North Adams Saloon Told to Shape Up After Violent Incidents
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The License Board is giving the Crystal Hardhat Saloon 30 days to clean up its act after rash of violent incidents at the Canal Street bar.
"We're not here to pull your license. We're here to work on this," said Chairman Jeffrey Polucci. "Some of the things mentioned here are disturbing, certainly the underage service. What I see is a lot of violence and a rampant amount of overservice. ...
"This is a real problem in my opinion."
Owner Todd Hebert said a permanent solution may be in the offing: turning the bar into an antiques shop.
"We go in front of Planning Board on April 11," he told the board on Tuesday. If it's approved, "We will close the doors."
He later added of the saloon's problems, "We're tired of it."
The problems apparently increased over the past several months when Hebert had not been regularly present because of ill health.
Police Director Michael Cozzaglio and Sgt. Toby Randall presented the board with a thick stack of reports that included a melee with more than two dozen participants that had spilled outside the bar in the wee hours and that an officer stumbled upon; an assault that started inside and ended outside the bar that police found out about after the victim was taken to the emergency department; and the arrest of a driver and two passengers who were highly intoxicated and said they had come from the Crystal.
"These are what are bringing us here today, these types of calls," Cozzaglio said. "There's gang activity, gang members who are patronizing this location, underage drinking, overservice. ... After the fact, police are trying to clean up the mess."
Hebert blamed an influx of out-of-towners, mainly from Pittsfield, who were attracted by the dance floor and the hip hop and contemporary music being played. He said he's switched to country and Southern rock and seen attendance drop significantly. He's also limited access beginning at 1 a.m. to prevent people coming in at last call.
"We're trying to do all this stuff. It's only been the last couple months the kids from Pittsfield have been coming up," he said. "It's been trouble after trouble ... there's a group that's been starting a lot of stuff."
The board was unconvinced it was just Pittsfield troublemakers. Board member Peter Breen said of the 46 incidents provided by the police, the vast majority were North Adams names. "I see two or three from Pittsfield," he said.
Cozzaglio said the Jan. 30 melee resulted in four arrests and included a 20-year-old woman who claimed she and her friends were served and not carded.
"The reason they come to the bar is because they get served," he said.
Randall said a major issue was that bartenders were not notifying police about incidents; rather officers were coming upon fights and other problems that posed a danger to them and the public. He referenced a vicious assault this month in which a witness specifically stated he had told the bartender what was happening but she had not informed the police.
"We want to be notified," he said. "It was clear the bartender was told but they never contacted us."
Hebert objected that his doorman carded everyone and that his staff had been told to contact police for any problems, pointing out they had called one night as soon as they learned a group of rowdies was heading from Key West to the Crystal.
"We have a doorman who cards everybody at the door," he said. "They can say they came from anywhere, that doesn't mean they came from my bar ... if you don't have an ID, you don't get in the door."
Cozzaglio said that was not happening, and might be attributed to Hebert's recent absence.
"Nothing good happens after midnight and the lion's share of your problems happen after midnight," he said.
Board member Rosemari Dickinson suggested having the bar close earlier, as had been done with the Artery Lounge a few years ago.
Hebert said that would put him out of business because his clientele went out late.
"If you shut me down at midnight, you might as well take away my livelihood," he said. Despite his plans to open an antiques center, he said he needed the revenue over the next month or to pay for the building.
They also discussed hiring a police detail, which Hebert said would be too costly, and the security camera system. All agreed it was a good system but Cozzaglio said there had been technical issues in trying to get some of the video. Hebert said the network had been fixed and it might be a matter of training people on how to use it. He did ask if an officer could speak to his staff, feeling that it would impress the importance of proper serving and maintaining communication with police. Cozzaglio said it could be arranged.
The board determined it would give Hebert 30 days to institute changes providing he maintained the camera system and made recordings available to police; and that the doorman is trained or replaced.
Failing that, Polucci warned that the bar would have its hours clipped and might forced to pay for a police detail to remain open.
Hebert wasted no time in setting ground rules, posting on the saloon's Facebook page that troublemakers were not welcome.
"We are taking our bar back. We are a local bar and we'll stay that way," the post stated. "There will be lots of new changes and if u [sic] don't like them don't come. To all the good people out there come and feel safe again."
Tags: alochol licenses, bars, taverns, license board, underage drinking,
