Cone Denim to celebrate 125th anniversary with multi-platinum band KANSAS April 6

"Greensboro, NC (January 11, 2016) - As part of their 125th anniversary celebration, Greensboro-based Cone Denim is proud to present a live performance by KANSAS. The multi-million selling band will perform at the Cone Denim Entertainment Center in their only Carolinas appearance on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, having spent more than four decades as a part of the soundtrack of the lives of multiple generations of music lovers.

The band’s first public statement appeared on their self-titled album in 1974. "From the beginning, we considered ourselves and our music different and we hope we will always remain so." Little did this legendary rock group realize that back in the early ‘70's, what seemed to be “different," was actually ahead of its time.

This "garage band" from Topeka released their debut album in 1974 after being discovered by Wally Gold, who worked for Don Kirshner. The band has produced eight gold albums, three sextuple-Platinum albums (Leftoverture, Point of Know Return, Best of KANSAS), one platinum live album (Two for the Show), and two one million-selling gold singles, ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ and ‘Dust in the Wind.’ KANSAS appeared on the Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the ‘70's and ‘80's and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ was the #2 most played track on classic rock radio in 1995 and went to #1 in 1997.

Coinciding with the celebration of their 40th anniversary, the band KANSAS, was inducted into both the Kansas Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame as recognition for their achievements from both their native state and adopted home state.

The band, which is currently comprised of original drummer Phil Ehart, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, keyboardist David Manion, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, and original guitarist Richard Williams, continues to perform in front of large and enthusiastic audiences around the world.

Along with touring, KANSAS continues to remain a fixture of Classic Rock radio and has reached a whole new audience through their unmistakable presence on the popular video games Rock Band and Guitar Hero, and through their songs inclusion in various television shows such as ‘Supernatural,’ and ‘South Park,’ and with films ‘Old School,’and ‘Anchorman.’

The Cone Denim Entertainment Center is proud to present artists such as KANSAS. Featuring state-of-the-art audio and amenities in an intimate setting, the downtown theater is the ideal venue to enjoy an evening with a music legend. Come experience what everybody is talking about at the newest performance venue in the Triad. With balcony seating that puts the audience virtually right over the stage, the Cone Denim Entertainment Center provides an unforgettable experience.

Tickets for the Kansas performance be on sale Friday January 15 at all TicketMaster outlets, or online at www.cdecgreensboro,com. You may also call the box office at 336-378-9646"

- A Press Release

Gregg Allman Band coming to the Cone Denim Entertainment Center in April for only NC show

"Greensboro, NC (December 8, 2015) - The Gregg Allman Band will perform at the Cone Denim Entertainment Center in his only North Carolina appearance on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 .

As co-founder, with his guitar virtuoso brother Duane, of the Allman Brothers Band in 1969, Gregg Allman has been one of rock's most influential and iconic performers, virtually defining Southern Rock in the process. He is a multiple Grammy Award winner, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and whose distinctive voice placed him 70th in the Rolling Stones list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, with his 2011 album, Low Country Blues, further cementing Allman's legacy as a gifted interpreter of the blues, as well as his status as a performing icon.

The Cone Denim Entertainment Center is proud to present an artist of Mr. Allman's stature, performing a night of hits spanning four decades, including “I'm No Angel”,”Slip Away”, “Melissa”, “Midnight Rider”, and “Ramlbin Man”, to name but a few.

Featuring state-of-the-art audio and amenities in an intimate setting, the downtown theater is the ideal venue to enjoy an evening with a music legend. Come experience what everybody is talking about at the newest performance venue in the Triad. With balcony seating that puts the audience virtually right over the stage, the Cone Denim Entertainment Center provides an unforgettable experience.

Tickets are available at all TicketMaster outlets, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, go to www.livemusicgso.com"

- A Press Release

Ham's Restaurant Announces Relocation and New Concept

"GREENSBORO, NC (July 5, 2015) - The Ham's Restaurant is moving from it's current location at 324 S. Elm St. to a space one and a half blocks north on Elm Street.  The new location will be the Ham's Grille & Oyster Bar at 214 S. Elm St. (across from Crafted and Fincastles).

The move comes amid many new changes in downtown Greensboro, as more dining and entertainment options are moving in to the central business area.

“As more and more people come downtown for dining and a night out, we recognized an opportunity to launch a new concept that has been in development for the past year.  The Ham's Grille & Oyster Bar concept will put an emphasis on the main items that Ham's has become known for along with a seafood and raw bar menu and expanded craft beer offerings,” said Rocco Scarfone, president of Ham's Restaurants, “We are excited about the atmosphere downtown with all of the new breweries and restaurants and we look forward to being a part of the scene for a long time.”

