COUNCIL RENEWS TASTE LIQUOR LICENSE

Although his long-embattled liquor license was renewed at Monday's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting, bar owner Michael Pryor was criticized for an alleged pattern of disturbances occurring at The Taste Lounge.

Pryor's attitude even became an issue.

Councilman Frank Stoffregen said Pryor shows disrespect for local police and citizens by not curtailing the misbehavior in his bar that sometimes spills onto Good Hope Street.

Stoffregen further criticized Pryor for not standing during the city council's Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.

"The thing of it was, it struck me as such total disrespect for the police department, the council, and the country in general," said Stoffregen. "Even if I went to Canada, and went to a hockey game and they pledged allegiance to the Canadian flag, I'd stand to show respect for it."

Pryor said he declined to stand because of religious beliefs. He said he feels like Daniel of the Old Testament, cast down into the lions' den because of unjust laws.

The bar has become Cape Girardeau's most controversial, with police chief Richard Hetzel repeatedly calling for its closure due to the amount of time his officers spend patrolling it.

The chief on Monday presented records stating that during the period of July 2000 to March 7, the 30 fights, assaults, peace disturbances and other violations at The Taste represented a 25 percent increase from that period in 1999-2000.

Of the 2000-2001 incidents detailed in the report, the most violent was a stabbing in September 2000.

Councilman Tom Neumeyuer said renewing Pryor's license provides an opportunity for the regular assaults and peace disturbances at the bar to escalate.

Responding to the suggestion that the council give Pryor more time to show an improvement in the behavior of patrons, Neumeyer threw up his hands in frustration, saying, "Let's give him some more time to have a murder."

Neumeyer joined Stoffregen in voting against the motion to renew Pryor's license through June. However, the two were in the minority, as council members Matt Hopkins, Jay Purcell, and Hugh White voted in favor of the motion. Councilman Richard Eggimann was absent.

Purcell said Pryor was in a difficult situation, knowing any incidents he reported to police would be used against him when his license came under review.

In both June and December, Hetzel suggested the license be revoked because the nightclub generated an undue drain on police resources. In June, the council granted Pryor a six-month probationary license. In December, the council issued a three-month license.

Commenting after the meeting on the council continuing to vote against his recommendations to end The Taste's alcohol sales, the police chief said: "Our job is just to bring public safety issues to the attention of the decision-makers. We feel the numbers have continued to escalate."