Bear Butte ~ Sturgis County Line Bar has new owner

I have spoken with the States Attorney and the Meade County Commissioners Office again this morning. There will be a CLOSED legal hearing on April 24th at 8:15, this will be for the legal council and the MCC only. It appears they will not be conducting a "public hearing" for us to make statements or address any concerns and/or issues. I am still gong to try to get my statement included, in regards to my direct conversation with these new owners, and their conflicting stories about how this new ownership came about.

Will keep you all posted as we go.

In peace & solidarity,
Tamra

County Line Bar has new owner
By Bill Cissell, Meade County Times editor Monday, April 14, 2008
36 comment(s) Normal Size Increase font Size


A Fourth Circuit Court decision Monday approved a change of ownership for the County Line Bar, subject to approval by the Meade County Commission.

But critics of former owner Jay Allen said Monday they were surprised and dismayed by the court’s decision and pledged to challenge the process again before the county commission.

“I’m very shocked that the judge made this decision, so quickly,” Bear Butte resident Tamra Brennan said. “I think this is really quite convenient that all of a sudden Jay Allen has sold or went into partnership with another company at the same time all this was going on, to avoid the revocation of the alcohol permit.”

In December, the commissioners rejected the renewal application for an on-sale liquor license of current bar owner, Jay Allen, citing character issues. A number of local contractors that did work for Allen at his bar north of Bear Butte, claimed Allen had not paid them.

The new owner, Joe Murphy and Target Logistics, Boston, Mass., said they had a binding agreement with Allen to assume majority ownership of Allen’s holdings in Sturgis; Laconia, N.H., and Daytona, Fla., which would take effect on or about May 1.

According to Meade County Assistant State’s Attorney Ken Chleborad, the county decision would take at least three weeks. He said the county would have to have a meeting to set a hearing date, publish that date and then wait for at least 10 days before holding the hearing.

Brennan, founder of Protect Sacred Sites, Indigenous People One Nation, said she was stunned that a scheduled two-day court hearing was over in less than half a day. Nancy Hilding of Black Hawk, a spokeswoman for the Prairie Hills Chapter of the Audubon Society, said the court seemed to be “legislative from the bench.”

“If a government entity refuses to reissue a license because of character concerns, they find another owner and the county has to look at its refusal to reissue? You’re allowing everybody who gets their license yanked the ability to appeal, go out and find a new owner and get another chance.”

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/04/14/news/local/doc480373d52c5cb268862705.txt



In peace & solidarity,
Tamra
www.protectsacredsites.org
http://bearbutte.blogspot.com/

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"