A year and a half ago I participated lightly in this protest against the local neighborhood hookah lounge, here and here. I went to the city of Tempe's city council meeting and listened to a series of people who streamed up to make their case for and against the lounge. In the end, the city council ruled against the Hookah for very technical reasons. The Hookah owner's lawyer who was there representing the owner's interest didn't seem very smart to me, making very unconvincing arguments.
Well, one of the arguments made by the Hookah owner was that if he was forced to leave, what would occupy that location in his place? He suggested something even more undesirable like say a payday loan business. Hmm... Well, after the ruling, I noticed that his business continued to operate, but driving by it the other day, I noticed that not only was his business not there, but in its place was a payday loan business. Unbelievable. It got me thinking if this was an improvement.
What do you think? Would you rather have Hookah in your neighborhood or one more PayDay Loan establishment? What would you rather have your high school age child walking by as they make their way to school (it's literally across the street from Tempe High School).
And really, the entire corner is blighted. The Walgreen's that used to be there moved across the street leaving an abandoned shell. There are a few stored in that mini-strip mall, an underrated Mexican restaurant my wife and I enjoyed a few times, but its really, truly an eye sore.
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On other topics, today I started no less than four books. Do you think I'll finish all of them, hah, doubtful. I am still reading two others currently. But two of the books are books written by family ancestors, another was written by my neighbor and still another was a book I received for Christmas.
In one of the books, I learned that my Great Great Grandfather (though my father's mother's line) owned slaves. This is probably something I should have known. Anyway, not too long ago I was reading an essay I wrote for a college English class about heritage. It was written by an African American and it was about her rejection of her past. I made this pretty big statement in the essay disparaging my ancestors for being the slave owners. I was being dramatic thinking really this was untrue. Anyway, today I found out I was completely accurate in that college essay of mine.
By the way, here's the quote in my essay (I got a B+ on the essay by the way, and re-reading now I have to say it was pretty good overall, but it ended really badly and this is the worse part of it - let it be said).
"To me, my history consists mainly of stories about unfamiliar people quite different than me. Further, my culture to me is not unlike the rapists who complete abuses another's life just to satisfy his own selfish desires. Instead of thinking about the injustices my ancestors inflicted upon an entire culture, I desperately attempt to form a life completely devoid of prejudice and hatred. Instaed of remembering how my ancestors succeeded, I can only ponder upon the mistakes they unfortunately made."
This entire quote is almost completely untrue. My family moved to the farthest corner of the universe (Yuma, AZ) when I was five years old, and we barely ventured out of that spot most of my life. I never developed relationships with extended family and never really got to know my ancestor's stories in any way beyond the few anecdotes my dad would tell me about growing up in Phoenix. My history consists of stories about unfamiliar people quite different from me not because of any conscious decision on my part, but because I had no emotional connection with my past. I simply had no way of really getting there from here.
I guess I've tried since to make those connections and I'm trying again.
Anyway, here's the quote about my slave owner ancestors (I apologize in advance for the now offensive language in it - but this is how they talked back then):
"Pa was born and raised on a plantation down in the deep south near Macon, Georgia. This was before the Civil War and they had colored slaves, but were always very kind to them, and from what they said almost made them a part of their family. In fact, when Pa was born his mother had no milk for him to nurse, so he had a colored mammy. It was the custom in those days if the mother didn't have nurse for her baby and there was a colored woman on the plantation who had a baby and she had sufficient milk then she would take the white baby and nurse him and was called his or her mammy. So Pa always said his colored mammy saved his life and he grew to love her very dearly. Even as a child growing up and as a man he always called her his mammy. I have often heard him say, 'If I ever get to Heaven and don't find my colored mammy there I will be very unhappy.'"
Let it be said also, that "Pa" in this story joined the Mormon church from missionaries teaching in the deep south when it was very risk to be doing so. He and his family made a pretty major sacrifice to get to Showlow Arizona. And one of "Pa's" daughters later married a man named Ivan who gave birth to my dad. The author of this book, incidentally, is my Grandmother's sister. I just only recently received this book from very kind lady who goes to my local ward congregation.
Showing posts with label Hookah Lounge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hookah Lounge. Show all posts
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Thursday, September 11, 2008
More Hookah Lounge Business
Well, I posted about a Hookah lounge that was operating in a Walgreen's shopping center here. I'm a little confused on the details, but I think at the hearing they allowed the owner of the lounge to expand his license to include smoking? I'm not sure the details...
