CHESTER, Conn. — The removal of a beloved addition to downtown Chester has prompted questions from neighbors and business owners about what happened and what's next.
About two weeks ago, FOX61 shared the story of the 'Wish Booth.' The phone booth towered over Main Street and invited people inside to leave a wish with the universe.
In a post on Facebook, the town of Chester said the Wish Booth was removed last week because it was placed and attached to a state-owned bridge without permits.
"When Fox 61 ran their story on the booth, it was reported to the head of bridges for the State of Connecticut," the post said. "As a consequence of this unauthorized installation, the town was directed to immediately remove all banners, stars and personal items from state property. It is unfortunate that this has happened, but there are rules in place that need to be followed."
Co-designers Caryn Paradis and Christopher Owens are currently looking for a new home for the Wish Booth.
"We went to the town and said, 'We're gonna do this,' but we didn't understand we needed a permit, now we know," said Paradis. "But the coolest thing is the response from the townspeople and the people in the area has been incredibly generous, and there's been this outpouring of support saying we want this to be a permanent installation."
Paradis said the goal is to keep the booth somewhere in Chester.
"The exciting part of this is that now we get to look for a more permanent location," said Paradis. "It's process, right? I'm a designer, right, and I've learned over 26 years doing what I do that the things that are thrown your way that seem like a catastrophe are usually not. They usually somehow benefit the end product, so I'm really seeing this as just a development and we get to do something really great next."
Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.