Tuesday, September 15, 2015
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
In a 2-1 vote, township trustees agreed not to have a hearing on a liquor permit at California Palms Hotel and Suites.
The vote means the liquor-permit issue now goes to the Mahoning County commissioners. If the commissioners vote not to have a hearing, the matter goes to the state.
Trustees Jim Davis and Ken Carano voted Monday night not to have the hearing for the Fifth Season Inc. doing business as The Fifth Season at California Palms Hotel, 1051 N. Canfield-Niles Road.
Trustee Rick Stauffer voted to have the hearing.
Before the vote was taken, police Chief Robert Gavalier voiced his objection to the permit. California Palms sits at the corner of North Canfield-Niles Road and 5455 Clarkins Drive, which formerly housed the Go Go Girls Cabaret years ago.
“I don’t object to the owner of the Fifth Season. I don’t have anything against him. I just object to the location,” Gavalier said.
During the board-member comments at the end of the meeting, Stauffer explained his “yes” vote.
“It’s not about a liquor license being for liquor and its certainly not” because of the Fifth Season “... but it is in regard with the address that the Fifth Season now sits at California Palms and its owner.”
He continued, “I would have loved to have been able to have that hearing so more people could have been able to talk at that hearing.”
The state previously denied a liquor permit for the hotel, owned by Sebastian Rucci and known for its faux palm trees, when Atty. James A. Vitullo applied for one under his business venture, Vitullo Investments LLC, to operate a restaurant there.
In other news, the board approved transferring a liquor permit to the majority corporate stock ownership in Wedgewood NFS Inc., at 1715 S. Raccoon Road.
Officials unanimously approved that transfer, which was made because the permit had been in the name of Henry Nemenz, who died this past summer.
Before the meeting, Davis called for a moment of silence for Jackson Township Detective Sgt. Brian Newhard, who had recently been diagnosed with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease. A second moment of silence was called for former Austintown Fire Capt. Chris Ludt.
Both men died last week – Newhard from ALS and Ludt from complications of a sickness.
The flag at the Austintown Police Department was flown at half-staff in New-hard’s honor Monday.
Davis gave an emotional speech on Ludt, who he said inspired him to pursue a career in civil service, and he recalled times with New-hard, his classmate from Fitch High School class of 1995.
Fire Chief Andy Frost III said Ludt served the department for more than 30 years and retired in 2005.
“Both were very good men. Really sorry to see their loss,” Frost said.