LJWorld.com

Informed (Anonymous) says…

Excellent news! But now where will the bangers go?

Informed (Anonymous) says…

So this place can remain open while the appeal is going on?

ksdivakat (Anonymous) says…

anywhere but here hopefully!!! Now maybe the city can work on the granasty and then it would be safe to go downtown again on friday and saturday nights! That would be awesome!!!

GetItRight (Anonymous) says…

Released this morning? Not likely. What is going on Chad? KLWN had this story on at 6:30 this morning - right after they also broke the news about the AG's decision about the City Commission and the open meetings act.

missmagoo (Anonymous) says…

Where will they go? Hopefully back to topeka or KCK where they belong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MattressMan (Anonymous) says…

ksdivakat (Anonymous) says… Now maybe the city can work on the granasty and then it would be safe to go downtown again on friday and saturday nights!”

Let's not forget Abe N Jakes either………

nlf78 (Anonymous) says…

How long will they be allowed to operate? Throughout the entire appeal process? Or just for a few months while they are appealing?

JJE007 (Anonymous) says…

There will probably be a rumble between Border's and The Bottleneck starring the Jets and the Sharks! Or it may be on the west side of Last Call.

“RIFF
Boy, boy, crazy boy,
Get cool, boy!
Got a rocket in your pocket,
Keep coolly cool, boy!
Don't get hot,
'Cause man, you got
Some high times ahead.
Take it slow and Daddy-O,
You can live it up and die in bed!

Boy, boy, crazy boy!
Stay loose, boy!
Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it.
Turn off the juice, boy!
Go man, go,
But not like a yo-yo schoolboy.
Just play it cool, boy,
Real cool!”

merrill (Anonymous) says…

Last Call owner Dennis Steffes might consider shutting down and opening places in Topeka and KCMO thereby saving his patrons gas money.

I believe the community would appreciate Last Call simply going away.

thomgreen (Anonymous) says…

What would keep him from closing Last Call down, moving to another location and naming it something else?

I'm not sure if this place actually did anything positive for diversity here in town. I do wonder if this was the right step to take, and if it wasn't a rash move. Wasn't Cork and Barrel's license revoked a couple of years back also? Is that still going through the appeals process? If so, it looks like Last Call will be around awhile while this appeal process runs it's course.

As far as The Granada, I'm really not sure where the attack on that place comes from. It is the best concert venue here in Lawrence. It has some of the friendliest staff (no, I'm not one of them), and they are not in the news every weekend. While the shooting death there a couple of years ago was tragic, it was an anomaly, not the norm.

As much as I don't like Dennis Steffes as a person, I still disagree with the manner this is all going down. Does the end justify the means? I guess we'll see. Will this set a precedent on how all bars we deem unfavorable are driven out of business? Just thoughts, that's all.

gphawk89 (Anonymous) says…

“Diversity is what makes Lawrence strong.”

Well, that depends…

Let's say combine the usual ingredients together to make an apple pie. The diverse ingredients, each tasting OK by themselves, combine to create something extraordinary. In this case, diversity is good.

Now let's say you decide to try adding a quarter cup of maggots to the recipe and make another apple pie. The ingredients are still diverse, but now the pie is not so good.

Forcing some “diversity” out of town can be a good thing - I don't care whether it's liberals, conservatives, or whoever else doing the forcing.

nekansan (Anonymous) says…

“Can anyone cite examples of violence or disturbances going on that are directly tied to Last Call? (And no, finding guns in cars parked across the street doesn't count. Nor does a shooting in Kansas City)”

Uuuhhhh? How about patrons shooting guns inside the club and the illegal drug activity that was observed occurring within the club. Or does that not count either. As I remember reading several of the stories related to the guns found in vehicles, the police observed patrons of the club leaving Last Call and walking to the vehicles in question, but I forgot that is not related right?

b3 (Anonymous) says…

Good news.

logicsound04 (Anonymous) says…

“Uuuhhhh? How about patrons shooting guns inside the club and the illegal drug activity that was observed occurring within the club. Or does that not count either. As I remember reading several of the stories related to the guns found in vehicles, the police observed patrons of the club leaving Last Call and walking to the vehicles in question, but I forgot that is not related right?”