“We wanted to offer variety as well as a more health-conscious menu.  Over the years, we have seen our guests enjoy special limited seafood items, and we lean heavily on the coastal Carolina influence in our own backyard,” said Marty Isom, Food and Beverage Director for Ham's Restaurants.

"I think it is great that Ham's is challenging themselves to bring the best in concept and cuisine for their downtown Greensboro location," said Zack Matheny, President of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., “"I look forward to this new restaurant concept and believe it will help be a great addition to downtown."  

The current Ham's location will be the site of a new project spearheaded by a different group, continuing the development of downtown Greensboro.  Said Scarfone. “There's so much going on, between new apartments, hotels, retail, and live entertainment, we really feel that this is the place to unveil our new concept.”

The new Ham's Grille & Oyster Bar is scheduled to open in August.  For more information, call the Ham's Corporate Office at 336-854-5546, or check www.hamsrestaurants.com"

- A Press Release

Bret Michaels Greensboro Concert Rescheduled

"Greensboro, NC  (June 9, 2015) – The Bret Michaels concert that was originally scheduled for this Friday, June 12, 2015, at the Cone Denim Entertainment Center in Downtown Greensboro, has been rescheduled for Friday, October 2, 2015.  Unfortunately, a scheduling conflict with the City of Light celebrity softball game charity event required the change of date.  All tickets are valid for the new date, and Cone Denim Entertainment Center looks forward to bringing the popular performer to the stage in October.

Bret Michaels is the front-man for Poison, and helped define the sound of an entire genre.  In addition to having sold over 32 million albums,  Bret won The Celebrity Apprentice 3, and continues to write, produce, and perform, gaining a wide variety of new fans along the way.  His new album “True Grit” features guest artists as diverse as Loretta Lynn, Gary Rossington, and Ace Frehley, with  lead single “Girls on Bars” climbing the charts.

Check www.livemusicgso.com for upcoming shows and ticket information."

- A Press Release

Legendary Singer Engelbert Humperdinck coming to Cone Denim Entertainment Center in March!

"The Cone Denim Entertainment Center is proud to announce that the one and only Engelbert Humperdinck will be performing for the first time in Greensboro on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 8:00pm.

Humperdinck has been a big name in the international music industry for over forty-five years, with over 150 million records sold worldwide. He has recorded everything from romantic ballads to finger-tapping up tempo hits. His remarkable voice and extraordinary talent has endeared him to millions of fans around the globe. He is best known for his hits “Release Me”, “There Goes My Everything”, “The Last Waltz, “Am I That Easy to Forget”, “Les Bicyclettes De Belsize”, “A Man Without Love”, and his huge smash “After The Lovin'”, all popular songs with audiences today.

This is an all reserved show with limited tickets and special VIP packages available. The doors open on Sun., Mar. 15, at 7:00pm.

Cone Denim Entertainment Center is delighted to welcome an artist of the stature of Engelbert Humperdinck to the state-of-the-art theater. “Engelbert Humperdinck is the perfect artist to showcase the intimate nature of this unique performance space,” said Cone Denim Entertainment Center president Rocky Scarfone.

Tickets for the performance go on sale at 10:00am on Friday, January 16, 2015 at the Cone Denim Entertainment Center box office and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, including details about the pre-show cocktail party and special VIP ticket and access packages visit www.cdecgreensboro.com."

- A Press Release

First ever shows at new Cone Denim Entertainment Center announced! Dave Chappelle and more coming.

"The Greater Greensboro Entertainment Group (“GGEG”) proudly announces that a naming rights arrangement for the new House of Blues Entertainment affiliated live performance center at 117 South Elm Street in Downtown Greensboro has been finalized. The name of the new state-of-the-art facility will be “The Cone Denim Entertainment Center”.

“Cone Mills is a 100 year old denim manufacturing facility woven into the landscape of Greensboro. I can't express our excitement in being a part of this new live entertainment venue that will bring top artists to Greensboro in an intimate setting,” said Ken Kunberger, CEO of Burlington Industries.

“We are very excited that Cone Denim has not only supported the Indigo Denim Lounge at the new facility, but has also committed to the naming sponsorship. Anytime you can align with a brand that has been a staple in Greensboro for over 100 years, it says a lot of positive things about where we are heading and the role that we expect this venue to play in the community,” stated GGEG President Rocky Scarfone.

Scarfone is also pleased to announce the Grand Opening dates and the inaugural show at the new performance center.

“On November 5th and 6th, we are excited to announce that comedian Dave Chappelle will perform for two nights, with two shows nightly at 7:30 and at 10:00. We look forward to unveiling the theater to the community with a great comedy show that I'm sure people will be talking about. We are also proud to be hosting an artist of his stature and being part of a few select dates in the Carolinas,” said Scarfone.

