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Two East Boston bars and a billiards parlor have closing times rolled back; two also get stiff penalties for specific incidents

The Boston Licensing Board voted yesterday to roll back the closing time at three liquor-serving establishments in East Boston's Central Square from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. because of repeated closing-time problems that have included fights and robberies that police said were cause in large part by people rolling into the area for last call after the bars close at 1 in Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop.

The board also ordered that all patrons be out of La Gran Manzana, 22 Central Sq. , Bohemios, 30 Bennington St. and Billares Colombia, 28 Bennington St., by 1 a.m., which effectively forces them to hold last call closer to 12:30 a.m. Bars normally have a 30-minute grace period after their official closing times to get patrons out.

Separately, the board ordered La Gran Manzana shut for 28 days because of a Nov. 12 incident in which the owner was arrested on charges he attacked a woman in the bar - including pulling out some of her hair. At a hearing earlier this week, owner Yoni Hernandez denied attacking the woman and said he barely knew her; in contrast to police reports, in which witnesses and he both identified her as either his girlfriend or ex-wife. The criminal charges were dropped after the woman, a Colombian national, disappeared.

The board actually ordered the bar shut for a total of 38 days, but held 10 days in abeyance for a year as long as it stays out of further trouble.

The bar faces another hearing this Tuesday for a March 26 incident, in which one patron allegedly hit another with a beer bottle.

The board also voted a 10-day license suspension for Bohemios for three citations for a May 7 incident: 1 day for a man putting his arm around a bartender's neck - police said he put her in a chokehold, the woman herself said the man, her boyfriend was merely trying to get her to move from one spot to another - 5 days for having a locked rear exit and alleyway - and 4 days for having a patron still inside at 2:30 a.m.

The board plans to bring a fourth area bar, La Terraza, in for a similar rollback hearing.

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Comments

5 days for having a locked rear exit and alleyway

No, I'm sorry but that is such a blatant disregard for one of the tenants of public safety. That violation should be good for a minimum 30 day closure.

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Station fire in Rhode Island...

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The Station fire involved the band shooting off pyrotechnics inside.

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As I recall their emergency exits were not well marked which added to the catastrophe. The local videographer there ended up seeing one and pulling people to safety while still shooting video. A true hero.

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...that one of the owners of the club worked for Channel 10 or 12 in Providence and they were doing some filming for possibly a fire safety in clubs themed story.

Can't make this shit up.

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It was a chain of events...

No fire detail in the club.
No pyro permit. Not that one would have been issued anyway, but...
The place was cited for noise. They put non-architectural grade foam around the stage. It wasn't fire resistant and basically burned like a fuel.
There was an article in the Providence Journal that stated they put up yellow foam and painted it grey. I cannot find the article so I have no opinion on the subject.
They were cited for a door that swung the wrong way, inward instead of outward. When the shit hits the fan, that might as well be a wall.
It might have been overcrowded.

The pyro started it, as was plainly seen in the extant film, but if any of the rules were followed, it would have broken the chain of events and it would have mitigated the horrible results.

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Is telling bars to close at 1 because bars in Chelsea close at 1.

WORLD CLASS CITY

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Get rid of the universal last call.

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There is no way to do that. What are you going to put a camera in every bar? Don't be ridiculous.

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Lol, Obviously patrons pouring out of Winthrop bars are definitely not showing up at these Columbian / Dominican dive bars on lower Bennington street/ and Santoro’s in Central Sq. How about Kelly’s on Bennington are their hours scaled back at 1 too.

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Why on earth would you need to do that?

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