––––––––—

You apparently missed a word in my post. I said CITE those examples.

But if you're going to find articles about the police observing patrons walking to cars that contained guns, don't bother. Whatever illegal activities those patrons engage in outside the club has no bearing on the club's right to maintain it's liquor license.

As for the illegal drugs and shooting inside the club, I am waiting for your evidence.

local_guy (Anonymous) says…

i just think its funny that the people who dont go out, dont see first hand what goes on, and have absolutely no idea who the people are that they're talking so bad about just go on and on about “diversity.” lets be real guys, you want what you would consider a “gang banger” out of YOUR town. and then you develop these views and opinions based on what the newspaper tells you about an incident? wow, i forgot, the news ALWAYS tells the whole truth and NEVER lies. haha. im not advocating last call, i dont even like going there, because there are things that have happened. and the other thing that gets me is the fact that someone referred to that group as “maggots in an apple pie.” that was just wrong. people like you are a thorn in the side of our city. i wear big hats, baggy clothes, drive cadillac's, go out and have a good time every weekend. i also have no criminal record, dont do or sell drugs, am a highschool graduate and currently in college. but, oh, wait, i look a certain way, therefore i must be a “gang banger” and the “maggot in lawrence's apple pie.” gimme a break. take all the shots you want, i really dont care hahahaha cuz you know im telling the truth. hehe =)

consumer1 (Anonymous) says…

nekansas
So i guess you don't read the paper very often?

smitty (Anonymous) says…

nekansas…..will this suit your need for proof of guns or incidents inside the club?

*****Owen also said security had been improved since a May 2006 incident where seven shots were fired inside the club. No one was injured in that incident, which has not yet been solved by Lawrence police. But several police officers testified about the scene following the incident and said the rush of about 500 people onto the street put several patrons at extreme risk of being trampled.

“There was a lot of screaming, and people were starting to force their way through the double doors of Last Call,” said officer Todd Polson, who was first on the scene. “It was total panic.”*****

Then there is this one that has the under cover cop from out opf town making claims….

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/nov/20…

This is the article draws attention to some questionable actions by law enforcement though.

logicsound04 (Anonymous) says…

“The object of society is not to find the breaking point of a police force. Its not for the Diversity's to challenge the police force to see how good of a job they do.”

––––––––

A separate issue entirely. Since when is it okay in our wonderful capitalist economy to close a business because you don't like their patrons, or because you percieve their patrons to be criminals?

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…

Food 4 Less, great location for club.

beobachter (Anonymous) says…

Make it easy for Redbud residents to attend.

nekansan (Anonymous) says…

“You apparently missed a word in my post. I said CITE those examples.

But if you're going to find articles about the police observing patrons walking to cars that contained guns, don't bother. Whatever illegal activities those patrons engage in outside the club has no bearing on the club's right to maintain it's liquor license.

As for the illegal drugs and shooting inside the club, I am waiting for your evidence.”

From this article… Testimony in front of a State Agency….
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/nov/20…

“Officer Anthony Morgan of the Mission Police Department said he had never seen drug use so prevalent in any bar.”

“officers said they frequently saw evidence of marijuana smoking inside the club”

“Morgan also told of a seeing a patron — about four feet from a club security official — hollow out a cigar, fill it with marijuana and begin smoking it.”

“He also said a man who appeared to be a bartender at the club went into the restroom and began snorting a white powder through a straw.”

And as for the guns & shooting inside the club….
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/may/16…

“Chris Smith was upstairs in a VIP area when he heard the seven gunshots and a bullet ricochet near him early Sunday inside Last Call, 729 N.H.”

