The work of a community organizer is never done. As it turned out, when our neighborhood association defeated the zoning appeal of the local business in his attempt to open a nightclub in our neighborhood, he completely disregarded the result. He continued to run his nightclub much to the chagrin of the residents and even started a defamation law suit against our neighbor accusing her of making racist comments. For a while, my wife and I were thinking of the grin and bear it strategy though when fights broke out in front of the club, or traffic would be terribly backed up, we would sometimes call 911. If we ever saw someone flash a gun, we would immediately call of course from the shadows of our windows.

Then we discovered of another hearing that happened. I again went to city hall to bear witness as a neighbor to testify and a black neighbor also went so that as Asian and Black neighbors, we can make a unified appeal that his business is just keeping us up at night. The Baltimore Sun, our local newspaper went ahead and wrote an article of what happened. It just goes to show that persistence still matters. Another small victory, but if we can keep them up, maybe we can eventually make our neighborhood a more livable, peaceful one and raise our children in the city!

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.liquor30jan30,0,4555362.story

City liquor board fines TD Lounge owner $3,100
Inspector had been manhandled there during an investigation last year
By Brent Jones | brent.jones@baltsun.com
January 30, 2009

The city liquor board fined the owner of TD Lounge - formerly Timothy Dean Bistro - $3,100 yesterday after one of the board's inspectors was manhandled by restaurant security during an investigation last year.

Owner Timothy Dean acknowledged during the hearing that his security guards should not have physically kept the inspector from entering his business, in the 1700 block of Eastern Ave., during an early-morning private party Nov. 15. But a member of Dean's staff testified that the inspector did not immediately identify himself and appeared to be trying to avoid paying a $20 cover fee.

The inspector testified that he was escorted out of the front of the restaurant by three security guards, and he was not allowed to begin his investigation until Dean intervened.

"I think the fine is stiff for a first-time offender," Dean said.

Stephan Fogleman, the liquor board chairman, said accusations of threats or abuse against inspectors are taken seriously, and that "noncooperation cases are particularly troubling."

Liquor board commissioners also found the restaurant guilty of operating as a de facto dance club, which violates its zoning designation.

Dean turned the restaurant into a lounge in June, saying at the time that he was losing money as a high-end bistro because of the economy. The lounge was planned to be a jazz club that would stay open late, but a dispute with a neighborhood group occurred, and Dean was not granted the proper entertainment licensing on appeal.

The lounge serves moderately priced food until 1 a.m., and Dean charges a late-night cover on the weekends.

After liquor board investigators first visited Nov. 9 and warned Dean that a live disc jockey and dancing were in violation of his license, Dean said he reconfigured the second floor to make sure there was no room for his patrons to dance. Investigators returned the next weekend for a follow-up inspection when the incident occurred.

Dean said after the hearing that he is being unfairly targeted by city agencies and elected officials, in part, because he is a minority owner in a mostly white district.

City Councilman James B. Kraft said Dean is overstepping the limits of his license, and asked the restaurant owner to cancel an advertised event scheduled tomorrow night at the lounge. Kraft said he considers the event entertainment and would like Dean to show a "good-faith effort" to work with the community by canceling. Dean said he is going through with his plans.

Kraft said he has heard from many neighbors who have criticized the late-night noise and clublike lines outside the restaurant Fridays and Saturdays. He added that more would complain, but they fear Dean, who has a pending defamation lawsuit against a neighbor.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20081103/cm_csm/ycurley;_ylt=AlBI1Bci5DwWBvrflbL8_9YEtbAF

My wife made me canvass for Obama; here's what I learned

By Jonathan Curley – Mon Nov 3, 3:00 am ET

Charlotte, N.C. – There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better "ground game" and superior campaign organization.

I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I'm not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election.

Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again.

I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I'm white, 55, I live in the South and I'm definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins.

I am the dreaded swing voter.

So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told.

At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn't the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me.

Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood.

We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, "Who is it?"

"We're from the Obama campaign," we'd answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk.

Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time.

Young people came to the door rubbing sleep from their eyes to find out where they could vote early, to make sure their vote got counted.

We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day's work.

I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things."

It's not about taxes. I'm pretty sure mine are going to go up no matter who is elected.

It's not about foreign policy. I think we'll figure out a way to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan no matter which party controls the White House, mostly because the people who live there don't want us there anymore.

I don't see either of the candidates as having all the answers.

I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.

My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.

Jonathan Curley is a banker. He voted for George H.W. Bush twice and George W. Bush once.