The closure of the Lake Champlain Bridge has had a ripple effect on residents and businesses in Crown Point. Our North Country reporter Kim Lengle has been following the story for weeks. Today, she brings us a story about a shop owner who's lost almost all his customers, but says he's not giving up.

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"You're fired. I'm a taxpayer and I'm firing you," said St. Pierre.

St. Pierre's shop is a stone's throw from the bridge. Twenty years ago, he turned his farm into a bait and tackle shop. Before October, business used to be good, at least half came from Vermont.

"They know I'm serious business and I'd walk 10 miles to help any of them and so they come here. They come here 'cause it's me and I won't go down without a good fight," said St. Pierre.

St. Pierre says since the bridge has been closed, he hasn't seen a lot of customers. But he still has all the expenses of a small business and for that he's had to dip into his savings.

"If they don't have something passable for people to come here, I don't' know if I'll see the spring," said St. Pierre.

But St. Pierre also warns of a larger issue. Bass fishermen say, hands down, Lake Champlain has the best fishing in the country.

"Everybody just loves coming here to fish. It's the longest lake in the United States. It's a pretty lake, gorgeous. But without that bridge, we are doomed," said St. Pierre.

If people stop fishing, they're not traveling here, not staying in hotels and eating in restaurants and worst of all for St. Pierre, they're not buying bait.

"It just makes me feel that as a taxpayer we are paying a lot of incompetent people for not doing their job," said St. Pierre.

The state Department of Transportation says the last inspection was spring 2009. They say in the months after that, they saw deterioration that was shocking and worrisome.

The future of the bridge will remain uncertain for about another week. After that, DOT says they should know whether the bridge is able to be repaired or not.

"Going to wait it out as long as I can, that's all I can do," said St. Pierre.

St. Pierre says he refuses to leave. He says he might look for another job in the meantime. But no matter how bad it gets, he says he won't leave the place he calls home. Even if he's all alone.

"I'm hurt. It's not good, just living on a bridge road to nowhere," St. Pierre said.

Friday, we'll bring you a story about a dairy farmer who's got two farms on either side of the bridge. He says this is a crisis and many like him might not survive.