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Volume 124/ Issue 6

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Citizens annoyed by local bars CITY

Noise ordinance threatens to stop the music for being too loud JAY R. JORDAN Senior Reporter

The Draft Bar, Humphrey’s and other local bars are under fire after multiple complaints about high levels of noise from Huntsville citizens flooded city council, leading to the possibility of a new city noise ordinance. The Huntsville City Council will discuss and possibly vote on the ordinance in Tuesday night’s meeting. LaRue Smith, the owner of Bluebonnet Apartments located behind Jaidyn’s, brought forth the complaint to the council in June. “We ask that the [current] city ordinances be enforced,” Smith said. “[The bars] seem to think that the law is not intended for them and have indicated so with their arrogance in their words and actions.” Smith said her business has been “bombarded” with patrons of the bars urinating on her property, yelling obscenities in the night and using the apartment’s private dumpsters. Humphrey’s manager Jimmy Wackett said that the bar only plays music until 1 a.m., but they hope to extend their hours. “We try to cut off our live music because [we] know there is some sort of ordinance around here,” Wackett said. “I do check the perimeter when we have music. It doesn’t seem very loud to me.”

Wackett said that the bar has been approached by Huntsville Police Department about noise twice in the last month, and both incidents were after 11 p.m. “You’re [near] a row a bars,” Wackett said. “It’s a college town. You have to expect it. To me, personally, it’s not that bad. I mean, they’re listening for it. They have to be listening for it.” Smith said that there was no excuse for the bars to be loud late at night, and that the city should act on the issue. “Living in a college town should not be an excuse for our laws to be ignored,” Smith said. “Students can still drink and party, but there should be zero tolerance of noise that disturbs our citizens after 11 p.m. These businesses can easily control this problem.” According to City Secretary Lee Woodward, no more complaints have been officially made to the council since June. City Manager Matt Benoit, the old Huntsville-wide sound ordinance isn’t enforced using a set standard. “My understanding is we’ve had the same ordinance in place for some 30 years,” Benoit said. “Basically, it’s a reasonableness standard. If the officer pulls up and says it’s loud enough that neighboring properties… [are] likely to be bothered by this. It would be up to the officer’s discretion to say ‘turn it down.’” Benoit said that there is a gray area with the current code because it’s up to an officer’s discretion.

Jay R. Jordan | The Houstonian

STOPPING THE MUSIC. The Draft Bar (above) is one of three bars under scrutiny after some Huntsville residents complained that the noise levels were too loud. The city council will vote on an ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting.

If passed, the ordinance will dictate that from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., any noise above 65 decibels is out of code. From 11 p.m. until 7 a.m., any noise level above 0 decibels is out of code. “As proposed, starting at 11 p.m., you can’t amplify music outside,” Benoit said. “It doesn’t

matter if it’s being amplified at two decibels or 220 decibels. That’s what the council will consider [tonight].” Benoit said that if passed, state law requires that notice of the ordinance be published twice in The Huntsville Item and will take effect Sept. 27.

CAMPUS

Tarek Maalouf, owner of The Draft Bar and Jaidyn’s Place, did not return calls for comment after The Houstonian made multiple attempts to contact him. The Huntsville City Council will meet Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m.

CAMPUS

Officials: Fruits, vegetables key to SHSU gives up on former healthy living while in campus dorms Army Reserve property DANA PRICE Staff Reporter Eating healthy while living on campus is not an easy thing to do, according to some students. They say it’s hard to find healthier food options to eat when there are quick fast food restaurants around every corner. Senior Spanish and mass communications major Shatika Clark admitted it was hard to avoid unhealthy foods while living in a dorm. Though it was

easier to eat something fast, even then she made sure to choose healthy options like frozen vegetables and Lean Pockets. “I bought a lot of things with fiber: Nutri-Grain bars, wheat bread, granola snacks, and fresh produce,” Clark said. According to Penelope H. Meyers, R.D., L.D., at Huntsville Memorial Hospital, consuming less fat and staying away from fried food are two simple steps to a healthy diet. When it comes to portion size, she advised meat

Caesar Jiminez | The Houstonian

shouldn’t bigger than a deck of cards, or approximately three ounces. Meyers also emphasized the necessity of eating meals at normal times. “Breakfast is especially important. Whole grain cereal, one percent milk or skim milk, and eggs are the options,” Meyers said. Meyers said that students should seek out websites that keep a log of what they eat. Some popular websites with dietary trackers include myfitnesspal. com, livestrong.com and myplate. gov. “Seventy percent of the people in the United States are overweight,” Meyers said. “It’s important to make sure that good things are being put in the body. Students should eat vegetables five times a day and fruits five times a day. When it comes to eating healthy on campus, students should not drown their salads in dressing.” Instead of eating dessert, students should reach for fruit as a substitute, she said, unless on a special occassion. The majority of food options on campus are fast-food or pre-made meals with some healthy or fresh choices.

COLIN HARRIS Assistant News Editor The Sam Houston State University administration has abandoned its pursuit of a nearby property that local entrepreneur Tarek Maalouf acquired in August, according to a statement released on Monday. In the wake of grassroots opposition, SHSU President Dana Gibson indicated that SHSU had moved on from the affair and will begin seeking another suitable property to accommodate the planned relocation of the ROTC program and the Veterans Resource Center. “Sam Houston State University is no longer interested in acquiring the Army Reserve property and will find an alternative solution to serve our ROTC and Veterans Affairs programs,” the statement said. The 2.5-acre site was the source of recent controversy due to SHSU’s apparent steps to condemn, or eminent domain, the former Army Reserve building on Sam Houston Avenue. The dispute rapidly shifted from

behind closed doors and into the public eye due in large part to Maalouf ’s “Eminent Doom” campaign, consisting of yard signs and an accompanying Facebook page advocating on Maalouf ’s behalf. Maalouf and Gibson also each penned letters published in The Houstonian and The Huntsville Item outlining their positions on the impasse. The “Eminent Doom” Facebook page was quick to claim victory once Gibson’s statement was disseminated to the public. “SHSU President Dana Gibson: University no longer interested in Army Reserve property,” a posting on the Facebook page read, originally in all caps. “We did it!!!!! We did it!!!! Thank you to everyone!!! We did it!!!!” The university never explicitly stated that condemnation proceedings were in the works, but all steps the university made, according to the Huntsville Item reports, were necessary for eminent domain to occur. The Texas State University System approved the university’s ability to purchase the building “only through negotiations” during their last quarterly meeting.


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