Latest news with #SeanYoung
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
New Hampshire bakery wins free speech case over pastry mural
A New Hampshire bakery owner has won a legal victory over the local authority after it tried to tear down its donut art. Leavitt's Country Bakery, located in the heart of the picturesque New England town of Conway, was ordered to take down an art mural on the front of its store for violating zoning laws. The mural on top of the local institution known for its homemade doughnuts was made by local high school students and features New Hampshire's famous White Mountains in whimsical baked goods form. Conway local authorities, however, did not see the funny side. Last year they ordered Leavitt's Bakery owner Sean Young to take the art down as it allegedly contravened the town's zoning laws. The mural was apparently four times larger than those permitted for commercial signs. Young however argued that the mural was art, not commercial advertising, and filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Conway seeking $1 in damages. Now U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante says the donut art can stay. 'Conway's application of its sign code, and specifically its enforcement of the sign code to the Leavitt's sign in the particular manner it employed in this case, does not withstand any level of constitutional scrutiny,' the Judge wrote in his ruling. The ruling comes after a tense bench trial in February where both the bakery and the town presented their evidence and eyewitnesses. Young told The Wall Street Journal that he was 'thrilled' by his victory. 'I think our mural is a wonderful depiction of everything that makes the Mount Washington Valley such a great place to live,' he told the publication. Robert Frommer, who represented Young previously, said 'you don't lose your right to free speech because you open a doughnut shop. 'Whether you put up pastry mountains or paint real mountains, that's the artistic choice of the shop owner, not the government.' Leavitt's Bakery has been in operation since the 1970s and occupies a quaint 1,300-square-foot red cabin. The case drew headline attention since New Hampshire, which goes by the state slogan 'live free or die', leans toward the libertarian rather than interventionist form of local government. For example, the state charges no sales tax and takes a laissez-faire approach to road safety - with no requirements for adults to wear a seatbelt in a car or a helmet on a motorcycle. Young bought Leavitt's Bakery during the pandemic and shortly afterwards had the idea to commission the mural from art students at the local high school. 'Probably a year after we bought it, a friend of mine who knows the local high school art teacher said, "Hey, they're looking for a place to do an art project,"' Young previously told the Journal. The students leapt at the opportunity and were proud of the work they created. During the legal wrangle, local residents of the tight-knit community were divided over who was in the right.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
New Hampshire bakery wins 'ludicrous' legal spat with local authorities over donuts
A New Hampshire bakery owner has won a legal victory over the local authority after it tried to tear down its donut art. Leavitt's Country Bakery, located in the heart of the picturesque New England town of Conway, was ordered to take down an art mural on the front of its store for violating zoning laws. The mural on top of the local institution known for its homemade doughnuts was made by local high school students and features New Hampshire's famous White Mountains in whimsical baked goods form. Conway local authorities, however, did not see the funny side. Last year they ordered Leavitt's Bakery owner Sean Young to take the art down as it allegedly contravened the town's zoning laws. The mural was apparently four times larger than those permitted for commercial signs. Young however argued that the mural was art, not commercial advertising, and filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Conway seeking $1 in damages. Now U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante says the donut art can stay. 'Conway's application of its sign code, and specifically its enforcement of the sign code to the Leavitt's sign in the particular manner it employed in this case, does not withstand any level of constitutional scrutiny,' the Judge wrote in his ruling. The ruling comes after a tense bench trial in February where both the bakery and the town presented their evidence and eyewitnesses. Young told The Wall Street Journal that he was 'thrilled' by his victory. 'I think our mural is a wonderful depiction of everything that makes the Mount Washington Valley such a great place to live,' he told the publication. Robert Frommer, who represented Young previously, said 'you don't lose your right to free speech because you open a doughnut shop. 'Whether you put up pastry mountains or paint real mountains, that's the artistic choice of the shop owner, not the government.' Leavitt's Bakery has been in operation since the 1970s and occupies a quaint 1,300-square-foot red cabin. The case drew headline attention since New Hampshire, which goes by the state slogan 'live free or die', leans toward the libertarian rather than interventionist form of local government. For example, the state charges no sales tax and takes a laissez-faire approach to road safety - with no requirements for adults to wear a seatbelt in a car or a helmet on a motorcycle. Young filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the town authorities in Conway seeking $1 in damages Bismark donuts are showered with powdered sugar at Leavitt's Country Bakery Young bought Leavitt's Bakery during the pandemic and shortly afterwards had the idea to commission the mural from art students at the local high school. 'Probably a year after we bought it, a friend of mine who knows the local high school art teacher said, "Hey, they're looking for a place to do an art project,"' Young previously told the Journal. The students leapt at the opportunity and were proud of the work they created. During the legal wrangle, local residents of the tight-knit community were divided over who was in the right. Fourth-generation Conway resident Lisa Parent attended zoning board meetings to support Young in his appeal. 'I'm very familiar with your sign policies, which are all over the place,' she told the board at one such meeting last year.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A town tried to take down a bakery's mural of pastries. A judge ruled it can stay.
