Leon Olson got only half a loaf from the New Ulm City Council Tuesday and may go to court seeking the other half. The council denied a 3.2 beer license but granted other entertainment licenses for a bar Olson plans to operate at the former Beyer’s Bar, 121 S. Valley.

Licenses for soft drinks, two pool tables and two mechanical amusement devices (foosball) were okayed by the council. Future granting of the beer license was said to be a possibility. Patrick Moriarty, Olson’s attorney, told The Journal today Olson will be opening in July with all the licenses he can get and will “quite possibly” go to court to get the beer license plus a setup license.

THE COUNCIL vote was not unanimous. Harold Hippert and William Gafford were against granting any licenses at all. Gafford told the council, “I don’t know Mr. Olson but I don’t think this council should put a license in there for anything at this time.

“Moriarty responded, “The building itself isn’t cursed, it’s the people who operate the building (who set the tone).”

“Mr. Moriarty,” Gafford said,”my recommendation would be the same if you were applying for the license. That place needs a good cooling off. We’ve had problems down there.”

HIPPERT STARTED off council discussion by citing “many problems in this location: and “many resident this area opposed to a business of this type being located there.”

Mayor Car Wyczawski and Councilman Jon Mowan and Gafford said they had received many calls from people opposing another business opening in Beyer’s.

April 30 at Beyers, Gafford said, “Two, I guess you’d have to call them honky tonk angels,” had been picked up for prostitution. The former owners subsequently surrendered their liquor license.

Gafford said, “People are just happy down there they can walk out of their house at night, they don’t have to be afraid.”

MORIARTY SPOKE on behalf of Olson’s application.

“It is true that the business establishment previously operated in that location did give everyone a lot of trouble. But it should be noted by the council that that license was an intoxicating liquor license and the application before the council tonight is a non-intoxicating license.”

He said Olson has done extensive remodeling, involving a large investment.

“What he wants to do is operate a place which will be truly a recreational amusement place, largely connected with his interest of music,” Moriarty said.

“He is engaged in a rather ambitious program of renovating the entire building and upgrading it,” Moriarty said. “That building has been in disrepair for a number of years; it was tolerated in New Ulm as a deteriorating type of business. Now Mr. Olson wants to reverse the situation, he wants to upgrade the business and make it it a credit to the city of New Ulm.

HE SAID Olson’s character reference could lead the council to no conclusion other than that Olson “is of good morals and character and as a result is entitled to the consideration of the council in the issuance of this license.”

A cooling off period might have been necessary, Moriarty said, if Olson had applied for a liquor license, bu that was not the case.

He said Olson’s investment showed he didn’t intend to run a fly-by-night operation or to jeopardize his future as a businessman in the city by operating a manner which might be objectionable to the council.

“We would ask that you give him every benefit of the doubt as you did all the other licenses granted earlier this evening,” he said. The council already renewed 20 various beer licenses.

OLSON ALSO applied for a setup license but that is granted by the mayor and police chief, not the council.

Mowan noted that if a setup license were granted that would mean intoxicating liquor would be involved, even though supplied by the customer.

(The mayor said this morning the setup license would probably not be granted at this time.)

Moriarty noted two other bars in town were allowed to stay open after complaints, on promises to improve. Gafford said they had no complaints since the promises were given.

Mowan questioned why someone would invest a lot of money in remodeling before he had secured a beer license.

FINALLY MOWAN offered the motion on licenses, saying, If he can prove to me and the neighbors in that area that he can run this without any problems, see how it goes, without the beer or setup license, at some time in the future maybe we can reconsider.”

James Penrod and George Germann joined Mowan in voting for the compromise, to make the vote 3-2 in favor.

New Ulm Daily Journal

June 18, 1975