The story published by the Gazette Nov. 1 on cockroach infestations at the Lone Wolf restaurant in Amherst makes it quite clear that the Lone Wolf and its owner Rob Watson have been working hard and spending a great deal of time and money for a long time to address the problem in the building of which Lone Wolf occupies a part.
It’s also clear that Watson’s efforts have been stymied for quite some time because the building’s out-of-state landlord failed to address the problem in other areas of the building that harbor the cockroaches, and Amherst town officials failed to bring the landlord promptly to task.
We have enjoyed the Lone Wolf ever since it opened, and hate to see such a successful and community-oriented business hurt through no fault of its own. This kind of bad publicity can hurt the livelihood of the restaurant’s owner, his family and 18 employees. With town officials stating that the Lone Wolf “remains safe to continue to do food service” and that Watson has been very pro-active and cooperative in addressing the problem for a long time, we’re glad that they are finally focusing on getting compliance in the rest of the building from the landlord. Clearly, it’s time for the town to give the restaurant a break, including prompt restoration of its catering license.
Lone Wolf owner Rob Watson has been a strong supporter of local community service organizations like the Cancer Connection and Family Outreach of Amherst for a long time. He has clearly been the “good guy” in this whole matter, and we feel he deserves community support. We are encouraged that Health and Community Services Director Julie Federman and town inspector Susan Malone are working hard to resolve the long-standing issues.
We plan do our small part by eating there a lot more than usual for the next few months and encouraging everyone to do so.
Bruce and Betsy McInnis
Amherst