“An officer was on routine patrol about 2 a.m. Sunday when he heard what sounded like gunshots in the club and went to investigate. Police said they recovered seven shell casings in all.”

So there you have clear and complete citations to support my claims.

nekansan (Anonymous) says…

Smitty: I'm not the one asking for citations of the incidents, that's logicsound04. I referred to them in a non-specific way and evidently that did not meet the required level of proof. I'm sure there will be some argument from him now as to how our citations are proof of nothing and not a good example of the problems with Last Call. I think we are on the same side of this issue.

smitty (Anonymous) says…

Thanks

thomgreen (Anonymous) says…

Man law dictates that men never put “hehe” at the end of their emails, blogs, or online comments. We need to vote on whether to pull local_guy's man card.

= )

logicsound04 (Anonymous) says…

I'll give you the shooting incident, however one incident is hardly enough to justify revoking their liquor license. Mistakes occur—Last Call should have been/should be put on probation and steps taken to ensure that their security measures are sufficient, but asking the ABC to revoke their license is an end-around the proper channels for such an incident.

As for the article about the drug use—you are using an article that was part of the campaign to revoke Last Call's license. It's somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course the people who are trying to get the license revoked will claim that Last Call should have their license revoked. One of the main selling points was that “a huge number of patrons are gang members” according to one of the officers. Now we're back at closing down a club because we don't like the type of patrons.

As I said before, this appeal will most certainly be overturned.

rumor_man (Anonymous) says…

I hope there's no spillover violence at Liberty Hall tonight after the Poco concert is over.

I'd hate to see Liberty Hall's license revoked.

http://www.lawrence.com/events/2007/nov/…

i_have_only_valid_opinions (Anonymous) says…

thomgreen (Anonymous) says…

Man law dictates that men never put “hehe” at the end of their emails, blogs, or online comments. We need to vote on whether to pull local_guy's man card.

= )
****************************************************************************************************************
Same with smiley faces, buddy!

local_guy (Anonymous) says…

well if thats all that can be said about my post im satisfied..but sometimes people's ignorance just make you giggle..hehe =P..ok that was a joke, but really, that was kinda funny. =)

gphawk89 (Anonymous) says…

local_guy:

The “maggots in the apple pie” I was referring to are the ones that DO have a criminal record, DO sell drugs, do NOT graduate from high school, and do NOT go on to college. THEY are the “thorn in the side of our city” as you put it. I would like to think that the majority of the folks going to Last Call are law-abiding folks just out to have a good time. I don't care what Last Call's patrons, you, or anyone else looks like - that's not the point. When I was in college I had long hair, a handlebar moustache, wore a black leather jacket, listened to heavy metal, and drove a loud muscle car. Did that make me a criminal? No. I stand by my earlier statements - diversity is a good thing only if the “ingredients” are good.

local_guy (Anonymous) says…

hahaha you guys are crazy!

LiberalDude (Anonymous) says…

Diversity is what makes Lawrence great. The issue with Last Call has nothing to do with diversity. This club is being shut down because violence and illegal activities associated with the club. Last Call attracts criminals to town because they don't enforce laws. I hope that after Last Call is gone other clubs that play hip hop/rap will open up that enforce laws. If so, good people who want to have a good time will drive to Lawrence. The criminals who want to break the law will find somewhere else to hang out.

local_guy (Anonymous) says…

funny how when someone pulls your card, its not everyone there, just the “few who ARE drug dealers and thugs.” its also interesting how your point of view changed so rapidly. if thats what you meant, why didnt you say it in the first place? last call sucks, i agree, but that wasnt my argument. my argument is, dont judge a whole crowd based on what the ever-so-truthful LJW and LPD tells you about select few.

local_guy (Anonymous) says…

thank you, LiberalDude, for helping make my point! seriously.