The debate that had consumed Sean Young's life for nearly three years revolved around a painting of doughnuts, cookies, a cinnamon roll, a raspberry turnover and a blueberry muffin. Students at a high school near Young's New Hampshire bakery created the mural above the shop's front door in June 2022. But the town of Conway told Young the painting wasn't a mural, it was a sign that exceeded the town's legal size limit and would need to be taken down. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Young left the mural up, and sued the town the next year, claiming its ordinance violates the First Amendment. On Monday, the legal battle resulted in a sweet ending for Young, 54. A judge wrote in an order that Conway's enforcement of its ordinance against the painting is 'unconstitutional' and 'operationally illogical,' ruling that the mural can remain in front of the shop, Leavitt's Country Bakery. For Young and Ashton-Rose Gallant, one of the student painters, the news brought relief. As Conway fought to remove the mural, Gallant, 19, said he sometimes wished he 'had never painted the mural' because of the town's backlash. 'But in the end,' he said, 'I'm really glad I painted it.' After Young bought Leavitt's Country Bakery in the spring of 2021, it became known as one of New Hampshire's top doughnut shops. Its most popular pastries include handmade apple fritters, honey-dipped doughnuts and chocolate frosted doughnuts. For years, the front of the shop was red and featured the bakery's logo, an image of a blackbird sitting atop a pie. But in the spring of 2022, an art teacher from Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire, was looking for a place in the community where her students could start a project. Young offered the front of his bakery. Students wanted to create something that reflected the east New Hampshire region, where skiers flock in the winter and hikers and water tubers come in the summer. They never thought people would interpret the mural as a sign, Gallant said. The result showed a line of pastries - including a chocolate frosted doughnut with colorful sprinkles, a meringue cookie, a chocolate chip cookie, a strawberry frosted doughnut, a sugar cookie and a Boston crème - that represented the nearby Mount Washington Valley mountains. In the mural, a sun rises over the pastries, creating bright rays. Students, their families and community members attended the mural's unveiling in June 2022. Gallant said the mural was 'brightening up the valley.' That changed about a week later, when a municipal code enforcement officer who had seen the mural in a local newspaper told Young that the painting was a sign because it advertised the bakery's products, and at about 91 square feet, it was roughly four times as big as what the town allowed. Young could be fined $275 every day that the mural was on the building and face a misdemeanor for violating the code. 'I thought right from the beginning, 'Something's not right here,'' Young said. If the painting didn't show products sold in the store or was placed outside the bakery's property, it would be classified as a mural and could remain, according to Monday's order. In the months after Young received the initial notice, Conway's zoning board denied Young's appeal of the enforcement officer's assessment and his efforts to keep the painting. 'It's a zoning ordinance, which was enacted by the legislative body, which are the voters of the town who are here,' John Colbath, the zoning board chair, said at a meeting in August 2022, according to a recording of the meeting. 'And there is a process for changing it if they don't like it.' Gallant, who began working as a server at the bakery in August 2022, said he felt pride every time he walked under his mural to start work. He said customers encouraged the bakery to keep the painting. Near the end of 2022, the town told Young that they would begin fining him if he didn't remove the painting, according to Young's attorneys. Young refused and began working with the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm that sent a letter to Conway in November 2022 asserting that the ordinance is vague and unconstitutional. In January 2023, Young filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire that argued that the town violated his free-speech rights. He requested $1 in damages, saying he mainly wanted the town to stop attempting to remove the mural. A judge granted a temporary restraining order that allowed the mural to remain until the case finished. Attorneys representing Conway argued in court that the town restricts the size of signs to preserve the town's safety and 'natural beauty' and enforce 'equal treatment' to all residents. But Judge Joseph Laplante wrote in his order Monday that the town's enforcement of its ordinance had 'no rational connection to any of [the town's] stated interests' and 'would not pass any level of scrutiny.' Brooke Shilo, an attorney representing Conway, wrote in an email to The Washington Post that the town was 'disappointed' by the ruling. 'The Town will continue to work conscientiously and in good faith to ensure that the constitutional rights of all are not infringed,' Shilo wrote, 'while maintaining public safety and Conway's natural beauty.' After his attorneys informed him of the decision Monday afternoon, Young said he called his staff and his wife to rejoice. He also called Gallant, who said he hopes the mural won't remind people about the debate, but will simply make them happy. The project partly inspired Gallant's dream to become a tattoo artist, which he is pursuing while studying liberal arts at North Shore Community College in Danvers, Massachusetts. Young said the bakery will celebrate the ruling later this week - maybe by giving a free doughnut to anyone who walks under the mural. - - - Marisa Iati contributed to this report. Related Content Divided House GOP tries to push Trump's tax bill over the finish line As Trump cuts science budgets, some researchers look abroad An isolated, angry Fetterman is yet another challenge for Democrats
Toronto Sun
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
A town tried to take down a bakery's mural of pastries. A judge ruled it can stay.
