Drinkers win another hour

By George P. Hassett

     Revelers in Somerville were granted another hour to imbibe their favorite spirits Sept. 26 when the city’s Licensing Board granted four establishments the right to serve alcohol until 2:00 a.m.
     “I’m very excited to get this license. It was a difficult decision for the board, but I think they made the right decision,” said Kenneth Kelly, proprietor of The Independent and Toast who, in addition to PJ Ryan’s and Good Time Emporium were the recipients of the first 2:00 a.m. licenses in the city. The licenses permit the establishments to serve alcohol past 1:00 a.m. only two days a week.

     Several residents of the same Union Square neighborhood that is home to Toast and the Independent came out to speak in support of Kelly’s request.
     “Ken is committed to the entire neighborhood, not just his own business. He lives right up the street. His motivation to get this license was to help build up business throughout the square not just at Toast and The Independent,” said Mimi Graney, a neighborhood resident.
       The Licensing Board, which consists of Raymond Trant, Vito Vaccaro and John McKenna, voted 2 to 1 down the line in favor of granting the license. Vaccaro was the lone dissenting vote each time.
       “I think we’re going out onto a slippery slope here. What do we say when the other bars come to us and want to stay open until 2:00 a.m.? How do we say no? When does it stop?” he said.
       Ward 3 Alderman Thomas F. Taylor governs the neighborhood that Toast and the Independent are in and said each part of the city was not ready for bars with 2:00 a.m. licenses.
       “Maybe we should have all the 2:00 bars in one neighborhood that can handle the later closing hour. What is important is that the quality of life in these neighborhoods remains unharmed,” he said.
       Although Kelly said he would increase security if granted the license, several neighborhood residents attended the meeting to argue against the extension.
       John Butler lives on a street abutting Union Square and said he has already been disturbed by patrons of area barrooms.
       “They get out of the barrooms at 1:00. They yak and yak until 1:30. Then at 2:00, they fly up Stone  Avenue so fast, you’d think it was a raceway. One night I looked out my window to see drunks fighting each other, a girl running around with her shirt off. It was just insanity,” he said.
       But Kelly said he runs a safe bar and his establishment has never had any violations from any city office or board.
       “We know it is a great responsibility to be the first recipients of this 2:00 a.m. license. We will treat it as such. If I find the patrons are not respecting the neighborhood I will close the parking lot to discourage out of towners from coming in and seriously consider going back to a 1:00 a.m. closing time,” he said.