March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Restaurant violations stir Eastport residents > Chief blamed for telling state officials

EASTPORT — Complaints that Fire Chief Richard Clark reported two local businesses to the State Fire Marshal’s Office for holding public dances without a state license have been brought to the attention of the city manager.

In her “Report of Investigation” issued May 1, City Manager Rosemary Kulow said Clark denied he had contacted the Fire Marshal’s Office and asked representatives to investigate La Sardina Loca and Flag Officers Mess Restaurant. Later, the restaurants were cited by an inspector for the Fire Marshal’s Office.

According to state law, “Any building or parts thereof used for public dancing purposes, either habitually or occasionally, shall have posted at all times of dancing a proper license obtained from the Commissioner of Public Safety.”

In her report, Kulow said that earlier this year Inspector John Stevens of the Fire Marshal’s Office was in Eastport to inspect child-care centers. During a conversation between Stevens and Clark, they spoke about buildings where public dancing took place.

“Richard says he told Stevens that dances in Eastport were held at the school, the Knights of Pythias Hall, the Flag Officers Mess and La Sardina Loca. Richard said he thought that La Sardina Loca and the Flag Officers Mess had no dance permits and these establishments were probably not in compliance with the Fire Safety Code,” Kulow wrote in her report.

In her findings, Kulow said she did not believe La Sardina Loca and the Flag Officers Mess had been “singled out” for inspections by Clark because other establishments that held dances also were mentioned. The city manager said that although Clark was concerned about fire-safety code violations at La Sardina Loca and the Flag Officers Mess, the decision to inspect those establishments was made by the fire marshal.

Lt. Ladd Alcott of the Fire Marshal’s Office, who is Stevens’ supervisor, confirmed Wednesday that Clark had not called state officials.

“The law is the law. What does it matter who reported it? We did a legitimate inspection, and they needed a dance license. …As far as I know, the fire chief saw the inspector when he was in Eastport on his regular duties and asked him about the requirements. That prompted an inspection, but those businesses would have had to have a license,” he said.

Contacted Wednesday, businessman Charles Maggiani would not comment on the matter except to say the businesses involved should have been warned about their deficiencies before state officials came in.

Bernard McGoldrick, owner of the Flag Officers Mess, did not return several calls to his home and business.

Assistant Fire Chief Randy Newcomb said that if patrons were injured in a fire at an establishment that did not have a dance permit, the fire chief would be blamed.

“If a fire occurred and you were in the wrong place, at either one of these places, you’d have a hard job of getting out. …Then you’d come back and blame the fire chief,” he said.

In the “Statement of Deficiencies and Plan of Correction,” the inspector cited the owners of La Sardina Loca for failure to provide a fixed fire extinguisher system and hood and duct system over the cooking equipment; failure to provide an approved battery-operated emergency lighting system to illuminate all exits; and failure to enclose the central heating plant in a state approved manner.

The Flag Officers Mess was cited for failure to have the fixed fire-extinguishing system properly inspected and serviced, failure to provide an automatic-extinguishing system for the furnace room and storage rooms and failure to provide an approved second means of exit from the first, second and third floors.

The owner also was ordered to discontinue use of extension cords throughout the business.


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