Timbers
Home Town City
The Portland Timbers
gather together in a
huddle at Jeld Wen
Stadium before their
game on Sunday
against the Seattle
Sounders.
see page 21, inside
Liquidators
Landmark
business unites
generations
See Metro, page 11
photo by M indy C ixiper /P ortland O bseryer
g^ortiani» (©
Read back issues ot the Portland Observer at www.portlandobserver.com
'City oj Roses
Volume XXXXI, Number 28
Wednesday • lulv 13 2011
Doors Close with Restrictions
Owner Says:
7 Don Y Like Being
Labeled a Gang Bar
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland /O bserver
An African-American owner of a
northeast Portland bar has closed
his doors after the Oregon Liquor
Control Commission issued several
restrictions on the business.
A series of enforcement actions
were put into immediate effect by
the OLCC after the fatal shooting of
34-year-old Leonard James “LJ” Irv­
ing on June 26 in a parking lot across
the street from Seeznin’s Bar and
Lounge located at Northeast 82nd
Avenue.
Inside the Bar and Lounge last
week, residents could be seen with
food and beverages from places of
business other than S eezn in ’s,
which is no longer undergoing sales.
“The restrictions being enforced
by OLCC are a detriment to my busi­
ness,” said Samuel A. Thompson,
the owner and license holder of the
bar. “In the scheme of things, what
I do in the community has been lost
because negative incidents have
occurred within the proximity of my
building.”
Thompson, who opened the bar
in March of this year, said he be­
lieves OLCC is using his bar as a
“scapegoat”, instead of focusing
on the true issues going on within
the community. “They are using
Seeznin’s as an example in their
feeble attempt to curve gang vio­
lence,” he said.
OLCC said the seven emergency
restrictions placed on the bar were
issued as a result of a high level of
violence and gang activity permit­
ted within Seeznin’s walls.
Thompson, however, said vio­
lence is not welcomed at his bar.
He said after visiting the Irving
family’s home the day of the funeral,
he received the restrictions order at
the bar.
The OLCC notice said, “This
Order of Immediate License Restric­
tions is being issued because con­
tinued operation of your premises
represents a serious danger to the
Allied for Ocean
Stewardship
Tribal leaders committed
to healthy oceans policy
C ari H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
by
In cooperation with the Na­
tional Ocean Council, tribal lead­
ers from Oregon and nearby re-
gions were among the prominent
voices in support of regional plan­
ning for the future of our oceans,
continued
on page 20
Samuel A. Thompson, the owner of Seeznin’s Bar and Lounge in Northeast Portland, stands inside
his bar last week after closing his doors to business because of recent restrictions put in place by
the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.
public health and safety.”
They stated T hom pson’permit-
ted disorderly activities on the li-
censed premises. On the night of
Irving’s murder, “known gang mem-
bers fought inside the premises. The
fight moved outside the premises
j
C()ntinued y f
on page 22
Tom H. Younker,
vice chairman of
Coquille Indian
Tribal Council gives
a voice to reason,
presenting the
argument that if
human intelligence
can overcome
greed and people
work together, we
can fix the ocean’s
problems and the
livelihoods that
depend on the
worldwide resource.