Methuselah Ordered to Close Earlier for 'Late-Night Problems'
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Methuselah Bar and Lounge will be ordered to close an hour early for 30 days to curb "late-night problems."
The bar has been a frequent flier at the Licensing Board over the years, incurring a 30-day liquor license suspension in 2021, as well as two and five-day suspensions leading up to it. After Monday's hearing, which had been continued three times, board members voted for Methuselah to close at 11 p.m. for one month.
Owner Yuki Cohen indicated that she would be appealing the board's determination of over-serving alcohol, and the board afforded her that option before the penalty kicks in.
Board members voiced support for the business, but expressed concern about how often they see each other.
"You keep coming before us with issues. It just isn't good," Kathy Amuso, also an at-large city councilor, said.
The hearing was based on alleged incidents that occurred on June 13 and 14, in the late hours of the night and early morning.
On Friday, June 13, around 11:17 p.m., police observed a physical altercation in front of the 391 North St. bar, and multiple units responded. An arrest was made, and the commander of the evening shift spoke with bar security and took a headcount before leaving. The capacity was said to be around 60 people inside and more outside.
Police said they observed "clearly intoxicated" individuals who had come from Methuselah, and that almost the entire evening shift responded. Not long after the midnight shift began, officers were called back to the bar for a "large disturbance" outside.
"The individual that was placed under arrest and his associate, who were the aggressors and the ones that were belligerent upon my arrival, at one point were inside that bar," Lt. Marc Maddalena said about the first incident, reporting that the arrested parties said they drank at the lake, and not at Methuselah.
Cohen wanted to see the police's body camera footage before presenting her own surveillance video to the board. She requested the footage from the State Supervisor of Records, as well as the Police Department, which is bound by the Public Records Law because of ongoing investigation.
"The reason they can't produce it is that they're not allowed to produce it by law," Chair Thomas Campoli said.
"You're saying, 'I don't want to produce it. Let them prove what they prove, and I'm not going to give you anything.'"
The business owner insisted on the 14th Amendment, which ensures all people have equal protection under the law and due process. She has maintained that Methuselah did not violate its liquor license.
"When property like my liquor license, which is my property, and my livelihood, and the livelihood of the musicians and my staff and everybody depends on it, I would love to insist on the 14th Amendment that says, if you're going to take my property away, there has to be substantive proof," she said.
Cohen's stance didn't sit well with some board members.
"I said at the last meeting that I am troubled that you're not showing us the video. I heard your rights, but now we're up here, and we have to do our job based on what you are not giving us and what the police are telling us," Amuso said.
"And by you not giving us a video that I would think, based on what you're saying, what your staff said at the last meeting, it would exonerate you and Methuselah and your employees, and I think just the opposite, because you're not bringing it, and that's your right not to bring it."
Campoli pointed out that, over the years, Cohen has assured the board that she has a surveillance system that can be saved in the case of an incident and presented.
"I've been there myself. It's a wonderful establishment when things go well, but it seems to attract trouble; otherwise, you wouldn't be here as often as you have been, so this is a new defense for you. You didn't use this defense last fall," board member Jon Lifergren said, referencing a show-cause hearing in the fall of 2024.
"I understand you have new legal counsel, but for us to believe what you and your staff were telling us, we would have to disbelieve these officers, and for me, as it stands now, they've proved their case, and you haven't defended yourself. So, given last fall that you agreed to expand your video capabilities and preserve video, fast forward, a year later, you've done that, but won't provide it, for me, it just doesn't bode well for you at all now."
Board member Kevin Sherman said, speaking about collective incidents in or near the bar, "It's a rap sheet at this point," and continues to grow.
"Clearly something is happening there that is not great," he said.
"People enjoy the establishment. We've all said we enjoy the establishment, yet we continue to have issues there, and the word on the street in the City of Pittsfield is not a good reputation right now for safety there."
Cohen countered the statement, explaining that she runs a "really clean business" with extra security because of past incidents.
Sherman clarified that he very much wants the business to succeed and is relaying what he heard on the streets. He and board member Dennis Powell voted against finding Methuselah had overserved that night.
Sherman expressed that it was because of a lack of evidence. He later voted for Methuselah to close at 11 p.m. for 30 days. The penalty was originally on the table for 60 days.
Tags: license board, alcohol violation,
