Arrest warrant for Athanas removed

LYNN ? A District Court judge removed an arrest warrant Friday for Boston and Swampscott restaurateur Anthony Athanas Jr. – two weeks after Athanas failed to appear in court to address building code violations at his family’s former Central Avenue restaurant.Judge Michael Uhlarik ordered Athanas to return to court on Oct. 31 for a status review of repairs to Anthony’s Hawthorne’s facade at the corner of Central and Oxford streets.A criminal complaint filed in court lists Athanas’ name, and states that he “did fail to make safe and secure the building at 37-45 Central Avenue.”Athanas’ attorney, Theodore Tedeschi of Dover, declined to comment Friday on why Athanas did not appear in court on Sept. 19.After a judge issued a warrant for Athanas’ arrest on that date, a spokesman for Athanas said the 71-year-old restaurant owner was out of the country.Tedeschi said repair work on the facade is under way and should be completed by next week. The Athanas family closed Anthony’s in 2003 and the city in March ordered Athanas to repair sections of masonry facade that fell onto the sidewalk from the restaurant’s facade.