Council has few complaints

By Olivia Obineme

Published: Sunday, October 18, 2009

It is midway into the first semester and it seems that the neighboring communities are pleased with the University and its students so far.

Representatives of organizations, institutions and the neighborhoods in the Towson area assembled for the monthly Greater Towson Council of Community Associations meeting Thursday evening.

“So far it’s been pretty quiet at Towson University,” Delegate Bill Frank of District 42, said. “If bad things are happening, I’m not hearing about it.”

Representatives in attendance had little to complain about when it came to the University, but some did question Jana Varwig, associate vice president for student affairs, about homecoming weekend. Varwig assured them that the University would handle any problems.

“We had the police grant in effect for Friday and Saturday and we had a patrol going from neighborhood to neighborhood,” she said.

Prior to the homecoming events, students were e-mailed with expectations of how they should behave according to Varwig’s report.

“We hope we are helping students see the impact their behavior can have in the community,” Varwig said.

Varwig, who co-chairs the University Relations Committee with 2nd vice president for community relations Mike Ertel, also believes that the community student ambassador program will also help students who live in the neighborhoods be aware of how their behavior affects others.

“Our goal is to have a student from each neighborhood be the ambassador in their neighborhoods,” Ertel said. “This may be the first time students have ever had to live out of their own house and they need to be educated about living in neighborhoods in general.”

For now, Varwig said there are two ambassadors.

Aside from the University inquiries, the meeting did heat up when the discussion of the Blue Grotto restaurant and bar, which is currently closed, was initiated.

“There are actually three men who are trying to transfer the liquor license, but they also want to lift the provision that was placed on the license,” Capt. Al Jones of the Baltimore County Police, Towson Precinct, said. “If they get that provision lifted, what that will do is allow them to have entertainment.”

According to Ertel, the community did not place the restrictions on the bar. The Chamber of Commerce had the restriction placed on the license because they were concerned about it. Many people at the meeting were concerned about the kind of entertainment and did not believe that the entertainment would be instrumental of any sort, as the GTCCA board members claim. Board members assert that they want the site to be a restaurant that will cater to families.

“It doesn’t look at all like a restaurant,” GTCCA president Ed Kilcullen said. “It looks like a night club.”

Those who attended the meeting have decided to take a position on the matter and oppose the provision being lifted.

“It just looks like the same kind of owners all over again,” Ertel said.

Courtesy of The Towerlight