The startup winery WEEKEND | 12 JULY 27, 2018 VOLUME 26, NO. 27
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MOVIES | 16
Feud with landlord could close down Bierhaus POPULAR DOWNTOWN BEER GARDEN COULD BE GONE THIS FALL; OWNER CONSIDERING LAWSUIT earlier this year when the Tran family submitted plans to the city ven though it may be filled of Mountain View to redevelop to the brim with patrons, the site into a four-story office the popular downtown building. In response, Finley pub Bierhaus is being threatened went public with his concerns with closure in the next couple of about the office project, saying months. The owners of the 383 it would ruin the appeal of BierCastro St. location have put the haus as well as the city’s downbeer garden on notice that the town core. The conflict has taken on a lease will not be renewed, warning that it will need to clear out political dimension amid the larger question over Mountain by the end of September. The fight brewing between View’s bustling downtown. LivBierhaus owner Mike Finley able Mountain View, a group and his landlord has gone from skeptical of downtown redevelsour to toxic in the past several opment, came to champion Biermonths. The landlord and res- haus as a business that deserves taurant owner now communi- protection. Earlier this week, the Tran cate through attorneys, and the conflict seems destined for a family felt the need to explain their side of the story. Khoe lawsuit. Tran and Nghiem Finley says he Truong and their wants to sign a short-term lease ‘I’m willing to two adult children attended a packed and is willing to pay market rate pay market rate Old Mountain View Neighborrent to stay put, ... this doesn’t hood Association but his landlord meeting on Monwill no longer do business with make any sense.’ day and detailed their plans to him. Finley is now MIKE FINLEY, rebuild the site. alleging that his BIERHAUS OWNER The meeting was landlord is planreportedly organing to essentially steal his successful business nized by former Councilman concept by kicking him out and Mike Kasperzak, who is consultopening a duplicate beer garden ing for the family on the project. They emphasized their humble at the same site. “Bierhaus is like my first born origins as an immigrant famchild — I put all my money and ily who scrimped and saved to an incredible amount of work buy the former Wienerschnitzel and intellectual property into building in 2007. Speaking to it,” Finley said. “To yank this the Voice, daughter Dana Tran away from me, that’s simply an said her parents put their life savings and home equity into injustice.” Finley’s landlord, the Tran the purchase. She insisted that family of San Jose, said they her family wasn’t trying to turn are simply trying to manage a quick buck on the property. “If we only wanted to make their property and they are fully within their rights not to renew money on this property, we the Bierhaus lease. Their relationship took a dive See BIERHAUS, page 10 By Mark Noack
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NATALIA NAZAROVA
Faith Martin-Ware, holding daughter Skylar, her sister Erika Martin (holding dog) and their children were delivering care packages to the homeless after attending church services when they were falsely accused of stealing by Safeway staff in Mountain View. Pictured with them at Christ Temple Community Church in Palo Alto are, from left, Christopher Flemming, Amir, Nyla and Taylor Ware.
Family accuses Safeway of racial profiling MV RESIDENTS SAY THEY WERE WRONGFULLY REPORTED, QUESTIONED AND SEARCHED By Kevin Forestieri
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unnyvale resident Erika Martin says she and her family were on an altruistic mission to help local homeless residents earlier this month, dropping off care packages and dog food for a homeless man
and his dog outside the Safeway on Shoreline Boulevard. The well-intentioned trip soured, however, when Martin found herself blocked into her parking space by multiple police cars and questioned by officers. Employees at the grocery store had called in a
possible theft in progress, and Martin and her family members found themselves the suspects in the investigation. Police officials described the interaction as friendly and cordial, saying that officers See PROFILING, page 11
Four arrested in armed assault By Kevin Forestieri
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ountain View police arrested four people in connection with a violent attack on a Sunnyvale man inside an RV on Crisanto Avenue earlier this month, according to a statement released Wednesday, July 18. Three of the four suspects, two of whom are minors, were arrested in a traffic stop on Saturday, July 14, while the fourth was arrested Tuesday, July 17. All
INSIDE
four are facing weapons-related charges, three are facing assault charges and the two adults — 18-year-old Mountain View residents Cesar Rosas and 19-yearold Alberto Ibarra-Vallejo — are facing gang-related charges. On July 12, a teen reported finding blood and signs of an attack inside the RV of a family member parked along Crisanto, according to police. Officers tracked down the 19-year-old victim at a nearby hospital, who told police that two males came
in and struck him in the face with pistols multiple times, causing injuries to his face and hands. The teen who reported the incident told police that he was accosted multiple times in the area that evening, according to the statement. He said people inside a Chrysler sedan and a Honda sedan attempted to attack him near Ortega Park, and he was later accosted and threatened by a teenager in the parking lot at See ASSAULT, page 6
GOINGS ON 17 | MARKETPLACE 18 | REAL ESTATE 20