By A. Finn Moss | Beacon walking surfaces reporter

Cooper Sanderstroms is beside himself. The owner of Cooper’s Coops and Chicken Accessories spent the summer riled at Bass Lake officials over the on-going sidewalk repair in front of his  Trout Lane store.

The sidewalk replacement, which was expected to be completed in early May, remains unfinished. Piles of dirt and crushed limestone have replaced customers at Trout Lane shops. And Sanderstroms is madder than a wet hen.

“These delays are unacceptable,” Sanderstroms said. “Sales are way off. I’ve had to stop paying my son. I’m up to my neck in No-crow rooster collars and I’m next to a wet chicken that is mad as hell.”

Sanderstroms is not alone. Other Trout Lane merchants have seen their business drop off dramatically since the sidewalk improvement work got underway.

Larry Karen and Jen Sparkle, of Karen’s Ribbon & Scissors Warehouse and Jen’s Ribbon Cutting, respectively, are beside Sanderstroms and his wet hen.

“Cooper should be mad,” Sparkle said. “We all should be. I’ve had to return half of my ribbon stock. Larry is not happy.”

The problem, according to unnamed Bass Lake Sidewalk Beautification and Replacement members, is unavailable for comment.

“We have nothing to say,” wrote a committee member. “Backhoes may be involved.”

“Backhoes, schmackhoes,” Sanderstroms said. “This has gone on long enough.”

But a source close to the head of Timely Concrete Sidewalks, the construction company doing the work, said backhoes were not the problem.

“It’s those cones,” said Justine Timely, daughter in-law of S. Perry Timely, who owns the company. “There’s this obsession with orange cones. I can’t even park in my own garage.”

No Bass Lake Town Council members were available for comment. Neither was mayor-by-default Delores Denominator, who is currenlty under idictment for her role in an alleged embezellment scheme with suspended Bass Lake Authority Police (BLAP) chief Tug McNabb.

With another winter fast-approaching Trout Lane merchants may have to wait for another spring, which will be slow-approaching, as spring is wont to be. In the meantime shoppers are asked to be patient.