CLEVELAND – One Cleveland official has publicly expressed his displeasure with comments made Sunday by Ed Ward, owner of J.W. Reed’s Tavern, following a fire that destroyed his restaurant in Cleveland.
Ward commented to reporters about the struggle for the restaurant to get to where it is, stating, “getting in the fight with the city about the alcohol was very difficult, but we got through it.”
During Tuesday’s Cleveland City Council meeting, Police Chief John Foster said, “As the original author of that ordinance that is an untrue statement. There are timetables that are in place on licensing. If a business has their paperwork in order and the person applying for the application qualifies then it is not a problem at all, so that was an untrue statement and I want the council to know I took offense to it. Because the city has never, never, ever caused anybody any undue grief over alcohol license.”
City Councilman Bradley Greene responded, “Thank you. I agree,” and other council members said they agreed with Foster's comments.