At any rate the president of a local neighborhood association appealed the decision and tonight they had an open forum to allow all those with an interest to make the case. I was not going to go. To be honest, I was a little lukewarm about the issue. My major concern was actually addressed: the owner was not going to open his operations until 7pm. I figured that he already had legal permission to operate the business because he was operating before the law prohibiting such establishments near a school had been passed.
However, a very passionate woman that attends my church who lives in the neighborhood of the association he submitted the appeal, called me this morning encouraging me to come. How could I tell her no, so I came, and I'm glad I did because it was pretty interesting.
This issue completely comes down to how you feel about laws that prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants. Tempe passed a pretty comprehensive law a few years ago prohibiting such things. Well, the owner of this Hookah lounge assumed that hookah was really not smoking. In 2006, he was allowed to operate his business as long as he was only selling hookah not having people actually sitting in the establishment smoking it.
However, he was cited a year or so back with violating this provision, and as a result, he was petitioning the city council to allow him to expand his license to allow him to actually operate the Hookah lounge as a Hookah lounge.
It was as simple as that, actually, and that was all the mayor and the council really needed to hear.
But, of course, it was an open agenda, and the owner of the lounge got to petition his case, the president of the neighborhood association gave his statement. A few people who frequent the lounge, a business owner who operates his business next to the lounge made an appeal to keep it open.
Many neighbors, and most notably some passionate anti-smoking activists got up to give their rant.
But it all seemed superfluous, and actually, made this particular meeting really long.
In the end, the appeal was sustained, and the hookah lounge was transformed into a hookah store.
Am I happy with the result? A little mixed, actually. The owner seemed pretty sincere and honest. He has only been in the country for a short time, and this seemed to be partially a clash of cultures.
I do understand and really appreciate the anti-smoking arguments. How, we can't keep letting people slide around the law. We need to make a firm stand. One man, actually, came up attached to an oxygen tank, presumably earned through long years of smoking.
And apparently, there have been some studies indicating Hookah smoking is potentially even more harmful than normal cigarette smoking, but what do I know.
Did I get up to speak? Of course not... If I would have, I would have been inclined to propose some sort of compromise. Allow the establishment to operate, but maybe propose a new location further away from the school. Or perhaps allow it to stay as long as there was some way to hide the fact that it was a smoking lounge.
In the end, though, having a smoking lounge or a bar or any thing along those lines jammed right up next to a high school just doesn't seem like the way to go, so I have to say, I am happy with the result.
By the way, attending this meeting helps me understand why I do not have political ambitions. The tediousness of the meeting just makes me want to scream. They had the agenda all typed out for everyone to read, but our mayor still had to read through every last bullet out loud to everyone. All 50 or so items? Really?
Could I ever imagine PayPal being so formal? Why all the formality? Honestly, I really don't get it...
At any rate the president of a local neighborhood association appealed the decision and tonight they had an open forum to allow all those with an interest to make the case. I was not going to go. To be honest, I was a little lukewarm about the issue. My major concern was actually addressed: the owner was not going to open his operations until 7pm. I figured that he already had legal permission to operate the business because he was operating before the law prohibiting such establishments near a school had been passed.
However, a very passionate woman that attends my church who lives in the neighborhood of the association he submitted the appeal, called me this morning encouraging me to come. How could I tell her no, so I came, and I'm glad I did because it was pretty interesting.
This issue completely comes down to how you feel about laws that prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants. Tempe passed a pretty comprehensive law a few years ago prohibiting such things. Well, the owner of this Hookah lounge assumed that hookah was really not smoking. In 2006, he was allowed to operate his business as long as he was only selling hookah not having people actually sitting in the establishment smoking it.
However, he was cited a year or so back with violating this provision, and as a result, he was petitioning the city council to allow him to expand his license to allow him to actually operate the Hookah lounge as a Hookah lounge.
It was as simple as that, actually, and that was all the mayor and the council really needed to hear.
But, of course, it was an open agenda, and the owner of the lounge got to petition his case, the president of the neighborhood association gave his statement. A few people who frequent the lounge, a business owner who operates his business next to the lounge made an appeal to keep it open.
Many neighbors, and most notably some passionate anti-smoking activists got up to give their rant.
But it all seemed superfluous, and actually, made this particular meeting really long.
In the end, the appeal was sustained, and the hookah lounge was transformed into a hookah store.
