Comments on: When Pigs Fly: Sawyer Sportsbar Gets Its Wings

By: John Santos

John Santos — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:42:01 +0000

Seems like more people are opening businesses on Washington Avenue that require TABCE licenses. WHy can’t other businesses go there? Just like the PigStand, how long was it vacant? As much as I don’t like the owners of The Drake, opening up on that piece of property will pretty much increase the surrounding properties’ values.

Would you rather see a lot of vacant property surrounding you with a lot of vagrants walking around or would you rather have opened businesses that increase the value of your propert — but have to deal with increase traffic.

I am sure you will take the lesser of two evils.

By: EMME

EMME — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:33:23 +0000

I think KJB is so against regulation that he would even get rid of police patrol.

I don’t care how legal or profitable something is, if the people find it does not work for them, they have the right and the responsibility to protest.

By: EMME

EMME — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:31:18 +0000

The off duty privately paid police officer is just that, he is paid by the clubs. Here is some information I don’t think you are aware of. There don’t have to be arrests or any other evidence for nuisance calls to matter at liquor license hearings. The number of citizen complaint calls is what matters. You and all your neighbors should always call whether there will be an arrest or not. I am not saying to call randomly when somethign is not really going on. That is not only just wrong, it is also illegal, so you only want to call with real facts.

But call regardless of the outcome. Our current Sheriff, Adrian Garcia, gave us that nformation when he was our council member.

If you can hear the music, call and complain. Anything that is a nuisance, call. It gets recorded.

By: Brad

Brad — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:22:36 +0000

I meant to type “always east of Westcott/Kirby”… need spel chek.

By: Brad

Brad — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:21:23 +0000

kjb and Scott, those are cute comments, but I have lived inside the loop since 1966. I’ve lived in almost every damn neighborhood there is always easy of Westcott/Kirby. I LIKE the urban mix of Washington Avenue, I don’t mind the train, I like tacos from Guadalajara Bakery or Laredo, etc. I bought cars from the used car guys while going to high school in the early 60s. So, don’t act like I moved down here for some peace and quiet… I didn’t.

What I do not like is bars that draw the worst FROM the suburbs. A**holes who come down here to puke, fight and piss on our streets, have wrecks, and generally treat this area as their own vomitorium. This is not progress, this is not fun, this is crap.

By: kjb434

kjb434 — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:01:32 +0000

I wouldn’t say it’s daddy’s money since the number of young people in the area that have good paying jobs is astounding (and the number that try to appear that way is even more astounding).

These are definitely big problems and actually it is to a big extent the bar’s fault. The cops hired by the clubs won’t ever go that far since they getting side pay for working at the bar. Would you kill your extra income?

By: Larissa Lindsay

Larissa Lindsay — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:54:35 +0000

We do call the police, and there is an off-duty police officer patrolling the neighborhood, paid for by the nightclubs who know there is a major problem, but by the time the police get there the pants are zipped, the vomit is already out, and they are gone. A fight 10 days ago brought 5 police cars at 3am, but yelling and screaming continued until it was under control. There are police hired by the clubs standing in front, but the arrests are limited. The number of DWI arrests have increased, but it doesn’t stop people. Over-serving happens routinely, gosh darn it, if you paid $300 for a bottle of booze/table service, wouldn’t you drink it all before you left? These are not cheap drunk, they are driving expensive cars with daddy’s money.

By: EMME

EMME — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:29:32 +0000

When I am walking on my street at night, if I see headlights, I get away from the street. I have literally come out after hearing a crashing noise and found a car nose first in a ditch (three different times). They should have died on impact, but alas they were drunk. So be careful! That barowner lost his license this summer because we stayed on them and protested his license.

By: EMME

EMME — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:26:42 +0000

I agree Lauren. Call the police with every loud voice, puking idiot and the police will get sick of it too. Then they start parking right in front of the culprit establishment and that scares off those particular customers at best and at worst the police are there to arrest them on the spot. It is work, but it works.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:11:24 +0000

^edit - through the neighborhood/in front of homes..

By: Lauren

Lauren — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:09:52 +0000

There isn’t much argument against the fact that Washington Ave has always had a mix of residential, retail, restaurants, and bars, and that this combination can add positive attributes to an area.

The issue is that patrons of certain bars like Pandora have been repeatedly and excessively rude and disgusting. It’s one thing to leave a bar and go home and do whatever you want. It’s a whole different story when you’re fighting, yelling, littering, peeing, vomiting, having sex, and drunk driving through/in front of peoples’ homes.

By: EMME

EMME — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:53:36 +0000

I live spitting distance to a certain blues bar. First, they worked extensively to do the best they could to insulate their building. They couldn’t keep all the sound from escaping, particularly the bass, but in time, I have gotten to where I don’t even hear it. When I have guests over, they notice it but I don’t hear it at all. I have never had issues with their patrons. There is, however, a bar down the street out of hearing distance which is much more of a nuisance by their customers often ending up nose first in our ditches. I call the police everytime and they have yet to take any of them to jail. If you have anyone peeing on your yard, having sex in public, or any other nuisances, report it immediately. When it is time for them to renew their liquor or beer/wine license, you can protest the renewal and the number of nuisance calls can help expedite that.