pleasant and easy to talk to....much like Angie's.
Sue Peck January 10, 2013 at 02:37 am
hey Snake...what did they say re no mail delivery? I asked and did not get a reason.
Cyndi January 10, 2013 at 02:48 am
Well Sue, nobody as far as I know and I have been involved in the boycott since day 1, has ever questioned that Jimmy is a very pleasant man. And if you read all of the posts on this article as well you will see that a lot of this could have been handled differently if the very and all pleasant Jimmy had taken a different kind of approach other than "no comment".
TxDoe January 10, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Clever you are referring to a MOVIE... it's not based on any fact. This is not a ghost town this is a real town with real people not a movie. These are hard working people who believe in what is right. they do not believe trashing the US is ok. If you believe this movie real then you are probably one who believes that space exploration is the same as Star Trek or Star Wars. My family has been a part of Verplanck since the 1700s so please get your facts straight before you start quoting movies as fact. Save the movie quotes for your friends and family and don't use them as facts.
TxDoe January 10, 2013 at 01:43 pm
there is no mail delivery bc they do not offer that in Verplanck. If you would like mail delivered to your front door try coach light sq or Buchanan or peekskill. That's small town living for you. Even in the very small town we do not have mail delivery to our homes. We have to go to centrally located post boxes and use a key to get our mail. We also do not have sidewalks on every street GASP yes I know... but that's the price of small town living. I would rather know my neighbors and the people around me then worry about the lack of mail delivery and lack of sidewalks. there are bigger issues here that we cannot distract from. The fact is in this town or any small town or even any large city stating you F the US is not acceptable. Stay on topic Sue if you cannot do that please contact either the town of cortland over the lack of sidewalks or the USPS regarding you big issue of delivering the mail.

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shakemdown June 19, 2013 at 12:03 am
@ASHLEY TARR my comments that i posted did not contain profanity nor did they harrass or abuseRead More anyone, they were just what the forum is for, to discuss issues within our city. but i know, some people would consider it harrasment or would try to have it deleted because the truth hurts,and that's what some of our elected officials don't want you to hear, (the truth)
shakemdown June 19, 2013 at 12:06 am
@jo you are right, the old web site was 100% better then this and it was more user friendly unlikeRead More this new one . BRING BACK THE OLD ONE
Lisa Buchman (Editor) June 19, 2013 at 07:04 am
By the way, in our new system we have an update that includes a community moderation tool—it'sRead More not only Patch editors who can flag comments. What is it? Readers can flag any content they find objectionable on any Patch site at any time. We’ve put the flagging link in more places to make it easier to find and backed it with more sophisticated tools. Our goal is to recognize and reward readers who make our community great. How does it work? You’ll see these words — Flag as Inappropriate — on the top and bottom of Board posts, articles, blogs and notes, and next to every single comment anywhere on the site. To flag something, you simply click those words. What happens when you flag? It alerts us that something might be up with the content. When should you flag? We ask that you use your common sense and a general spirit of openness. You should never flag things that you simply disagree with and certainly not to clarify minor points. We encourage you to comment, post (or even start your own blog) to be heard on those things. You can review the Patch Terms of Use Ashley referred to above.
sue June 17, 2013 at 07:00 pm
don't know why I'm having a problem getting this written............anyway...they are rude,Read More unhygenic and WILL NOT follow any of the condo rules....there's so much more but we are sick of it. There are only two of us that speak up...everyone else is cowering behind closed doors.
joshua tanner June 18, 2013 at 03:00 pm
Unleashed dogs is getting to be a big problem in Peekskill. I see them routinely now. People areRead More letting their pit bulls out, their poodles, their chihuahuas - all kinds of dogs. Two days a go I watched a lady jogging on the track with her loose dog. The dog wasn't even supposed to be on the track no less loose. Some kid or elderly lady is going to get bit. Loose dogs also end up in more fights with other dogs.
sayitsnotsojack June 19, 2013 at 09:15 am
Sue a sad fact that these days of “political correctness” individuals who exhibit rudeRead More and ignorant behavior are empowered by the rest of us. I know of a similar situation where the individuals will yell four letter words in the public areas with young children there, call others the foulest things, and in this case, they are black and gay so the race/gay card is used constantly. Until people make it known they are not going to tolerate their behavior it will not stop. Have you notified the property owner, complex board, and police, or maybe the board of health?
Nancy O'Connor June 17, 2013 at 09:33 am
It was our pleasure to help out....good food, good weather, all around good time!!
leesther brown June 18, 2013 at 11:48 am
@Nancy,,I Thanked both you and Pauline Ghilcrest for serving the community and they took my commentsRead More down twice!!! Once again Thank You..you're automatically signed up for next year..:)
joshua tanner June 15, 2013 at 10:28 pm
It seems Patch moves editors every year. Liz was here when I signed up. Then she was shortly movedRead More to Rye and Rasheed took over. He must have been here about a year and then he left when the new format was introduced. Both times patch started cooking and then it got cut down just as new staff got their mojo going. A new editor with a new format seems like starting from scratch again. I know AOL/Patch needs to get some cash flow going quick (from what I've read) but I can't see what they are trying to do exactly by tipping the cart over and over
Wendy Kelly June 17, 2013 at 08:37 am
Agree Joshua just when you have a good thing going with an Editor they move. I can't figure thisRead More site out I was not allowed to post for at least a week thought Mary et al put an hex on me. Hey anyone know where Peter Goodson is??? I miss his posts.
jo June 18, 2013 at 10:12 am
new format is a dud.. 100% dud.. not user friendly.. a horror to navigate, as mentioned... noRead More benefit here. not at all.. quickly becoming a ex Patch fan... fix the mess you made..
Wendy Kelly June 15, 2013 at 11:03 am
http://search.lohud.com/sp?aff=1100&skin=&keywords=revitalization of Peekskill
Working Families Party endorsed candidate Mary Foster
Robin Seggs June 14, 2013 at 10:44 am
Working Families Party almost always cross endorses with Democrats. Looks like the choice isRead More getting clearer: One team is Democrat, WFP and Independent and the Catalina Team is Republican, Right-to-life, Conservative. Anyway, I believe Catalina is campaigning as anti-gay rights, so I know how I will be voting.
jo June 14, 2013 at 02:28 pm
and so many in the cast of characters that attend the meetings. believe Mary is a republican atRead More heart.. and here the Left of all left dem groups endorses here..mmmmmmmm just thinking out loud..
stephanie June 14, 2013 at 03:57 pm
mary foster and the rest of her butt kissers not need to run after what they have done to this cityRead More already we don't need them to run another term they neeed to get out and stay out. i believe frank catalina will much better than foster will ever be he cares about the city and does not like what foster has done to this city i wish him very much luck and i truly believe he will win as our mayor for peekskill good luck and kick foster and her butt kissers out of city hall and keep them out
af24us June 12, 2013 at 01:48 pm
I agree - the dangerous stop signs On Hudson Ave should be removed in both directions and keep theRead More stop signs on South St. and the exit ramps from Route 9.