Support Mario's Dream for a Community Haven

Thank you for all those will help us.

First I want to say that I love my City of Copperas Cove it’s cozy, with a great Community. I was never aware that there were so many many book readers, not just in the community but throughout the region.

I wanted to open a place for our community for families, especially kids. The city is growing with no Jobs or no place for Children to go to. So after a survey for a bookstore for the community everyone was excited .

So, I took this challenge, saw a building that has been vacated, I remember that is was being used for many years, I had seen employees working inside until they closed for good.

How bad could it be? The new owners told me they did not know anything about the building, one issue was the old restaurant equipment left behind, and the landlord taking a vacation we waited for them so we could make this deal.

we walked insides and saw the amount of equipment, left behind. There was a bathroom, AC, and could not really inspect it properly.

We gave them a month to clear it so we could inspect it properly, but one month had passed and no equipment was removed. The place was still full of shelving, restaurant equipment no one wanted , etc

The month had passed and already placed the deposit to show them we were serious. But nothing was removed, they apologized and said that we want we can take the equipment get rid of it, and they did not care what I did with it .

so we said yes, because we could not wait any longer.

We sign the contract that I would be responsible for anything that breaks in the building, I was ok with this, meaning that I would if anything broke .

I mistook this, not knowing that I am responsible for the maintenance of their building even if it’s not their fault.

After removing all the shelving and displays we discovered issues those cases covering all the weak spots, every-time we removed a displays or shelving a lot of shelving we discovered huge problems.

I wondered if this was the reason they did not get rid of the furniture left behind.

We had no idea that the building was infested with fleas, we came home, my wife and I literally bit, not knowing what was happening. When one day we saw them a flea on our legs, my wife’s leg was shattered . The landlord told me they had sprayed but obviously they did a bad job.

Our body was scorched terrible , we were like dogs, but Dogs are treated better.

We sprayed continuously because we are responsible, when we turned on the power, which also was not hooked up properly, before. There were outlets that had burned that were still active and exposed we hired an electrician to remove the dangerous outlet. He told us we are lucky because the outlet such as this is what causes fires.

The AC was not working, the Landlord did call his nephew and the first room had AC now.

the second room AC was out completely, the landlord said he would get mini splits, after his nephew found that it had no refrigerant left and used sealer and added refrigerant.

The AC is still not working, I was told I was responsible, and that they might pay it but I signed the contract.

It is hard to for me to believe that those who own the building have no clue about the condition of the building, but I been challenge with a paper they signed that reads”

I know Nothing “ (Hogans Hero’s look it up lol)

new split units have been about $4700 to do, we can cut corners but it’s not wise.

We still remain positive and I worked alone day and night trying to get our community out Bookstore, and a place for kids to go to.

So, once we fixed the issues , it was time to turn on the water, not thinking this would be a disaster and how wrong was I to think such foolish things.

There were no lines going into the building, so I hired a plumber to add the lines, when the city came to turn the water on, it flooded the first building due to a crack under floor water line.

plumber cost $1500 to add a new water line, the landlord said he will take care of it but was told Eventually I will have to pay it later down the road.

The City gig me for no hot water, I did not know if the building even had a water heater, but no one knows. I know now, so I purchased a new water heater, electrician costing me a lot of money.

But I still remain positive to finish it.

I have done so much about 90% of the work, and still need to get things done to make it a safe place for the community, in the end I had a hard time deciding Business or Community, but I started this am for the community.

The money will be used to replace the Carpet make a safe haven area for children, when they visit, cameras , etc

Thank you so much for listening I done so much and will continue even if I get no donations. I appreciate you listening and thanks .

1st Edition Bookstore

Mario