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Some Youngstown council members object to the renewal of liquor permits at three locations
YOUNGSTOWN
City council will consider resolutions today from some of its members to object to the renewal of liquor permits at three South Side locations.
One location, Breaden Market at 1026 Overland Ave., is being investigated for food-stamp fraud and its owner, George Rafidi, is facing charges of assaulting federal officers and brandishing a gun while doing so. An Oct. 22 federal indictment accused Rafidi of pointing a revolver at a deputy U.S. marshal who was serving a search warrant Oct. 8 at Rafidi’s Lordstown home related to a food-stamp investigation.
Another is Club Amazing, the former Duka’s at 21 W. Hylda Ave. On Oct. 19, dozens of shots were fired outside the bar, said city Prosecutor Dana Lantz.
Councilwoman Janet Tarpley, D-6th, said that residents near Club Amazing “are in fear of their lives.” The bar is in her ward.
The third location is Crickets Bar & Grill at 1733 E. Midlothian Blvd. because of complaints about noise there.
Don Holovatick, who owns Crickets with his wife, son and daughter, said Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, is trying to take the business’s liquor license away because of complaints from its neighbors that the live music is too loud.
But Holovatick points out the police have never cited the business for noise or anything else, the live music stops at 11 p.m. in compliance with city law and the establishment receives the proper permits for every event there.
“We’re harassed when we follow the law,” he said. “We get noise complaints, but the music isn’t loud. It’s harassment. One neighbor called the police 38 times in one day, and we weren’t cited.”
Holovatick is urging his customers to attend today’s meeting, and said Holly Hanni, his attorney, will address council.
Swierz said the live music is too loud, and requests to lower it have not been heeded.
“I’ve had plenty of complaints from surrounding residents,” Swierz said. “I’ve had complaints that they’ve played past 11 o’clock. Have they gotten a ticket? No, but some neighbors say it’s too loud. I’m not trying to take his license away. He can solve the problem with less outdoor concerts.”
Swierz also said he isn’t trying to put Crickets out of business.
“I just want him to follow the law,” he said. “He must think I have an ax to grind with him. Why would I want to eliminate a business? I have no ax to grind. I have constituent complaints.”
Holovatick said his business is following the law.
“We’re running a nice, clean place,” he said.
City council has approved numerous objections to the renewals of liquor permits before — objections against Breaden were filed in 2010 and 2011 — without much success. In some cases, the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control, which makes decisions on permit renewals, doesn’t have hearings on council objections.
Regarding Breaden Market, Councilwoman Annie Gillman, D-1st, in whose ward the store is located, said with Rafidi in jail and food-stamp fraud issues there as well as loitering, “I hope they’ll take his liquor license away.”
Neighbors have told city officials that drugs are being sold outside the market, Lantz said.