Liquor Licensing

Feb 132012
 

Many liquor stores and establishments which sell liquor have been a hot topic among many people and even the Greenwood Village City council.

At the last meeting, a liquor store and restaurant’s liquor licenses where on the chopping block. A restaurant in the area sold alcohol to an undercover, who was also underage. The waiter for the two subjects did not ask for I.D., nor did the waitress who delivered the beverages. The situation got even worse for the first waiter when he had told not only the waitress but also his manager he checked both I.D’s. When is the main waiter had been spoken to by a Greenwood Village police officer, the waiter again lied, and said he checked the cards.

Should the business a whole be punished? Yes. Questions are raised as to if the waiter and waitress had been properly trained under TIPS, if they understood the training, and if they had not seen the sign clearly placed by the register.

The council and the restaurant came to an agreement on a stipulation for the restaurants lack in enforcing I.D. checks. The recommended stipulation is a 7 day suspension, with 3 days to be served, and 4 days to be held in abeyance for 1 year

My issue with the entire situation is this restaurant is less than a mile from Cherry Creek High School. A student could have easily entered the establishment, and may or may not be checked for an I.D. Or if this situation were to have happened between 10 A.M.-1 P.M., a student or multiple students’ lives could have been in danger.

This incident should serve as a warning to other restaurants that a simple age check on an idea can keep a restaurant out of trouble.

 

  •  Posted by on February 13, 2012 at 9:14 pm
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Dog Parks

Feb 122012
 

A recent idea among the Greenwood Village city council is to make some parks in the area into dog parks. This topic has caused a lot of stir from the public and a lot of interest at meetings.

If Greenwood Village were to make some of these parks into dog parks, they mentioned it would only be for a period of time during the day at any park. For example, from 5-8 at a specific park, the park would be home to off-leash dogs.

This off leash component of the idea is what I think makes people worry. Dogs off their leashes can be quite dangerous depending on the dog. If the council thinks this is a good idea, it should also consider the following:

1) Dogs make messes, and not all owners are the type to clean up after their dogs, making this a responsibility for the city.

2) Dogs off leashes are a potential threat to adults, children, and wildlife in the area.

3) Dogs are not only a danger to humans but also a danger to other dogs.

If the city council would like to make some parks in the area into dog parks, the time limit is a good idea. They should also consider the 3 potential hazards above, and they should alert the public around these parks who use them, by sending out a flier letting them know the park’s new change. I also think that signs should be put up around the parks saying the hours when dogs can be off their leashes, rules about letting your dog off its leash (such as picking up after it), and alerting citizens of the risks they face being around off leash dogs.

If I were to vote on this issue, I would vote yes for making a few parks into off leash dog parks as long as rules were put into place, hazards were considered by the board, and citizens were notified of the recent change. Dog parks can be a fun and rewarding addition to the city as long as these things and the safety of citizens are taken into account.

 

  •  Posted by on February 12, 2012 at 1:26 pm
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