nekansan (Anonymous) says…

The article regarding the drugs may be related to LE's & the City's attempts to have Last Call's license revoked, but no one here has claimed that the observations that were cited were inaccurate or false. It doesn't sound like they had to try very hard to see this happening, which means neither would the owner of the bar. This is not about a single incident, it is about an overall pattern of issues related to the bar. Some are directly attributable to Last Call, some are caused by patrons the bar attracts but has no direct control over. The bottom line is the board looked at the problems as a whole and based it's decision on the overall situation. When you have bartenders observed doing cocaine (OK a white powdery substance, but 'cmon), a shooting in a club that is already under scrutiny for attracting guns to an area, and couple that with Steffes' pattern of crying to the press rather than really working to fix the problems, I'm not so sure that the decision will be overturned. I'm not saying it won't but I'd put it more at 50/50. Time will tell.

Kontum1972 (Anonymous) says…

they relocated @ City Hall…perfect environment!

Jaminrawk (Anonymous) says…

How can anyone argue for Last Call? Look, I am a pretty liberal person but do we really need a bar where the patrons have been proven to have guns in their cars? Do we really need a bar that requires that much security? Do we really need a bar that has been notorious for fights, drugs and a shooting? Close the place down or move it away from downtown. It sucks going to the Bottleneck for a concert and having to walk past some of the rap video wannabees standing in line from Topeka.

local_guy (Anonymous) says…

i agree, and im not saying it didnt happen (and definitely not defending), but who observed this white substance being abused and a leafy green substance being smoked? our beloved law enforcemet officers??? so what did they do, take it? the sure didnt arrest them..oooooo that smell/can't ya smell that smell? (of conspiracy!) haha

saxplayer24 (Anonymous) says…

I second the motion to pull local_guys man card. Seriously, who says hehe and actually has testicals? As far as Last Call is concerned, most of you that are complaining aren't even AWAKE when LC is open or at capacity so why worry about it? I would expect this sort of complaining from Topekans, I would know I used to live there, over something trivial, but not the citizens of Lawrence. Get off your little perch above the rest of society and take a chill pill.

Also, note that I'm not ending this with “hehe” local_guy you should especially take note of this.

rumor_man (Anonymous) says…

Ban Bars!

Godot (Anonymous) says…

Does this mean the ABC going to shut down every bar in every city in Kansas that has experienced this kind of activity?

LiberalDude (Anonymous) says…

“Does this mean the ABC going to shut down every bar in every city in Kansas that has experienced this kind of activity?”

I hope so. Isn't that what ABC is for!

justfornow (Anonymous) says…

Thats Racist, why you tryin to bring a brother down….$hiiiiit.

local_guy (Anonymous) says…

my comment removed by site staff..are you kidding? what did i say that prompted removal? maybe something truthful about LJW or LPD? give me a break! freedom of speech at its best!

rumor_man (Anonymous) says…

Nothing good ever happens after midnight.

logicsound04 (Anonymous) says…

“LOL!!! are you serious? there has only been about 1,000 LJW articles on the scumbags that hang out there…………genius”

––––––––-

Then why are people having such a hard time citing violations *by Last Call*?

Genius.

=====================================================

“The bottom line is the board looked at the problems as a whole and based it's decision on the overall situation.”

––––––-

No, the bottom line is that the ABC has no right to revoke a liquor license based on looking at “the overall situation”.

Show me what liquor laws have been broken by Last Call and I'll shut the f*ck up. The fact that a cop (supposedly) saw some patrons smoking weed is irrelevant. Did they arrest those people? Did they even question those people? The cops can observe illegal activity and fail to act, yet the private business owner must be held responsible by closing his establishment?

The police department is just as culpable (probably moreso, since their primary job IS law enforcement) in this mess as Last Call.

Enforcer hit it on the head—there is a double standard being applied here because of Dennis Steffes' reputation. The Granada had a person shot after a rap show—no mention of revoking their liquor license. I've witness fights (one that sent a woman to the hospital in serious condition) outside of the Replay on more than one occasion—no threat to revoke liquor license. There was a stretch where Brothers had a couple of different shooting instances in or around the bar—no threat to revoke liquor license.

