The Town of Carthage held a discussion on the prefix business name, Buggy Town, being used by more than one business at its Nov. 15 regular meeting. The discussion was not on the agenda but began after Commissioner Dan Bonillo said he had a call about a conflicting new business name.
“We have Buggy Town Coffee and now Buggy Town Yard Signs,” Bonillo said.
When Town Clerk Emily Yopp said she would speak with the licensure office, Bonillo said the licensure office had given the thumbs-up to the new business name, Buggy Town Yard Signs.
Bonillo said the owner of Buggy Town Coffee on McNeill Street had spent years branding his business name and that someone else using the prefix would benefit from his work.
Comments from board members were about Carthage being a small town, that the established business, Buggy Town Coffee, had reached out to the new business, Buggy Town Yard Signs, and there was no agreement for a name change for the new business.
Jill Lumgair of Buggy Town Yard Signs said in a phone call with Sandhills Sentinel that her business name was created to honor Carthage. The business name is registered with the state and is only a few months old.
“My business coach searched (Buggy Town), and the name is not trademarked,” Lumgair said.
Lumgair said she contacted the city of Carthage first and asked about registering her business’ name, and they said it was fine.
Other businesses have used the phase Buggy Town in the past. A business incorporated in 2006 was named Buggy Town Pottery, LLC. It was located on Summit Street and has since dissolved.
“Our buggy logo is different and so is our font,” Lumgair said about the differences between her business name and Buggy Town Coffee’s name. “We thought the town was called Buggy Town.”
The Town of Carthage has been unofficially called Buggy Town after the Tyson and Jones Buggy Factory.
“We still love his business (Buggy Town Coffee) and just like the name and are proud of Carthage,” Lumgair said. “We offered to put free signs up for his (Buggy Town coffee) specials. He would get road recognition, and we are both huge advocates of bringing new businesses to downtown.”
Buggy Town Coffee owner, Darryl Russell, said in a phone call with Sandhills Sentinel that he appreciated the free sign offer and would contact them when the need arises.
Russell said he did not want to cause waves in the neighborhood and had called Bonillo to see what was going on about permissions for business names. The Russell family and Lumgair family are residential neighbors.
“They are great neighbors. Here’s the problem, their font is irrelevant because people see the logo and think it’s our business,” Russell said about the state registered buggy logo his family member designed for Buggy Town Coffee. “You never hear someone calling Carthage, Buggy Town. They are going to Buggy Town Coffee. No one is asking them to change their name.”
The town said it will investigate the name Buggy Town for multiple business names.
In other business matters, after a presentation on Believers Christian Fellowship Church by Town Planner Kathy Liles, the board held a discussion and said they need to continue the discussion.
The church has purchased the old CCNC playground equipment and wants to install it, along with a four-foot metal fence on the property at 109 N. McNeill St. Their playground area is next to Caviness Town Park, and the church wants to make their playground accessible to anyone in the park. The church will have liability insurance to cover the area.
Also, the board accepted an agreement between Moore County and the Town of Carthage to use the new downtown parking lot for 10 years. The agreement includes a withdrawal statement that requires a 30-day written notice.
The town agreed to provide policing of the 50 provided parking spaces, allowing two-hour parking.
During a brief discussion for the town’s IT proposal, Yopp said the two quotes for services and fees were nearly exact.
Town Manager Tom Robinson was not present for the discussion, and the discussion will continue.
Bonillo said he had several phone calls from citizens about the IT proposals. Citizens wanted to know about price differences from regular Office subscriptions and business Office 365. The business subscription is higher.
Citizens called about the number of computers, and Yopp said they ran a scan, and they have 31.
Yopp said she will get clarification for the citizens concerned about guarantees on workmanship.
Moore County Amateur Radio Society requested permission to place a repeater station to increase transmission distance on the Carthage water tower.
During the discussion, interference with emergency responders’ radios was a concern. The town will look for alternative sites.
“Would like to push forward. Make it happen,” Bonillo said.
Citizens interested in setting up a bike trail on Sunset Drive are invited to attend an informal meeting Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the McDonald Building on 207 McReynolds St. The meeting with the community is to discuss the feasibility of running a 1.3 mile trail along an existing sewer easement.
Contact Kathy Liles at 910-947-2331 or [email protected] for more information on the Sunset Drive bike trail meeting.
A public hearing will be held at the regular board meeting Dec. 20 for Little River’s Phase II and Phase III, and the developers will give a presentation. The public hearing will be delayed if the presentation is not available.
The Christmas parade will be on Dec. 7, beginning at 6 p.m.
Feature photo: Buggy Town Coffee is an established business in Downtown Carthage. Photo taken in 2020 by Sandhills Sentinel Staff.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Journalist Stephanie M. Sellers. Contact her at [email protected].