Am I happy with the result? A little mixed, actually. The owner seemed pretty sincere and honest. He has only been in the country for a short time, and this seemed to be partially a clash of cultures.
I do understand and really appreciate the anti-smoking arguments. How, we can't keep letting people slide around the law. We need to make a firm stand. One man, actually, came up attached to an oxygen tank, presumably earned through long years of smoking.
And apparently, there have been some studies indicating Hookah smoking is potentially even more harmful than normal cigarette smoking, but what do I know.
Did I get up to speak? Of course not... If I would have, I would have been inclined to propose some sort of compromise. Allow the establishment to operate, but maybe propose a new location further away from the school. Or perhaps allow it to stay as long as there was some way to hide the fact that it was a smoking lounge.
In the end, though, having a smoking lounge or a bar or any thing along those lines jammed right up next to a high school just doesn't seem like the way to go, so I have to say, I am happy with the result.
By the way, attending this meeting helps me understand why I do not have political ambitions. The tediousness of the meeting just makes me want to scream. They had the agenda all typed out for everyone to read, but our mayor still had to read through every last bullet out loud to everyone. All 50 or so items? Really?
Could I ever imagine PayPal being so formal? Why all the formality? Honestly, I really don't get it...
Monday, May 19, 2008
Hookah Lounge
Sunday I found out through a member of my church that a public hearing was taking place to allow a Hookah lounge to operate across the street from Tempe High School, just down the block from where we live. It's item number 3 on the May 20th agenda.
The letter I wrote to the mayor, Tempe City Council, and those running in tomorrow's election is below (unfortunately I spelled Joel Navarro's name wrong and he didn't get it). Hut Hutson and Julie Jakubek actually responded back, funny since they are actually running tomorrow. Hut, the only incumbent running, promised he would look into it. I hope he does.
Dear esteemed Mayor, Tempe City Council, and those running for City Council:
I am a concerned resident in the city of Tempe in the neighborhood between Mill Avenue and the railroad tracks south of Alameda Dr. Our family has two young children, ages three and five and attend church with families who also live in the surrounding neighborhoods some of whom have children attending Tempe High.
It has come to my attention that the business HB is applying for a permit to operate a Hookah Lounge in the Walgreen's shopping center across the street from Tempe High school. The business also intends to extend operations from 3pm to 2am, opening its business just as the Tempe High School will be releasing its students from classes.
I am concerned because I frequent this shopping center often. The corner restaurant, El Penasco, is a local favorite for our family, and we sometimes walk their to frequent it and other businesses in the plaza.
About four years ago, we were looking to buy a house in the area. We did not want to follow the trend of many of my friends who were buying brand new houses on the outskirts of town. We chose Tempe because we love Tempe. We bought an old house in an old neighborhood because we liked the amenities of the city. However, one of the distinct disadvantages of being in this part of the city for us is the number of tobacco type shops close by. There are three, including this one that we could literally walk to from our house.
Much more important, having such a shop right across the street from a high school is a direct violation of city law. And for them to operate such a shop at 3pm so close to the hours of operation of a high school just violates common sense. I do understand the shop was operating before the city law to ban such establishments was in place, but the law was passed for a reason, and common sense needs to dictate in this case.
I strongly urge all on this list who have the power to limit operations of such establishments to locations not near our schools, and they especially should not be allowed to open as students are walking nearby.
One final note, I am a concerned and informed Tempe resident. I have researched those running for city council this Tuesday and I am planning to vote. I am generally excited at the direction Tempe is currently going, but I definitely want to see neighborhoods like mine looked after to ensure a safe, family friendly environment for all who reside here.
I appreciate your time on this matter.
UPDATE:
I was not able to attend the meeting that happened today at 1:30pm, but I did get an update from Ben Arrendondo, one of the councilman I e-mailed. His staff member called me personally and told me the request was approved and gave me a little more background:
HB, the company in question, opened its establishment in 2006 before the city ordinance was passed.
Local neighborhood residents complained to the city about this establishment being literally across the street from Tempe High school, and as a result of their complaint, they got the city to pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale of tobacco within so many yards of a school.
HB was able to remain open in their current location as long as they only sold tobacco products, not smoke them. Well, they've been smoking before the ordinance and since, and recently found to be in violation. Today they submitted a request to get an allowance for smoking. It was approved because they were able to show they were that type of establishment even before the city ordinance was passed.
The lady who called me was not aware of the change in the time they would be open, but I'm supposed to get a call back tomorrow.
