Oh brother.

Ogunquit Maine town resident Harriet Yaffe has some serious issues with shirtless men. . Says  Yafffe: “I love the gay men. I have no problems with anyone” But when it comes to shirtless bartenders Yaffe goes gaga, but not in the good Lady sort of way.

“I was appalled (APPALLED, she says!  LOL!) that the town manager allowed this to happen,” (At the Mainestreet, a gay bar and nightclub in the heart of downtown) said Yaffe. “It was brought to his attention a while ago and he didn’t do anything about it.”  “I have no problem with eating outside or having a nice outside bar,” said Yaffe, adding that she enjoys dining out in the sun. She said she thought the liqour bottles should be removed from the patio and that bartenders should wear shirts so that children passing by don’t have to be subjected to the type of image it portrays. (Yes, always for the childerm)

“I just don’t want a tacky town,” Yaffe said.. “You just don’t do this,” she added. “It’s going to become another P-town.” (Ooooooooh, those are fighting words.)

So Yafffe sent in a barrage of complaints and this became one of two changes Code Enforcement Officer Paul Lempicki requested of Mainestreet owner Norm Paquin last week. Lempicki also told Paquin to figure out a way to cover up a variety of “whiskey bottles” that had been visible from the street.

Lempicki said the shirtless bartenders were a “health hazard.”

Paquin said even though he feels Mainestreet was “well within compliance” of town and state code, he will do whatever he can to ensure a good public image of the bar around town. He said the bar has a liquor license, outdoor dining privileges and the patio rests on state property.

“There’s a lot of understanding and misunderstanding about the deck,” said Paquin, adding that he hopes to show residents and tourists alike that Mainestreet is no different in appearance and service compared to any other bar.

On a personal note, I have been to Ogunquit Maine and to The Mainstreet Cabaret Bar/Restaurant and it is far from a “dive or tacky place”  Ogunquit Maine is also between 90 and 95 degrees Farenheit in the summer and gay tourism maked up at least 35 percent of the towns revenues in the the summer months. 

I would be very careful if I were Ogunquit Maine after all tacky Provincetown, MA is only 3 hours and 22 minutes away.