Selectmen Lay Down the Law to Local Bar Owners Following Complaints of South Norwood Disturbances-October 10, 1973

Meeting in a packed public session at Memorial Hall last night, the Board of Selectmen laid down the law to roughly 16 local bar owners. The stern meeting was called in response to a mounting wave of recurring neighborhood complaints regarding noise, street fighting, and unpleasant barroom conditions, particularly centered in the South Norwood district.

The special session was originally proposed two weeks prior by Selectman Walter J. Dempsey, who used the platform to sternly outline the board’s broad statutory authority as Norwood’s liquor licensing body.

According to state guidelines enforced by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC), selectmen hold the power to station a police officer directly inside a licensed establishment at the owner’s expense and to curtail operating hours, provided a public hearing is held within two weeks of formal notification. Town counsel noted, however, that selectmen cannot restrict operating hours between the standard statutory window of 11:00 a.m. and 11:30/11:00 p.m.

“You’re All at Zero”

Dempsey pulled no punches addressing the room, noting that while many problems arise after patrons spill out onto the streets, “if the establishments were not there, the problems would not be there.” He instructed bar owners to rigorously police their businesses both inside and out, promising to enact “the most stringent action” should future disturbances occur. Closing his remarks, Dempsey warned the owners, “You’re all at zero as far as I’m concerned.”

Other members of the board echoed his firm stance:

• Selectman Joseph W. Wall pointed to the lowering of the legal drinking age to 18 as a major contributing factor to the recent surge in tavern trouble.
• Selectman John F. Lydon called for active cooperation, noting that police logged 14 calls regarding bar disturbances in July and August, with September dropping by only two calls. “If nothing else, we have a united front, a united feeling on this,” he said.
• Selectman Charles L. Rich supported the unified push for civic order.
• Board Chairman William F. Butters urged owners to cut off known troublemakers, asking for local cooperation to prevent South Norwood from turning into “a combat zone.”

For the most part, the bar owners received the warnings in silence. The sole exception was Thomas Concannon, owner of the Irish Heaven tavern, who argued that forcing early closing hours would not eliminate rowdiness, but merely relocate it elsewhere. Selectmen offered no public comment on his assertion, and while specific complaints had frequently targeted the Dealer’s Cafe, the board took no immediate formal action to restrict its hours that evening.

Other Municipal Actions and Town Business

In addition to the heated tavern showdown, the selectmen acted on a wide array of municipal business during the busy session:

• Easier Voting for Seniors: Unanimously voting in response to a petition from elderly residents, selectmen arranged for the housing authority to facilitate absentee voting ballots for residents living in town housing complexes. This spares elderly voters and nursing home residents from braving potentially hazardous winter weather to travel to distant polling booths like the Balch School. Town Clerk Bartley J. Connolly noted that voters would not require a doctor’s certificate to cast an absentee ballot at home, and announced that local Democratic and Republican town committees would be asked to provide notary publics to assist. Housing Authority Executive Director Lawrence J. O’Brien added that the authority’s bus transportation to regular polls would still remain available.
• Revenue Sharing Funds: Town Manager John P. Mogan informed the board that Norwood received its latest federal revenue sharing check totaling $102,147—a drop of $22,000 from the previous check. Mogan explained that the town is actively appealing the reduction, which stemmed from erroneous population and school data submitted to the federal government by the state Department of Education.
• Lighting and Recreation Projects: Selectmen approved transferring leftover lighting equipment from Endean Field to Junior High North to support basketball and street hockey programs, pending a detailed review of estimated installation costs—pegged by Mogan at up to $10,000. Meanwhile, a 4-1 vote (with Walter Dempsey opposed over potential vandalism concerns) approved a $2,000 transfer from the finance commission for a vinyl liner to flood the Civic Center tennis courts for winter ice skating.
• Halfway Houses Proposed: Town Manager Mogan presented a proposal from the housing authority to establish two transitional halfway houses (one for men and one for women) utilizing vacant town-owned buildings adjacent to the public works yard. The board asked Mogan to return with a more detailed plan, noting potential community discussions regarding their use as local alcohol detoxification support spaces.
• Theater Licensing: Representatives of the Norwood Cinema informed the board that the X-rated feature film “Heavy Traffic” would open locally. While renewing the weekly license, selectmen amended operating restrictions to mandate advance notification whenever X-rated features are booked.
• Fluoride Dental Program: Officials highlighted the resumption of the daily one-minute fluoride rinse program across junior high schools (grades seven and eight). Sponsored by the National Institute of Dental Research, Boston’s Forsyth Dental Center, and local health and school departments, project director Dr. Paul DePaola reported promising preliminary findings showing increased tooth mineralization and reduced decay among participating students.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger