Alcohol Board Upset with State Renewal for Stimmelators
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
If the state Alcohol and Tobacco Commission isn’t going to listen to the local board, members of the Kosciusko ATC wondered Thursday why the county board even exists. During its December meeting, the local board voted against renewing the license for Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club. Since then, the state approved the renewal on appeal, according to Kosciusko board member Elim Smith. At Thursday’s meeting, Smith learned from state excise officer April Tackett that the state approved the renewal without even listening to the recording from the December meeting. “We denied Stimmelators and they approved it without listening to any minutes of this meeting,” Smith said. He requested Tackett contact the state commission and have a representative come to a Kosciusko ATC meeting and explain their reasoning to them. If she is unable to get a state commissioner up to Kosciusko, Smith said he would contact them by phone or letter. “They didn’t even listen to us,” Smith said. Board President Gordon Vanator said, “I can’t believe the state commission is that uninterested in what the local board does.” The local board’s denial of Stimmelator’s license renewal came despite assurances that Sam Stimmel, owner of the North Webster club, would no longer be involved after selling the company to a Nappanee factory worker, Dom Carl Gonzales, 38, for close to $1 million. The board heard arguments against renewal from Dino Zurzolo, former operator of strip clubs in Fort Wayne, who filed a civil suit against Stimmel over failed negotiations for sale of the club; and from North Webster Police Chief Greg Church, who said his department often responds to complaints in and around Stimmelators. Tackett noted during the December meeting that the alcohol license was up for renewal regardless of ownership of the club. She also listed the formal considerations for denial under state law: the applicant is not of good moral character, the establishment is a public nuisance, or criminal offenses have taken place there. “How about all three?” board member Elim Smith said at that meeting. His motion to deny was approved by the two other board members. He noted though that the license renewal is ultimately up to the state, which he said has a history of overturning their decisions. On the local board’s agenda for Thursday was a license renewal for Service Liquors East, 3720 Lake City Highway, Warsaw, which was continued from December. It had one violation against it for sale of alcohol to a minor, failure to check identification and allowing a minor to loiter. Managers Jo Lynn and William Likens said at the meeting they paid a $1,000 fine. Jo Lynn said the location has been open 19 to 20 years and this was its first violation. William said it was his second violation, having received his first one in the late 1980s. The commission approved the license renewal. In a matter not on the agenda, Rocky Clemens told the board that the three-way Type 210 liquor license for the former Gordy’s Sub Pub restaurant is up for sale. The business burnt down in 2008 due to vandalism, and the license has been held in escrow for the last three to five years. He said if anyone is interested in purchasing the liquor license, they can contact him or his brother Tom Clemens. Tackett said of the license, “That’s the only one left on the quota system that I know of.” Vanator asked Tackett about One Ten, the meatery on Buffalo Street across from the county courthouse. He wanted to know if there was a separation between where the alcohol was sold and where children were allowed to go. He did not recall the board approving the alcohol license. Smith told him the board did approve a wine license, but it may have been at a meeting where Vanator was absent. The board had approved the license for a one-year term only in October. Tackett explained that the establishment does have a “limited separation” designation because it doesn’t have a six-foot wall. A kid can walk in the business from the back and go up to the meat counter but no further. If someone underage goes through the front door, even with a parent, Tackett said that would be like “bringing a minor into a bar room.” Also Thursday, the commission: • Approved three renewals without violations. Those included BPO Elks 802, 310 E. Center St., Warsaw; Pak A Sak Convenience Store, 2124 S. Ind. 13, Pierceton; and The Bowling Alley, 1535 N. Detroit St., Warsaw. • Reorganized, keeping board officers the same for 2015 with Vanator as president.
