Mingles Supporters Take Over Hearing
Last night's Mingle's Cabaret License Hearing was not a good meeting for the folk of the Jack London District. Rather than discussing the seemingly escalating violence, crime, sideshow activity, and loitering that at first glance appears to be a result of the crowd that Mingles attracts, instead the issue debated by Mingles supporters was mostly one of race disparity. It seems that our diverse neighborhood is thought to only be "rich, white yuppies that buy high priced lofts". Hello?! Look around! Our neighborhood is quite diverse.

And the supporters consistant complaint that the club was there long before the residents started pouring in is simply wrong.

Mingles hasn't actually been Mingles all that long. I've asked for the date their cabaret license was approved, and promise to put that here when I have that info. In any case, I recall there being a bar called the Pitstop prior to it being Mingles. The problems weren't with the Pitstop, but rather their neighbor, The Oak Tree, where Simone's/Rolanda's/misc is now.

The Oak Tree was owned by Mr. Ivey (as I am told) and that club was known for much of the same problems that Mingles is known for now. Interestingly enough, Mr. Ivey is the owner of Mingles. Different club name, but same owner, similar format, and same problems. Coincidence?

When The Oak Tree closed - whether at the hands of the property owner, the club owner, or the City, I do not know - there was some semblence of peace for a while. And then On Broadway opened up on Fourth Street and the noise of the side shows and the club patrons loitering in the area slowly started creeping back in. Then Mingles started having more "events" and On Broadway closed, and boom! We're right back where we were with The Oak Tree. Again, coincidence? Maybe.

In any case, it is technically true that a bar was there long before the residents started arriving in droves. But Mingles could lose their cabaret license and still be a bar and I think many of the problems would go away. I might be wrong, but if it was quiet before, it can be quiet again.

Several Mingles supporters suggested having community meetings with improved communications between the residents, Mingles, and OPD. I could not agree more! Unfortunately, there's a lot of talk of communication, but no real communicating going on. Much of what was said last night had to do with providing a "playground" for Oakland's youth (uh, a 21 and over bar/club isn't a playground for youth) and that the City needed to spend more on "programs" rather than closing the club and thus, "putting the patrons out on the street". I don't disagree, but this was not the forum to put those ideas on the table.

Oh, and did I mention that Mingles passed around a flyer to club patrons inviting them for free drinks if they went to City Hall in support of keeping the license? Maybe that's why quite a few speakers hadn't been to Mingles but a few times.

Last night I had to leave the meeting before it was over due to other engagements, but on my way out a woman said to me, "You fuc*ing better leave", or something along those lines and it was incredibly intimidating. I had just listened to the head of the security company hired by Mingles and he had pointedly looked directly at me when speaking negatively of the neighborhood. I asked her if she wanted to say it again - this time with the security guard watching, but of course she didn't. But apparently as I walked away she made another disparaging remark and when asked by someone else if it was a threat, she backed down. How do actions like that lead to improving communication? How do we keep this from being an "Us Against Them" situation? Because I have no problem with Mingles, if it can just not attract the wrong crowd - and I don't mean the "black" crowd. I mean the crowd that likes to shoot, fight, pee on the street, do donuts in their cars at 2am, have music so loud in their cars that I can hear the words a block away, throw liquor bottles on the street, do drugs in the car kind of crowd. You know - the crowd of thizzers and hangers on who want to be a part of the crowd, even if they aren't old enough to get into the club and be a part of the real crowd.

I did get their invitation to the club to see it for myself and I hope to take them up on that invite. I just hope they agree to protect me from the type of BS I got last night as I was leaving City Hall.
Posted 5/16/2006