I now have fourteen days to appeal the approval if I'm so inclinded. I'm currently in contact of my neighbors to assess their feelings.
I appreciate the comments in the post about Hookah lounges in general. However, I do feel that repetitive exposure to certain products has an effect on behavior. I think this is why businesses blast commercials at us constantly trying to get us to partake in their product. Its why tobacco companies can no longer advertise on television. Tobacco is an incredibly addictive and harmful substance. High school kids are not mature enough to really make good decisions about tobacco largely. I know many people now addicted to tobacco all because of stupid decisions made in high school.
I do not feel there's anything we can do about the Hookah lounge now, but I'm hoping a compromise decision can be reached. Where they at least are not allowed to open business until 7pm.
The letter I wrote to the mayor, Tempe City Council, and those running in tomorrow's election is below (unfortunately I spelled Joel Navarro's name wrong and he didn't get it). Hut Hutson and Julie Jakubek actually responded back, funny since they are actually running tomorrow. Hut, the only incumbent running, promised he would look into it. I hope he does.
Dear esteemed Mayor, Tempe City Council, and those running for City Council:
I am a concerned resident in the city of Tempe in the neighborhood between Mill Avenue and the railroad tracks south of Alameda Dr. Our family has two young children, ages three and five and attend church with families who also live in the surrounding neighborhoods some of whom have children attending Tempe High.
It has come to my attention that the business HB is applying for a permit to operate a Hookah Lounge in the Walgreen's shopping center across the street from Tempe High school. The business also intends to extend operations from 3pm to 2am, opening its business just as the Tempe High School will be releasing its students from classes.
I am concerned because I frequent this shopping center often. The corner restaurant, El Penasco, is a local favorite for our family, and we sometimes walk their to frequent it and other businesses in the plaza.
About four years ago, we were looking to buy a house in the area. We did not want to follow the trend of many of my friends who were buying brand new houses on the outskirts of town. We chose Tempe because we love Tempe. We bought an old house in an old neighborhood because we liked the amenities of the city. However, one of the distinct disadvantages of being in this part of the city for us is the number of tobacco type shops close by. There are three, including this one that we could literally walk to from our house.
Much more important, having such a shop right across the street from a high school is a direct violation of city law. And for them to operate such a shop at 3pm so close to the hours of operation of a high school just violates common sense. I do understand the shop was operating before the city law to ban such establishments was in place, but the law was passed for a reason, and common sense needs to dictate in this case.
I strongly urge all on this list who have the power to limit operations of such establishments to locations not near our schools, and they especially should not be allowed to open as students are walking nearby.
One final note, I am a concerned and informed Tempe resident. I have researched those running for city council this Tuesday and I am planning to vote. I am generally excited at the direction Tempe is currently going, but I definitely want to see neighborhoods like mine looked after to ensure a safe, family friendly environment for all who reside here.
I appreciate your time on this matter.
UPDATE:
I was not able to attend the meeting that happened today at 1:30pm, but I did get an update from Ben Arrendondo, one of the councilman I e-mailed. His staff member called me personally and told me the request was approved and gave me a little more background:
HB, the company in question, opened its establishment in 2006 before the city ordinance was passed.
Local neighborhood residents complained to the city about this establishment being literally across the street from Tempe High school, and as a result of their complaint, they got the city to pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale of tobacco within so many yards of a school.
HB was able to remain open in their current location as long as they only sold tobacco products, not smoke them. Well, they've been smoking before the ordinance and since, and recently found to be in violation. Today they submitted a request to get an allowance for smoking. It was approved because they were able to show they were that type of establishment even before the city ordinance was passed.
The lady who called me was not aware of the change in the time they would be open, but I'm supposed to get a call back tomorrow.
I now have fourteen days to appeal the approval if I'm so inclinded. I'm currently in contact of my neighbors to assess their feelings.
I appreciate the comments in the post about Hookah lounges in general. However, I do feel that repetitive exposure to certain products has an effect on behavior. I think this is why businesses blast commercials at us constantly trying to get us to partake in their product. Its why tobacco companies can no longer advertise on television. Tobacco is an incredibly addictive and harmful substance. High school kids are not mature enough to really make good decisions about tobacco largely. I know many people now addicted to tobacco all because of stupid decisions made in high school.
I do not feel there's anything we can do about the Hookah lounge now, but I'm hoping a compromise decision can be reached. Where they at least are not allowed to open business until 7pm.
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