Benn Ray, president of the Hampden Village Merchants Association and the self-styled "voice of Hampden," stated that the restrictions Ms. Whiting has placed on the event for the purpose of preserving the event's pseudo-cultural aspect are "overreaching." Mr. Ray should recall that a few years ago, he was leading an attack on so-called "chain" stores attempting to establish themselves in the blighted Hampden business district, even to the point of requiring the City Council to hear all proposals for new business in Hampden and certify that the newcomers satisfied a list, created by Hampden merchants, that outlined what characteristics would be acceptable. All this was done in order to maintain the ideal of their imagined "culture." Now that is overreaching.