Connery Post in trouble again

LYNN – Patrons at the Connery American Legion Post 6 are having to pack it in early since the Licensing Board rolled the private clubs hours back until 11 p.m.”Their hours are 11 p.m. but we continued to hearing because there are new charges,” said Board Chairman Patricia Barton.When the hearing continues June 5 it will be the third time in recent months that the post has been before the board. Problems dogging the club include allowing patrons in that are not members or with a member, disorderly conduct charges and most recently, a shooting that allegedly took place in the Post’s parking lot.In February board members along with Police officer Richard Fucci warned Post officials that they could not run the Post like a neighborhood bar, which Fucci had witnessed.”Just keep a tighter eye on it,” said the board’s attorney Vincent Phelan.During its March meeting Fucci told the board the commission had two violations and that visitors were not signing in as they should be. Club officials have told the board they are only trying to make ends meet since membership is suffering.Like other veterans posts in the city or fraternal organizations, the Connery Post is a private club and as such is only open to members, explained Veterans Agent Michael Sweeney.Franco-American Post 12 Commander Ted Kurpiel said he isn’t surprised that the Connery Post is suffering in terms of membership.”What’s happening there is what’s happening to all posts,” he said.The Western Avenue Post is home to two veterans organizations, the Franco-American Post 12 and Amvets Post 161. It is the only other veterans post in the city with a bar and function rooms.Amvets Commander Arthur Salkins said while the requirements to become a member are different for each club, how the veterans clubs are run is essentially the same. Anyone attending the club must become a member or be with a member to get in, he said. Members receive key cards that let them into the building and visitors are asked to sign a book, he added. Salkins said visitors can only be signed in three times per year before they either have to become members or stay home.Salkins said they will also occasionally do what he called random door checks where they will ask anyone entering to show a membership card.”If they don’t we don’t let them in,” he said. “We run a pretty tight ship down there.””It’s a good way to weed out bad apples,” Kurpiel said. “We don’t want any trouble and it works pretty well I must say.”And that is not to say that the Franco-American/Amvets posts don’t have their share of problems. Kurpiel admitted that not long ago a person was banned for life from the club after there were “fisticuffs in the back parking lot” that resulted in one member being seriously injured.The posts have a board that deals with such incidents and after a hearing it was determined that the individual should be removed, Kurpiel said. Again he said it’s a system that works well.”I’m pretty proud of it,” he added.The Connery Post has not been as successful handling it’s incidents and will have to face the Licensing Board one more time on June 5. Barton said it’s hours will remain rolled back to 11 p.m. until the hearing. When asked if the post might be in serious trouble with the additional charges Barton said only, “I would think so.”The meeting will be held at in the Community Room at the Police Station at 6:30 p.m.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].