Copyright MMIX
 
Stillwater Area High School
5701 Stillwater Blvd. N.
Stillwater, MN 55082

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Olive oil company moves to Stillwater

Sam Bourman-Karns
Online Editor

You may not know of the new olive oil store that has opened recently in
downtown Stillwater. Us not knowing of the shop would, I believe, be
in the owner’s best interest.

Are you familiar with what a ‘front’ is? You see, when professional criminals
need to set up a spot to continue illicit activity it is much easier to be…
under our noses. Nightclubs, alleyways and secret, brick wall entrances
are all very nice but not so practical. A real mafia outfit seek shelter in
the kitchens, conference rooms and back offices of legitimate establishments.
Places that actually make money providing a service for us, the civilian.

Go see The Godfather part one, two and if you are feeling especially
bad maybe even part three. After viewing, you will know exactly what
I mean. You will exclaim, "Good golly!" and then you will say, "The mob
definitely works here."

The tore is tucked away, hard to spot and remarkably classy.
The front of the store has a black frame around it and the
simple "Stillwater Olive Oil Co." above it. The interior layout is a
simple rectangle. On the two walls there are tables of various
olive oil as well as in the center of the room. The cash register
sits at the far end of the building, facing the door.

I could barely peek around the door behind the cash register
but what I could see was legitimate, however it did not convince me. Subtly, I introduced myself to the cashier, a woman who introduced herself as Holly Arps. Already I was skeptical.

Ms. Arps told me she owned the business with Ginger Zehm and together they offered an olive oil experience that allowed customers to taste over thirty exotic flavors before buying. I said preposterous. She told me that they had no plans to expand but that about 75 percent of their customers were "out of towners." Last I checked a mafia front wouldn’t expand and their customers would be out of towners.

The parallels made me suspicion senses tingle but solid evidence could not be obtained. I suppose you can believe that all there is in the back of Stillwater Olive Oil Co. id the fresh olive oil bottling machinery (a supposed feature to the store that guarantees freshness) but I tend to believe the truth: the Don has moved his mob to Stillwater!