Zen Rfanklib
Zen Rfanklib
This photo was taken in New Ulm, Minnesota with a Sony DSC-F717.
It's also on Flickr and Facebook.
Zen Rfanklib
This photo was taken in New Ulm, Minnesota with a Sony DSC-F717.
It's also on Flickr and Facebook.
comments
This is where I'd shop if I was still a Buddist.
nathan posted
OMG I live here. There are rats and mice all over the place. Exterminators offered to kill the animals, but the owners wouldn't let them in. THEY HAD A MONKEY THERE!!!!
Si Man posted
Get more pics of this place i wanna go in there so bad...
Dan S. posted
The last time I went thhere the employee almost shot me 8 times.... I feel your pain Si Man.
THE ONE posted
someone said that theres a janitor that looks like a ben franklin... he also looks like he would murder you with an ax
Dan S. posted
if u go in there u turn into a mutant rat and get rabies its really creepy the town is under siege by the mutants cuz the owner controls them and makes them attack inocent ppl
bob posted
Just found an article that seems to be broken, but it's still in Google's Cache...
Posted: 5/10/2007
Downtown building declared threat to health and safety
By RON LARSEN Journal Staff Writer
NEW ULM The building housing the former Ben Franklin store was declared unsanitary and a threat to health and safety by the New Ulm Board of Health Wednesday.
The board also directed the city to make a concerted effort to prevent the rodent infestation from spreading to other buildings interconnected by the steam-heat tunnels.
The matter was brought before the board because there have been numerous complaints of offensive odors emanating from the building as a result of rodent and bird feces scattered throughout the building, Building Official Dave Christian stated.
The store, now named Zen Rfanklib, is owned by Mary Ann Bezdichek and Josephine Bezdichek Baumann, neither of whom could be contacted for comment.
Last summer, we started getting complaints about the odor and the mice so I contacted Karen Swenson (of Brown-Nicollet Community Health Services), and we went to talk to the owners. We told them that the place had to cleaned up because we were getting a lot of complaints, Christian said.
The store was revisited in three months, and nothing had changed. Numerous times we got requests to extend it (the deadline). I even got some AVC officials who went in and analyzed the venting and heating. Ms. Swenson graciously gave them an extension, but events kept going with no changes, Christian said.
Then, nearby businesses started to complain about getting mice in their stores, and (an exterminator) was sent out to get rid of the mice. The exterminator even offered to do the job for free in their store, but the owners refused to let him in, Christian said.
The situation finally came to a head when New Ulm police, on routine patrol, found a door to the building open and entered it to see if anyone was in there, Christian said.
Christian read from the report filed by the police.
Upon entering the building we were all overwhelmed with a powerful foul odor. Officer Rasche, Officer Moellenhoff and myself (Officer Eric Gramentz) were inside the building approximately 30 feet when we saw a mouse running across the top of a display which was about 10 feet off of the ground.
After exiting the building, the officers approached the front door where Gramentz was able to take a picture of a mouse that was in the store, Christian said.
Two New Ulm Public Utilities employees, who work in the meter-reading department, told what they had seen when in the building to read the meters, and that tracked with the officers account.
Chamber of Commerce President Sharon Weinkauf told the board about contacts from visitors to the city who took the time to contact the Chamber to register a complaint particularly about the odor that almost caused one individual to vomit, Weinkauf said.
Drs. Scott Rysdahl, board chairman, and Marc Burkhart, a board member, recounted impressions from their visits to the store.
I bought a book there, and later I had to throw it away because of the smell, Rysdahl said.
I did hear a lot of scurrying in the walls, and like I said, it smelled like a pet store, Burkhart said.
Whenever you have feces or bird droppings, you have to be concerned about bacteria build-up, which can result in lung disease and bacteria and fungal infections, Rysdahl said.
If we get involved, we will be involved for the long haul, City Attorney Hugh Nierengarten said. Thats because we dont have licensure in this case. If it was a restaurant or a bar, then there would be a license that could be pulled, but because they dont need a license to operate a retail store, we dont have that leverage.
Because the board has declared the situation in the building as a threat to health and safety, NUPU would have cause to shut off utility service to the building to protect its employees, Director Gary Gleisner said.
derek posted
Dude this place is off the hizzy. It rox my sox off!!!
Jack Sparrow posted
I've got a new song
this is how it goes:
The owners threw a party in zen rfanklib, the rodent band was their and began to wail, the band was poopin and the place began to stink,you shouldve heard those poopin store birds sing. Lets rock everybody lets rock everybody in the whole stores block was dancin to the zen rfanklib rock
Elvis Presly posted
Check out the one and only Zen Rfanklib Can Flub, the ULTIMATE Fan Club for the ULTIMATELY stinky store. Visit @ zen-rfanklib.freehostia.com!
CaN FlUb posted
thats my mommys store
pmb posted
I'm very sorry to inform all the avid readers of this page, but Zen Rfanklib, our favorite and most hated store, is still open for business as far as I can see.
I'm sorry that the proud citizens of New Ulm have to continue to see this eye sore in their beautiful downtown area.
Sir Haronius Blackstin posted
omg!
ur NOT SERIOUS, RU?!?!?!!
i feel like SO BAD for them!!!!!
they must not go outside at all!
sarah posted
sarah, you blonde, OF COURSE they go outside
have u never been to new ulm,
ITS BEAUTIFUl!!!
ashley posted
Just wanted to clear up some misinformation posted here. There was not a monkey in the store. Lots of rodents and various pet birds, but no monkey. The business is in the process of reopening after a virtual gutting of the building including removal of ALL merchandise (which won't be brought back), a complete floor-to-ceiling cleaning, and a massive pest management program, among other things. Can't tell you specifically how I know this, but it's first-hand knowledge.
Bob the Builder posted
and i want to clear up more misinformation
this store USED to sell monkeys, but theyre gone now.
do u REALLY think they would get away with selling monkeys?
i doubt it
also they r not doin that massive of a project.
it is true their fixing up the store, (including taking down my favorite poster thats been up for a few years, the polar express) but they do not so far have a 'pest management program'
it seems that this blog needs a bit of cleaning up!
henry posted
i love this site.
op posted
The store still stands .. locked up tho .. And the city does nothing ..
Fox posted