Twelfth-district state Assemblywoman and Red Bank resident Jennifer Beck has asked Attorney General Anne Milgram to speed up the scheduled hearing on whether the borough can shut down Best Liquors over a series of sales infractions.
“March of 2008 is entirely too long for the Borough of Red Bank to wait to see if the revocation of Best Liquors’ liquor license is upheld,” Beck says in a press release that announces a letter she sent to the AG. “Red Bank’s quality of life continues to suffer as Best Liquors has been permitted to stay open pending the outcome of their appeal.”
Here’s the letter: Download BeckMilgram83007.
It’s also addressed to Jerry Fischer, director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control division, the agency that this week set a March 5, 2008 hearing date on the appeal by Best Liquors to halt the shutdown.
In the letter, Beck urges Milgram and Fischer to “use whatever influence you may have to expedite” the hearing and goes on to say that, “Without question, Best Liquors has displayed neither the responsibility nor the respect of the law to be allowed to continue operating.”
In the press release, though, Beck minces no words:
Best Liquors has continually thwarted the law. For far too long, Best Liquors has been endangering our children through the illegal sale and distribution of alcohol. They need to be put out of business once and for all.”
And Ashes is skating around the No Smoking law by being licensed as a 'cigar bar' or whatever. It is a restaurant, bar (meat market), and dance club where the smoke is so suffocating, it would be a nice place to take Ms. Beck………..Sunny should forget about liquor, and open an adult book store. That would make them have to start all over again in their campaign to shut him down. He owns the building. I hope he stays open. He was ripped off and betrayed by a trusted employee, and ,yes, mistakes were made, but this is nothing but harassment of a minority business owner. Maybe if his customers start patronizing stores on the East side of town the powers that be would be happier?????? I wish they could afford to.
Minority issue…come on now, think where he is located within a culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhood.
As for Ashes, it is optional if you want to enter into that establishment or not, however, as homeowners in this neighborhood we should not be subjected to the crap that gravitates to that establishment!
The only way to stop the noise, etc. at Best Liquors is if the patrons learn how to be quiet and behave. Sunny is not their parent. It would be that way no matter who owned the place. And I was referring to the minority status of the shop owner, not the neighborhood. The 'crap' that gravitates to that establishment are your neighbors, so really, that is who you have a beef with. Sunny gets the blame for the behavior of his customers. Where else would that be tolerated?
I concur, Sunny is not their parent and if they are making liquor purchases, by all means, you know they are adults.
Let's look at this realistically. This is not an ethnicity issue. It is a quality of life issue. There is NO need for a liquor store in a residential area. That building which has housed over the years "convenience" type stores for back when the average household had one car, the lady of the house stayed home and it was convenient for her to walk to the store to get what she needed for her home. I have family roots from this neighborhood that shopped there when it was that type of establishment.
Do you honestly think it is fair that we have to endure the noise, litter and antics? Many years ago, my brother had owned a home across the street from that store, each night he came home from work, strapped on his leafblower and proceeded to blow all the litter back to where it came from? How about the other homeowners, do you think it is fair to sit on their porches listening to loud music, vulgar language, looking at litter, loitering and other unappealing public displays?
Ms. Beck, thank you for pro-active involvement in this ongoing quality of life issue on the West Side. We can all agree that with your vigilant support and input, the highly impacted residents will receive relief from this on-going problem. Your statement "Without question, Best Liquors has displayed neither the RESPONSIBILITY nor the RESPECT of the law to be allowed to continue operating" says it all. Best Liquors continual disregard for the New Jersey ABC laws in light of the neighborhood's complaints and local law enforecements constant pressure, is evidence to it's owners complacency and disregard. Resolving this ongoing problem is long overdue. Thank You for your support.
Patti, get your facts straight. Sonny the "owner" was charged with selling alcohol to a 15yr. old and a 16yr. old. How can you say "if they are making puchases, by all means, you know they are adults". Have you any knowlwdge of this case to even be making any comment? The business wouldn't even have had it's licence revoked if they hadn't been caught selling to minors over and over again. As the owner of a liquor license you have a responsibility to obey ABC laws. To own a liquor license in New Jersey its a PRIVLIDGE not a RIGHT.
There are no people sitting on there porches because the only people close by are mostly renters and not home owners and they dont care