Dave Chappelle hosted his own sketch comedy television series and has been back performing in 2014 after leaving the limelight in 2005. His recent shows have delighted and entertained audiences as he has made his return to a more traditional stand-up performance.

“We felt that it was important to seek out an artist with broad appeal for our grand opening. Our upcoming shows reflect the great diversity in our community and we look forward to seeing a wide variety of audiences at the center,” added Scarfone.

“On Friday, November 7, local favorites Sleeping Booty will bring their high-energy nightclub show to the Cone Denim Entertainment Center for a night of dancing as only they can.”

Rounding out the opening weekend line-up will be a free show on Saturday, November 8, sponsored by WKZL 107.5 and featuring The Dan Band, known to movie fans from their hilarious and scene -stealing performances in “Old School”, “Starsky & Hutch”, and “The Hangover.”

Future performances announced today:

Edwin McCain (11/14)

Who's Bad? The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute (11/29)

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's Wild and Swingin' Holiday Party (12/16)

Echosmith (12/20)

Mother's Finest New Year's Eve Party 2015 (12/31)

Marshall Tucker Band (1/23)

Masters of Illusion Tour (2/24).

Tickets for all of these events will be on sale 10:00am Friday, October 3 at all TicketMaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone 800-745-3000."

- A Press Release

Assault charge dropped against nightclub operator Scarfone

A Jan. 30 charge of assault on female against Greensboro nightclub operator Rocco Scarfone has been dismissed by the Guilford County District Attorney's office, said his lawyer, Amiel Rossabi. Scarfone owns Allure Nightlife, one of the South Elm Street entertainment corridor's top destination dance clubs.

"They had absolutely no facts, and absolutely no prosecution witness who intended for charges to be brought and no facts from anyone to support charges being brought," Rossabi said.

Scarfone was told on Jan. 30 that the Greensboro Police Department had a warrant for his arrest, and turned himself in, Rossabi said, adding that he has asked the department to investigate the charge. He said he awaits a report from Assistant Chief Ron Rogers.

Details of Scarfone assault charge

H/T to WXII.

We're behind on this story, but I thought details from the case file might flesh out the narrative a bit.

Greensboro nightclub operator Rocco Scarfone. 49, was charged with assault on a female for an incident occurring late Saturday or early Sunday, Guilford County court records show. A warrant alleges that Scarfone struck Jennifer Dawn Ferrell "by grabbing her arms, punching with fist to the bicep, throwing to floor, pinning to the floor."

Calls to Scarfone by YES! Weekly staff were not returned for this story.

The alleged assailant and victim share a residence in Greensboro. Scarfone operates Allure Nightlife on South Elm Street, along with an array of other local business holdings.

Scarfone is scheduled to appear in Guilford County court to answer the charge on March 3.

Indictment against Medaloni expanded

A new superceding indictment filed on Tuesday broadens allegations of loan fraud already made against Joey Medaloni, who is credited with developing Greensboro's downtown nightlife scene beginning in the late 1990s.

The new indictment accuses Medaloni of providing falsified tax returns that inflated his income to First Merit Bank to secure a loan in the amount of $967,975 to Medaloni Air in July or August 2006, and of providing falsified tax returns to Carolina Bank to obtain a loan valued at $314,034 in October 2005.

The original indictment alleges Medaloni obtained a loan for $996,000 from Truliant Federal Credit Union in August 2005 through similar means.

Medaloni is linked to Rocco Scarfone and Greg Harrison through investments in Greensboro nightclubs. In 2006, Medaloni sold the N Club to Rocco Scarfone, who has recently been under fire for violence associated with his nightclubs, and sold Much/Heaven to a partnership that included Greg Harrison, Dr. Lenin Peters and Scarfone. In late 2008, Scarfone resigned from the partnership responsible for Much and Heaven.

In a preview of events to come, Scarfone filed an affidavit in 2008 alluding to statement allegedly made by Medaloni that he was under investigation by the IRS. According to Scarfone, Medaloni had approached Scarfone about allowing his younger brother join a venture related to Childress Vineyards, but cautioned that Joey Medaloni's name could not be associated with it because of the federal investigation.

UPDATE: LAX lawyer denies allegation of shooting cover-up

The NC Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has suspended the liquor license held by LAX Gentlemen’s Club, a strip club owned by entrepreneur Rocco Scarfone. A Nov. 12 Order of Summary Suspension signed by Chairman Jonathan S. Williams, based on allegations by the Greensboro Police Department and Alcohol Law Enforcement, found that after a patron was shot on Nov. 7, “security at the business refused to notify emergency services that a person had sustained gunshot wounds” and “that when Greensboro police officers arrived at the business to investigate, they were told by the night manager, Quinton Jones, that no shots had been fired at the business and there had not been a fight at the business.

