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Police stop bar brawls

It was a going-away party with a twist — the guest of honor wasn't just leaving town, he was headed to prison, police said.

When some of his friends gathered at the College Lane bar on Ferry Street in Martinez the weekend of Aug. 16 to send him off, a fight broke out. Three partygoers ended up as overnight guests at the County Jail, according to Martinez police Chief Tom Simonetti.

The incident was the second fracas in a month linked to downtown bars — in July, a man was stabbed with an ice pick and shots were fired when patrons of College Lane and the nearby Ferry Street Station bar tangled in the street with a carload of men from Pinole, police said. Two men were arrested.

"That's what kind of started everything as far as the activity down there," Simonetti said of the July incident. "This kind of highlighted the potential down there for violence."

Added Mayor Rob Schroder: "That is something we will not tolerate, to let our streets become lawless. It's not an element we want.

"Part of the problem is, it's my belief, the operators of these establishments either they are absentee, not paying attention or they just don't care," Schroder said. "We are going to change their minds."

Since the July fight, Simonetti said two additional police officers have been patrolling downtown. And the department is waiting for a $44,000 grant from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to do compliance spot checks at
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bars and liquor stores. But those funds are on hold until the state passes a budget.

Managers of College Lane and Ferry Street Station, which sit across the street from each other, denied that their customers were involved in the July melee.

Jessica Bravos, manager of College Lane, believes that bar's reputation is being unfairly tarnished. She said problems actually originate at other nearby bars.

"I think all the problems just kind of congregate outside our bar and that's why we get blamed," said Bravos, who was not working when the recent fights took place.

Bravos said Victor Bernall owns College Lane. But Richard Brunal holds the state liquor license, according to the Web site for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Bernall did not return a message left with Bravos, and a phone number for Brunal could not be found.

Although College Lane has caused more serious problems, Schroder has received complaints about Ferry Street Station patrons vomiting, urinating and leaving cigarette butts in the doorway of the hair salon next door.

Gina Millar, co-manager of Ferry Street, said her customers weren't responsible, and that she has found unpleasant surprises at her front door as well. She said a janitor now cleans up in front of both businesses.

"We do our very best to keep it a safe environment," Millar said. "When you have things like that going on across the street, not only do people not want to go to our bar, people don't want to come to downtown Martinez."

Councilman Mike Menesini asked the city attorney to look into the possibility of declaring College Lane a "public nuisance," giving the city more power to close the bar if problems continue.

"I'm a little surprised that the situation seems to have gotten out of hand," Menesini said.

"Clearly, if we continue to get citizen complaints and we continue to have incidents, it's a question of both public safety and cost to the city," he added.

One bar will no longer present such problems.

Police said Shorty's Bar and BBQ on Pacheco Boulevard had become a favorite hangout for rowdy biker gangs. Although the bar is technically in the county, in recent months Martinez police were working with the Contra Costa sheriff's department to conduct surveillance and generally keep tabs on the patrons.

But apparently, Shorty's has closed. And Schroder said he isn't sorry to see it go.