Mary Littlejohn
As standard procedure, Mayor Rob Ware opened the floor for public comment following the call to order, and Haney was the first to rise and speak.
Haney told council members that following Monday’s meeting, about 30 citizens gathered at the Haney home and formed a Cave Spring citizens committee.
“A number of citizens were quite dissatisfied and very disappointed in the actions of the council members of this city,” he told council members. “We feel that in many instances, members use their decisions not in the best interest of the city but by making decisions based on personal whim, personal feeling. And that’s inappropriate; it’s not good for city government.”
Haney said based on a long course of patterns of action, the citizens felt the inappropriate behavior had risen to an intolerable level and that Littlejohn had unfairly targeted the Waterclub.
“We are moving forth a petition to enact a resolution, a referendum to remove Councilwoman Mary Littlejohn from her post as city councilwoman,” he said. “State law defines exactly what must be done. It’s long, it’s drawn out, and I want everyone to know this plays out in a public forum.”
The City Council decided in a 3 to 1 vote Monday to suspend the alcohol license of the Waterclub, a local restaurant, for three days.
Littlejohn and Councilman Ken Landers said Monday that on more than one occasion they witnessed the violation of three ordinances that state the restaurant cannot advertise their sale of alcohol outside, that customers cannot consume alcohol outside and that the restaurant cannot serve alcohol after 10 p.m.
Citizens felt, Haney said, that there was no concrete evidence that the Waterclub violated the ordinances.
“Yesterday was a hearing about supposed city ordinance violations from the Waterclub, and there was no evidence of any of it,” Haney said after the meeting. “Our feeling was it was personal, and this sort of thing goes on all the time in this little town by some of the members of City Council.”
At the citizens committee meeting, Haney said participating locals came to the conclusion that “the actions of Councilwoman Littlejohn have been so egregious that they violated a number of things pertaining to the conduct of her office. We voted in our committee to move forward with a petition of recall to remove her from office.”
Haney declined to go into detail about what Littlejohn allegedly did in the weeks leading up to the Waterclub’s alcohol license suspension, saying that it could only be discussed in a public forum.
Attempts to reach Littlejohn, who left immediately following the meeting, for comment were unsuccessful, but Ware said it was the citizens’ right to initiate a recall if they felt it was necessary.
“It’s up to the people to pursue this, and however it turns out, it turns out,” he said.
Littlejohn was the only council member up for election last year who faced a challenger, and she was returned to office with a 53-33 vote.
Ware said he was considering vetoing the council’s decision concerning the restaurant and has until Friday to make a decision.
In other business:
The City Council approved unanimously the purchase of a jackhammer for the water department for $1,050. The water department’s jackhammer was stolen years ago, Ware said.
“We need one because we have to rent them now, and we need to get a good quality jackhammer,” he said.
In final action, Nancy Boehm, chairwoman of the Downtown Development Authority, asked the council to provide funds for the Cave Spring Welcome Center and Museum in order to make it disabled accessible and to repair the bathroom.
This would include adding handrails to the porch as well as building a ramp.
Boehm told council members the center’s bathroom floor caved in, and a wall fell out. The other walls, she said, had suffered years of water damage.
The council unanimously approved taking $4,500 from the motel/hotel tax, and the contractor who will do the repairs will be Jesse Hamrick.
Click here to see a previous report about the Waterclub’s alcohol license.
In Oregon, a state representative is being intimidated and harassed by a local community watch group for introducing a bill that bans "Neigborhood Watch" members from carrying assault rifles and wearing camouflage outfits during neighborhood patrols (It was apparently scaring the neighborhood children).
In Arkansas a drunk guy shot himself in the foot with a perfectly good rifle and is now trying to sue the gun manufacturer for not putting a special warning label in the operator's instructions warning of the dangers of operating a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.
bye.
The Meyers ............ admitted that they had a chalkboard sign outside that did advertise their sale of wine and beer.
“When that was brought to our attention, we brought that inside immediately,” Jeff Meyers told the council. “Certainly, that was out front, but you won’t see it again.”
Landers brought up an incident on June 23 when he saw six to eight people sitting outside at about 10:30 p.m. with wine glasses at their table.
Landers went inside and told the Meyers they were violating another ordinance.
Jeff Meyers said after that night, a sign was put near the door telling customers, “Please, no alcohol outside.”
And yet, here, in this story, "Citizens felt, Haney said, that there was no concrete evidence that the Waterclub violated the ordinances"
----- BUT WAIT A MINUTE ----
I guess ADMITTING to a violation does not constitute "concrete evidence"... so yes Please OUST Landers and Littlejohn (and the third unnamed council person who voted to suspend the license) since they are all obviously crazy, are making up lies, and have no "concrete evidence" of any violations (in spite of the fact that the owners admitted to at least two violations).
(My guess is that money will win over morality - it usually does).
(My guess is that money will win over morality - it usually does).
In this last election, Littlejohn was opposed by a newcomer (R. Francois) who hardly campaigned. The council did NOT hold a town hall meeting for the two opponents to speak. Result: only 83 people voted. Francois took appx 60 votes. Littlejohn's support was not strong -- but was strong enough.
This recall approach is democracy at work.
I prefer debate with folks with names. That's moral courage. Monday night, CSM Eric Haney, a veteran of every war this country has seen since Vietnam, set a new example for Cave Spring. He stood up publicly and politely, graciously explained the reasons a citizens group intended to take action. That's called moral courage. Disagree with the action if you like. But do it under your name and with reason. Not emotion.