Swampscott Businessman Offers Help For Fire Victims

Charlie Patsios owns commercial space on Humphrey Street next to the 7-Eleven store.

He figures there is room in there for three business owners who lost their shops to theat the corner of Humphrey and Redington streets.

So he is offering it free to them on a temporary basis, and will even pay the electricity.

"It's the right thing to do," Patsios said in an interview. "I woke up in my own house, in my own bed, with a place to go."

He wants to help the owners who lost their .

Patsios, who has lived in Swampscott for 20 years, also wants to dispel the notion that Swampscott is anti-business.

The displaced owners, Patsios, the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce, town officials and people with expertise in finance, insurance and other commercial matters will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. to talk about how best help the affected owners recover from losses.

Town officials say it is crucial for the business people to keep themselves in the public eye, letting their customers know where they are operating.

To that end, town officials and others are talking about stringing a banner across Humphrey Street. It would function as a quasi billboard or business card for the displaced owners.

The businesses displaced by the fire were ,  e, ,  and .