- Nate Miller
- LV’s Twelve-22 owners Frewine Kiros and LaVon Van
One of North Portland’s last black-owned bars will close at the end of the month. The owners of LV’s Twelve-22 told the Portland Observer this week that they can’t overcome the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s order to rescind the bar’s license over drug and crime incidents.
When I profiled the bar last summer, the owners talked both about the difficulty of attracting customers in a neighborhood that has become whiter by the year and turning around a business that used to be a magnet for crime.
“It’s weird,” said manager Frewine Kiros, at the time. “I feel like we should be welcoming people into our neighborhood. Instead, it feels like we’re asking them to invite us into theirs. I feel like we’re the guests.”
Despite its new owners attempts to turn LV’s around, the bar was stung by criminal activity that left a black mark on their liquor license record. I know I’ll be sad to see it go.
They have only their patrons to blame. Too bad trashy people don’t have the brain power to stop and recognize when they’ve got a nice place to drink. Coming to an alley near you…
….”a black mark”, really??!!
Am I the only one that sees that as a racist comment in this context?
@ North Portland Lady:
(from the new oxford american dictionary)
black mark
noun informal
used to indicate that someone is remembered and regarded with disfavor : an arrest will be a black mark on your record | a black mark went down against him for turning down the job.
but, yeah — a ‘plaid mark’, or a ‘multi-colored mark’, would’ve been a much more considerate and much less confusing way to go. totally.
I am so bummed. Never heard a bad song in here. Only place I know where the music is consistantly great. I was so trying to support them.
Dammit!!!