Broad Street bar’s license suspended

LYNN – It will be an early night for the Lynnway Lounge on New Year’s Eve after the License Commission voted to suspend the Broad Street club’s liquor license for three days, squelching any chance for extending its hours for the holiday.”We’ll take that,” said Attorney John Mihos, representing lounge operator Rafael Veras.Veras was before the board for a second night regarding incidents that included disorderly conduct, leaving the scene of injury, liquor license rules and regulation violations, failure to call police and for giving away “free alcoholic drinks.”Mihos argued that the disorderly conduct and the leaving the scene of injury were incidents that happened outside and away from the club. He also called the rules and regulation violations mistakes that have since been explained and rectified. Veras contended it was a promoter who bought and gave away free drinks to female patrons during an event but Commission Chairman Patricia Barton said that didn’t matter.”Once you hire a promoter he becomes your employee,” she said.Commissioner Richard Coppinger said Veras was warned when he came before the board six months prior requesting the license to run 170 Broad St. that the space has a long history of being a troubled establishment. He said the number of incidents that Veras collected in such a short span show a “pattern of irresponsibility” and neglect for the city’s rules and regulations.In particular it bothered Coppinger that the first line of at least one incident report stated that the first division was called out and he asked Lt. Peter Holey to explain what that meant.”That means to quiet the disturbance it took more than seven police cruisers and, when that happens, when all seven cruisers respond, the rest of the city is naked,” he said. “In my experience, and I wasn’t there that night, it takes a long time to clear that kind of disturbance and during that time the rest of the city is without any police protection.”Coppinger said all the incidents together represent a serious problem.Frances Martinez, director of the North Shore Latino Business Association, said she believed Veras would learn from the hearing and would take its actions to heart.”I tried 200 percent to do my best,” Veras said. “I didn’t intend to have any problems with the law.”Coppinger made a motion to suspend the club’s license for three days for failure to call police, and another four days for lack of management control and for violation liquor license rules and regulations. But “in the spirit of Christmas” Coppinger said, “I’d be willing to hold four days in abeyance.”Barton said she’d be willing to go along with that as long as Veras understood he would not be allowed to stay open late for New Year’s Eve. The commission even agreed to put the suspension off until Jan. 2, 2013.”Call us,” Holey said as Veras left the hearing. “We’re not here to hurt you – call us.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].