Liquor License Denied, Festivals Questioned Monday

The biggest story out of Monday's City Council meeting may have been the passion of citizens who spoke out on issues ranging from a liquor license denial to a burgeoning number of outdoor festivals.

"Finally!" resident Nancy Piwowar called out after the council voted unanimously to deny renewal of Vadrajan Naicken's liquor license. Before the vote, resident Ora Bailey Hill said sales of liquor to underage youth at Naicken's former location led to the early death of eight young men and problems did not cease after Arlington Liquors relocated to become Clinton Deli on West Front Street. Resident D. Scott Belin, also an independent candidate for mayor, urged council members who wanted to drop the matter to join the others in denying the license renewal.

On Aug. 12, the matter lacked a consensus to move it to the agenda until Councilwoman Tracey Brown changed her mind. Brown had sided with council members Vera Greaves and William Reid and Council President Bridget Rivers, who defended Naicken. But after Councilman Adrian Mapp  and Councilwoman Rebecca Williams recalled police findings of underage alcohol and drug sales at the store and argued for denial, Brown, who had not attended the hearing where police testified, joined them and Cory Storch for a consensus.

Jeanette Criscione, who had attended the hearing, thanked Brown Monday for changing her view, saying otherwise the council "would not be at this point."

Only one resident, Dawud Hicks, downplayed Naicken's record, saying, "We know this guy ... this is a small, small matter."

Hicks deplored Williams' depiction of Naicken as a "menace," but said he might be a "nuisance." He said the council should let the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control settle the matter.

While a majority of speakers clearly favored the liquor license denial, opinions on a proliferation of festivals were split. Besides the increasing number of festivals, the sale of alcoholic beverages was also an issue, especially in proximity to children attending the events. Flor Gonzalez of the Latin American Coalition said past festivals were cultural in nature and did not include alcohol consumption. She said business owners were always part of the planning, in contrast to recent comments that the closing of city parking lots for use by festival organizers was harming business.

Resident Norman X. Johnson said in the festival discussion, "Nobody represents the people who want to stay in their own home."

His point was that people who stay home from the three-day festivals should not have to be bothered by the noise they generate.

Rodney Maree, who launched a competing festival last year to nightclub owner Edison Garcia's fourth celebration of Central American independence, said he was spending $17,000 this year to bring musical groups from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, among other costs for a three-day event. Last year, the city allowed Garcia and Maree to have events on the same weekend in September, but this year Maree secured the favored weekend and the city suggested that Garcia pick another one. But possibly due to complaints from business owners near the lot Garcia wanted to use, a council vote on granting Garcia permission failed Monday. Brown and Williams voted "no"  and Greaves, Reid and Mapp voted "yes," falling short of the four votes needed to pass. Rivers and Storch were absent.

Garcia had already held a three-day festival on July 5, 6 and 7 and Maree held another on Aug. 9, 10 and 11. The council also approved five street closings Monday for outdoor events, but agreed to formulate a policy for future  festivals and also to have police and a city traffic committee review requests for street closings before the requests come to the governing body.

--Bernice

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