PLEASE FORWARD - Last Call for Emails OR Attendance for Feb 3 Liquor Board Hearing Regarding Rio bar

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n an opportunity to express their own views directly to the Liquor Board


For more history see j.mp/rio2010jan

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Stop the Violence

February 3, 2010 7 pm Liquor Board Hearing
Regarding Rio Restaurant & Lounge
Request to extend its hours of operation to 2 AM
To operate as a Bar not as a "Family Friendly restaurant"

As you may know, after only 2 months of operation since Dec 2, 2009, the new owner of Rio Restaurant & Lounge(13501 Baltimore Ave at Contee Rd, formerly Rio Sports Bar & Grill) will be given a Liquor Board hearing on Feb 3 7 pm to consider his request to loosen the years-long standing liquor license restrictions at that location. Those restrictions have been put in place and annually renewed by the Liquor Board at the long-standing request of our community associations, organizations, residents, and elected officials, to require that location to operate as a "Family Friendly restaurant", to prevent any recurrence of the long history of violence at that location (formerly the violent clubs Dinosaurs and Amazon).

1) Last Call for Your Emails to the Liquor Board by 3 pm Wednesday February 3 regarding Rio bar

You and your friends -- who are Prince George's County Registered Voters -- please consider sending an email to the County Liquor Board expressing opposition to Rio Bar's request to extend its hours and/or your own views for delivery by 3 pm February 3.

Below is sample text to copy/paste, and modify to express your own views :

Dear Prince George's County Liquor Board, Chairman Jackson

Subject: OPPOSE Rio Restaurant & Lounge Extending Hours of Operation and any Loosening of License Conditions

I, (FULL NAME), living at (FULL ADDRESS), am a Prince George's County registered voter,

I oppose loosening any of the current liquor license conditions for Rio Restaurant & Lounge located at 13501 Baltimore Ave., Laurel, Maryland 20707

I specifically oppose any extension of the hours of operation.

I believe that the two months that Rio Restaurant & Lounge will have been in operation since opening December 2, 2009 is a totally inadequate amount of time in which to assess whether to loosen any of the current conditions on their liquor license, including any extension of the hours of operation, due to the long history of violence at that location.

I believe that any loosening of the conditions on this liquor license is a threat to the peace and safety of the community.

Respectfully,
[Your Signature Block]
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2) Attending
February 3, 2010 7 pm Liquor Board Hearing
Regarding Rio Restaurant & Lounge
As many of us as possible (registered voter or not) can try to attend the Liquor Board hearing at 7 pm Wednesday February 3. You do not need to stay long at the hearing -- You can just stand up at the beginning of the hearing when the Chairman literally counts how many are present "in Opposition" to Rio's request (and how many are "For") -- it's not a vote -- but it is a very effective way to show our community's opposition to Rio's attempt to expand its operating hours to operate as a Bar not as a "Family Friendly restaurant" (see below). The hearing will be held at:

Board of License Commissioners
County Service Building
5012 Rhode Island Avenue, Room 200
Hyattsville, Maryland 20781

(MAP)

PARKING:

  • Ignore the "Public Parking" sign that seems to point to Farragut Ave
  • Enter the underground garage by turning off Route 1 onto 43d Avenue (south of County services Building). The garage entrance is on your immediate right.
  • Park on Level P1 or P2 and remember your parking space number.
  • Go to level P put your parking space number and money in the parking payment kiosk
    (75 cents per hour, coins or credit card only -- no bills)

As you face the parking payment kiosk, 5012 Rhode Island Avenue (County Service Building) is behind you across the court yard. Once in the County Service Building, proceed to the second floor. Go to Hearing Room 200 (not 204)