Published May 21, 2025 • 4 minute read Sean Young's bakery, Leavitt's Country Bakery in Conway, New Hampshire, has a colorful mural above its entrance. MUST CREDIT: Institute for Justice jpg The debate that had consumed Sean Young's life for nearly three years revolved around a painting of doughnuts, cookies, a cinnamon roll, a raspberry turnover and a blueberry muffin. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Students at a high school near Young's New Hampshire bakery created the mural above the shop's front door in June 2022. But the town of Conway told Young the painting wasn't a mural, it was a sign that exceeded the town's legal size limit and would need to be taken down. Young left the mural up, and sued the town the next year, claiming its ordinance violates the First Amendment. On Monday, the legal battle resulted in a sweet ending for Young, 54. A judge wrote in an order that Conway's enforcement of its ordinance against the painting is 'unconstitutional' and 'operationally illogical,' ruling that the mural can remain in front of the shop, Leavitt's Country Bakery. For Young and Ashton-Rose Gallant, one of the student painters, the news brought relief. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As Conway fought to remove the mural, Gallant, 19, said he sometimes wished he 'had never painted the mural' because of the town's backlash. 'But in the end,' he said, 'I'm really glad I painted it.' After Young bought Leavitt's Country Bakery in the spring of 2021, it became known as one of New Hampshire's top doughnut shops. Its most popular pastries include handmade apple fritters, honey-dipped doughnuts and chocolate frosted doughnuts. For years, the front of the shop was red and featured the bakery's logo, an image of a blackbird sitting atop a pie. But in the spring of 2022, an art teacher from Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire, was looking for a place in the community where her students could start a project. Young offered the front of his bakery. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Students wanted to create something that reflected the east New Hampshire region, where skiers flock in the winter and hikers and water tubers come in the summer. They never thought people would interpret the mural as a sign, Gallant said. The result showed a line of pastries – including a chocolate frosted doughnut with colourful sprinkles, a meringue cookie, a chocolate chip cookie, a strawberry frosted doughnut, a sugar cookie and a Boston crème – that represented the nearby Mount Washington Valley mountains. In the mural, a sun rises over the pastries, creating bright rays. Young bought Leavitt's Country Bakery in the spring of 2021. (Institute for Justice) jpg Students, their families and community members attended the mural's unveiling in June 2022. Gallant said the mural was 'brightening up the valley.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That changed about a week later, when a municipal code enforcement officer who had seen the mural in a local newspaper told Young that the painting was a sign because it advertised the bakery's products, and at about 91 square feet, it was roughly four times as big as what the town allowed. Young could be fined $275 every day that the mural was on the building and face a misdemeanor for violating the code. 'I thought right from the beginning, 'Something's not right here,'' Young said. If the painting didn't show products sold in the store or was placed outside the bakery's property, it would be classified as a mural and could remain, according to Monday's order. In the months after Young received the initial notice, Conway's zoning board denied Young's appeal of the enforcement officer's assessment and his efforts to keep the painting. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a zoning ordinance, which was enacted by the legislative body, which are the voters of the town who are here,' John Colbath, the zoning board chair, said at a meeting in August 2022, according to a recording of the meeting. 'And there is a process for changing it if they don't like it.' Gallant, who began working as a server at the bakery in August 2022, said he felt pride every time he walked under his mural to start work. He said customers encouraged the bakery to keep the painting. Near the end of 2022, the town told Young that they would begin fining him if he didn't remove the painting, according to Young's attorneys. Young refused and began working with the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm that sent a letter to Conway in November 2022 asserting that the ordinance is vague and unconstitutional. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In January 2023, Young filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire that argued that the town violated his free-speech rights. He requested $1 in damages, saying he mainly wanted the town to stop attempting to remove the mural. A judge granted a temporary restraining order that allowed the mural to remain until the case finished. Attorneys representing Conway argued in court that the town restricts the size of signs to preserve the town's safety and 'natural beauty' and enforce 'equal treatment' to all residents. But Judge Joseph Laplante wrote in his order Monday that the town's enforcement of its ordinance had 'no rational connection to any of [the town's] stated interests' and 'would not pass any level of scrutiny.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Brooke Shilo, an attorney representing Conway, wrote in an email to The Washington Post that the town was 'disappointed' by the ruling. 'The Town will continue to work conscientiously and in good faith to ensure that the constitutional rights of all are not infringed,' Shilo wrote, 'while maintaining public safety and Conway's natural beauty.' After his attorneys informed him of the decision Monday afternoon, Young said he called his staff and his wife to rejoice. He also called Gallant, who said he hopes the mural won't remind people about the debate, but will simply make them happy. The project partly inspired Gallant's dream to become a tattoo artist, which he is pursuing while studying liberal arts at North Shore Community College in Danvers, Massachusetts. Young said the bakery will celebrate the ruling later this week – maybe by giving a free doughnut to anyone who walks under the mural. Canada Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Basketball
Epoch Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
New Hampshire Bakery Wins First Amendment Battle Over Pastry Mural
A federal judge has ruled that the New Hampshire town of Conway violated the free speech rights of a local bakery owner when it attempted to force the removal or alteration of a colorful mural depicting pastries, concluding a closely watched First Amendment dispute. U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante issued the decision Monday, siding with Sean Young, owner of Leavitt's Country Bakery, after a one-day trial earlier this year.
