I’m so sick and tired of this subject I could just scream out loud…I might just try that to see if it helps (neighbors don’t call the police I’m just losing it) . We live in one of the most totally fabulous neighborhoods I have ever had the chance to live in or visit. Across the country or across the globe there are not many places that are more livable than downtown Lowell.
Just my opinion about the SUN article regarding incident at Brian’s Ivy Hall because if you are going to write a story try to at least hit the highlights…don’t worry I’ll do it for you:
I’ll try to categorize some of what is missing from this article:
Residents vs. Bars – prior to the opening of BIH residents and bar owners had spent a considerable number of years bickering. Chief Lavallee, apparently tired of the whole thing, put us all together in a room regularly and low-and-behold we got to know each other, like each other, and found a common ground (not to mention bar owners realized that residents are their most loyal customers). The SUN stopped covering our meetings because they were getting pretty boring; peace and harmony does not sell papers. Enter Brian’s Ivy Hall, or should I say, Kevin Hayhurst, who appears to be the spokesman for whatever cartel actually has a stake in this establishment, showing complete disdain for residents and neighboring business owners. Spending most of his time as a Paris Hilton wanna-be…famous for being nothing but an egomaniac and treating his peers to all sorts of jeers and nasty comments on facebook. The SUN should be ashamed for the headline of this story…get over this tired old headline. Bars and residents were doing fine before this place opened.
City Taxpayers – not a single mention of the tens-of-thousands of taxpayer dollars that have been spent directly outside BIH since it’s opening due to all of the mayhem at the corner of Merrimack and John streets. I think the SUN should have interviewed at least one taxpayer from Pawtucketville and asked how they feel about this business siphoning tax dollars to babysit their patrons. BIH no longer pays for police details like other bars do; they just rely on the 4-officer downtown detail. Sweet!
I think the SUN should do a little actual reporting work and find out the exact amount being paid in city taxes by this establishment. Mr. Hayhurst does not live in Lowell any longer and as a tenant wasn’t paying property taxes anyway and BIH does not own the building so they are not paying property taxes. Please tell me what they are contributing?
Police – the most obvious is less than accurate testimony by police officers at License Commission hearings regarding BIH. I wrote about this issue back in when the License Commission was trying to address the noise issues and somehow the 20+ noise complaints about BIH did not exist (note to Chief: one of your officers entered a woman’s home after 10PM to investigate a noise complaint and did not file a report). This same situation happened again just hours before the most recent incident when there were allegations that BIH had not called police about an assault that occurred (mind please…Mr. Hayhurst’s assertion that this happened in the “common hallway” leading to BIH, not actually inside. My assertion; when you are using that street level door as your entrance, there is nothing “common” about it; it is being used as part of your business) police officers told Commissioner’s there has never been any problems associated in or around BIH. Please explain those tens-of-thousands of dollars. I completely understand loyalty and these guys are only human (one of the BIH owners Mr. Finns’ brother is a police officer and frequently is seen working the downtown weekend detail outside his brothers bar) I’m sure other officers do not want to be seen as saying anything against a fellow police officers family member. The police dept. does not seem to be able/willing to address this issue.
License Commission – there is just too much to say about this group; so most recently the Commission granted a new liquor license to BIH owners for Finn’s Pub (hence it is named after one of the owners you don’t hear about and/or his brother the police officer) despite the fact the owners did not have all of the required items in place such as a floor plan for the 2nd floor and despite requests from residents (same residents spoke in favor of the license sans the entertainment) that they not be issued another “all entertainment” license which has led to an entire 2nd floor with no tables, no chairs…just an extension of BIH. You can party on the 3rdfloor and bring your drinks down to the 1st and 2nd floor as if you are within the same licensed premises. Again…Sweet!
If the SUN is going to write a story about what goes on downtown would you please at least “pretend” to have done some investigation into the reality of the situation.