The City Commission's request to the ABC to have Last Call's liquor license revoked is just another one of this commission's failures to act in an appropriate and even-handed manner. They execute based on personal feelings rather than within the context of our civic system.

booze_buds_03 (Anonymous) says…

Sorry local_guy read the terms of use for posting on this board. Your speech is not free to say the least, and you agreed to abide by their rules. As for the revocation that is great news. How about Dennis move to KC mo where he belongs.

thomgreen (Anonymous) says…

Wow…ironically, that's what my dad always said rumor_man. Even though he would then follow up with stories about running the streets in Kansas City Mo. at all hours of the night, during the depression. I never understood the “do as I say, not as I did” statement from him.

Damn, I was totally busted on the smiley face. But I plead that I had to put it in there to make sure no one thought I was being malicious. It was to emphasize the joking manner in which I called local_guy's man card into question.

Can I go to John C. McGinley for a decision on this appeal?

ksdivakat (Anonymous) says…

I would ask all of you who are against it if youve actually been in last call?? and do you know dennis?? let me clue you in…..2 gangs one upstairs one downstairs….weed being smoked in plain site, and other drugs being done in plain site, of not only some plain clothes detective but also by dennis himself, in the bathrooms are people getting it on most of the time and youd have to step over them to go to the bathroom. Dennis does in fact warn the bar when the cops come in, thats why we were allowed to smoke inside coyotes for so long. Dennis doesnt care what the city laws are, he makes his own laws up and thats what he goes off of, and yes i do know Dennis personally, hes a nice guy, but has a warped sense of making money. In case you dont know, he wanted to turn coyotes into a parking lot and last call was supposed to be a electronics store! but he got into a beef with the city and wanted to shove his opinions and such in the citys face and dare them to do something about it. Someone once asked on a blog if dennis would allow monica to go into a bar like last call……and Dennis said “hell no” not ever! I heard that with my own 2 ears! Monica isnt even allowed in there after it closes for the crew to clean and do the money drawers…..she can go to coyotes with him but not last call…..also, the crowd from last call has robbed the convience stores heading out of town back to KC and there was nothing anyone could do cause there were so many of them! And for all you disbelievers, researxh LJW for the article that shows the security cameras in the convience store!!!!
So, the “crowd” that last call attracts is no good for lawrence, ABC doesnt have to have a reason not to renew a liquor license, and if ABC was smart, they would just stand outside last call and card everyone, cause I promise you that there are underage drinkers in there every friday and saturday night!

akt2 (Anonymous) says…

It takes a lot of time and money to fight the City of Lawrence and the State of Kansas. Surely other violations will occur on, or around the premises during the appeal process. The final stage is set, and anything from here on out is just icing on the cake.

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…

The ABC has done a miserable job enforcing the underage drinking in Lawrence. As for Last Call, who owns the building?

Let's hope the Christmas lights don't short out over the holiday…after all, it the buidling goes it is one less for cool and others to worry about.

Jaminrawk (Anonymous) says…

The Bottleneck may have hippie wannabees but you can't say that the Bottleneck has the rep that “Last Call” does. I'm not saying that any bar doesn't have an occasional fight but come on! i know you have to be “fair” but everyone that has gone by Last Call knows that it is WAAAAY different than the others bars downtown. I don't remember having to be patted down to go in Louises. I haven't ever seen milspec working the door at the Red Lion. I don't rmember having heard shots fired inside the Tap Room. Every “urban” bar that has been at that location has had the same problems. Remember “Tremors”, anyone? It is no better than the “Moon Bar” or what is currently at that location now. But to be fair, I would say “Brothers” is almost as bad.

flyin_squirrel (Anonymous) says…

ABC will not go to Last Call and look for minors. They only visit the college bars when they come to town.

Jaminrawk (Anonymous) says…

I agree, Brothers' day is probably coming, especially if Last Call closes. The Granada incident was unfortunate but once again, it DID follow a hip hop show where there were a lot of people from out of town.

