Miss Sass, before I go into my tirade, please know that your mayoral run is a brilliant idea I support. The best ideas for Muskegon in my five years as a citizen of this metropolis have emerged from Watermark 920, Fricanos Event Center, the Schaafsma's at Red Lotus Gallery, and that guy with the glasses doing music Wednesdays at West Side Inn. You might run unopposed and a small number of votes could make it your job. The commission talks about an appointment and I hope they have the good sense to try a new face.
I'll be very frank. I have passed four beautiful summers writing, listening to music and drinking Jose Cuervo margaritas at sundown at CJs on the Beach. All of the writers took their summer cocktails out there: Bill Iddings, Tracy Lorenz, even that famous author from the Netherlands with the relative on Norton Shores city council. Given an opportunity to extend 16 grand credit to a hard working couple and their daughter, the city commission voted in unison to deny the credit and deny the CJ's team a recommendation towards a summer liquor license. I think Major Warmington abstained from the vote and resigned from the post of Mayor in the same meeting. Wow.
So much for the Marine Tap Room serving as the western city hall. I am sure those members of the Harbour Towne Yacht Club who share the bar with Hizzoner love the man. I've talked with him and he seemed a solid guy. I admired how Bike Week ends with the Mayor's Ride out to the sand mountain of Mount Garfield. However, Warmington would probably be elected to state representative or another position if he knew how to give a speech or run a political campaign. Honestly, how could the man have managed to sport that great mane of hair and not have any power of elocution?
Let's see. Marine Tap Room received a five grand grant for facade improvements. Summer Celebration ran credit balances several years running because the festival is our billboard event on the edge of Lansing. Having a beach bar where Harley riders could wait for the ferry to Milwaukee might also be a regional draw and worth preserving. With the inevitable legal wrangling at the time it takes to transfer a liquor license, I doubt we'll see an open door at the erstwhile Captain Jack's this summer.
So this summer has been scuttled at my favorite beach bar. So has Summer Celebration. I think I will go to the Muskegon Athletic Club and drown my sorrows. Oh, wait. Will this be the second summer without the MAC?
That's okay. The Russell Block should be open with all kinds of mixed use retail and Jillys and Sun Wind and Rain will be serving secret martinis to good shoppers. Oh. That's the past. Jilly has gone to Pentwater and last I heard, the owner of Sun, Wind and Rain has taken her handmaid jewelry to fine art shows on the road. To my dear art dealer who opened an Art Cat in Petoskey: RUN! I think the Peltos have taken refuge on the shores of Lake Superior.
OK, business is business and bills must be paid but I have heard the city didn't properly bill the CJ's team. I also saw how well the family cared for the property, handled the volleyball net rentals and spent good hard cash on great deck entertainment, a full employment plan for Muskegon musicians. I also felt shock when Byron Mazade told MLive that CJ's was in default because the beach bar failed to open. That reminded me too much of a chess game.
The family who ran CJ's on the Beach were the city's partners, not an opponent. To come up only 16 grand short after several cold summers amazes me. I have heard the pirates were not as responsible. I haven't heard the whole story but there's a reason Captain Jack's changed the name to CJ's on the Beach.
I am a little tired of Muskegon restaurants vanishing with a final weekend and a thank you sign. One came to council to ask a small bit of assistance as was afforded cold comfort. A college frosh could handle the city better than the current squad.
No comments:
Post a Comment