Look, I actually like hip hop and I know that the majority of the patrons who go to these places aren't looking for trouble, but there is just something in the makeup of these places that causes violence. When guns become involved then it's time to make drastic changes.

thomgreen (Anonymous) says…

ABC visited and had a patron ticketed at Free State Brewery this year. Last time I checked, Free State wasn't a “college bar”.

black_butterfly (Anonymous) says…

You racists need to look up the word diversity in the dictionary. And while you are at it, please spell check yourselves once in a while. You just make yourself sound so uneducated (which you probably are). There is so much more to diversity than race. Furthermore, the Last Call is not the only bar in town that has patrons of many races. Yes it is a good thing that The Last Call is on it's way out, but not because people of many races go to the bar. If you think that all of the trouble came ONLY from Topeka and KC residents, think again. Some of them are Lawrence kids, born and raised here AND some are KU Athletes. You love to “whoop and hollar” when these kids are helping win football and basketball games for KU. You love to brag about how great the KU teams are then. I'll be glad when they do finally shut LC down so you all can find something else to B(****) about. I just hope you all dont' slit your wrists when you come to the horrific realization that ALL of Lawrence's violence didn't spawn from The Last Call! LOLOL

estespark (Anonymous) says…

Last Call is almost as violent as the “Old” Yacht Club on a Thursday night.

beobachter (Anonymous) says…

black_butterfly
Last call is only place in town that caters exclusively to hip hop and rap. Dennis is marketing specifically to this clientele and the problems associated with the genre.
Most of Lawrence residents don't want these people around.

offtotheright (Anonymous) says…

I hardly see where it would be the owners fault.

What is wrong with you people? This thug crowd is just going to move over to Club Axis….At least while at LC…they were close to 10 hwy! Or they might 'take over' some place else…maybe a 'nice bar'. Then what? Will it be the owners fault? Will you just keep revoking licenses?

LiberalDude (Anonymous) says…

beobachter, I disagree 100%. Hip hop and rap is not the problem. Many people in Lawrence do like this music and want to be around others who like it. Last Call is the problem, not the music!

There are tons of hip hop/rap bars and clubs around the country that don't have any violence problems. Last Call attracts criminals and violence because it is a safe haven for illegal behavior.

This isn't about the type of music that is played! It's about a club that doesn't follow the law.

rumor_man (Anonymous) says…

I've heard that it's a gay hip-hop bar and that Fred Phelps will be there tonight.

doc1 (Anonymous) says…

A gay hip hop bar? Maybe Steffes could open one of those and call it Balls and Weiners or keep it a gangster bar and call it AK-47

Jaminrawk (Anonymous) says…

I personally never said anything about it being a “black” problem. I specifically said “rap video wannabees”. There are a lot of white kids that fit into that group. Heck, the kid that stabbed J.R. Giddens at the “Moon Bar” was white. However, to try and act like clubs that cater to a rap culture don't occasionally become dangerous, is ignorant. Westport had the same problems with numerous clubs. I mean, when there is a dress code to eliminate “gang colors” it's probably not the best place in town to go have a good time.

Once again, I LIKE hip-hop. I just don't like bars where the owner can't control the patrons, employees or security. That would be “Last Call” ladies and gents.

effbombs (Anonymous) says…

jaminrawk- there is no dress code at last call. thats why they are known as club kandi without a dress code. having a dress code would probably be a smart idea for them.

effbombs (Anonymous) says…

i would argue that the music could be part of the problem. i saw first hand last week…everything was fine until the dj played a few songs such as 'where ya hood at?' all of sudden a fight breaks out.
now i'm not saying rap music is to blame but it was hard to deny the effect of a few particular songs.

max1 (Anonymous) says…

“There will probably be a rumble between Border's and The Bottleneck starring the Jets and the Sharks!” -JJE007

http://www.reelclassics.com/Audio_Video/…