“Mr. Jones instructed security personnel to clean the crime scene before police arrived and told police that the business did not have a working surveillance system,” the order continues.

A Nov. 13 press release issued from Raleigh characterizes club management’s response to the shooting as a “cover-up” and quotes Williams as saying, “The sworn affidavits received by the ABC Commission indicate that this business failed to assist victims of violence in their own parking lot and then covered up the shooting and destroyed evidence. The apparent disregard by this business for a life-threatening injury and solving a serious violent crime is prompting the commission to exercise its authority and duty to immediately suspend the permits of LAX to sell alcohol.”

The summary suspension was made under the commission’s “Last Call” initiative. The press release indicates that eight such suspensions have taken place across the state since October 2009.

Affidavits indicate that Guilford Metro Communications was notified of a possible shooting at the nightclub after an off-duty Greensboro police department interviewed a friend of the victim, Demeterre Fox, who said they had been drinking at LAX just before the shooting occurred.

Greensboro police Officer MK Lone states in an affidavit that when he arrived at the back parking lot of the club, “I found several wet areas on the lot smelling of bleach. I observed a Toyota Camry parked near the building with blood smears along the passenger side door and side mirror, and blood on the sidewalk.”

Lone and three other law enforcement agents stated in affidavits: “I feel that the continued operation of the business will result in more injuries to citizens.”

Jones, 29, faces a misdemeanor resisting public officer charge in Guilford County court. Scarfone said on Monday that Jones has been terminated.

“He should have called the police even if everyone left,” Scarfone said. “That is protocol. Our protocol is if there is any incident to call the police. Absolutely 110 percent.”

Scarfone referred all questions about the cover-up allegation to Amiel Rossabi, a lawyer hired by R and A Entertainment — the company doing business as LAX Gentlemen’s Club — to assist the police with the investigation. R and A has also hired Raleigh lawyer William Potter to assist to assist in getting the club’s liquor license restored.

“It’s absolutely false,” Rossabi said of the cover-up allegation. “Even before I got involved, the first thing Rocky did was directed [staff] to give [police] the videotape. That’s where they got a lot of the information. The next morning, Rocky got me involved. I proceeded to get all the employees in for an interview.”

Rossabi said Jones and another employee initially denied involvement in the cleanup, but the surveillance tape told another story.

Rossabi said that a fight occurred in the club, prompting security to move the combatants outside. The security video shows a lot of people outside in the parking lot at one stage. Rossabi said witnesses reported hearing two or three shots.

“The next thing you see on the video is everyone taking cover and going inside the club,” Rossabi said. “What Quinton did when he brought everybody in, he said, ‘This was scary; I’d never seen anything like this.’ By the time he goes back out, the guys involved in the shooting went away.”

Rossabi said R & A Entertainment takes responsibility for training its staff to adequately handle security, but the shooting was beyond its control.

“What security did was make sure nothing happened in the club or outside the club,” Rossabi said. “When people got in their cars and fled, that’s what they want: They want the people involved in the fight to leave.”

At the time of the shooting, Scarfone was already under scrutiny for a shooting that took place outside of another of his establishments, the N Club on South Elm Street. The shooting came a day before a previously planned press conference in which Scarfone would announce a name change of the venue and formatting changes to attract an older, more upscale clientele. Downtown property owners such as Milton Kern are calling for the N Club to be shut down. The controversy has gotten the attention of District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny, who is pushing for a raft of new regulations on downtown nightlife.

Scarfone announces name change for club in wake of shooting

Nightclub owner Rocco Scarfone said in a press conference today that the N Club will remain closed for repairs, and will reopen under a new name and a new format on Nov. 27 under the name Allure.

The current hip-hop format will give way to what Scarfone called “the hottest music nationwide from rock to pop,” and the club owner suggested the new venue will aim for a classier clientele. Using Triad market radio stations as a reference point, Scarfone said the current format at the N Club is akin to 102 JAMZ, while the new format at Allure will be closer to 1075 KZL.

“It will be a club as if you see in Las Vegas,” he said. “Dress code will be strictly enforced. Age group will change. 21 and over. It will be a club that doesn’t run three-dollar drink specials. It will be a dance club. It will play dance hits nationwide.”

Scarfone said he retained a consultant about three months ago to help determine the future of the N Club, which helped revitalize downtown Greensboro and establish the area as an entertainment destination under previous owner Joey Medaloni. After the N Club received a raft of negative publicity with a shooting that took place nearby last month, Scarfone said he decided to accelerate the makeover.

Scarfone said he also plans to open an upscale wine and tapas bar called Social in downtown Greensboro.

Florence Gatten, a former Greensboro city council member who operates a public relations company, emceed the press conference, which was held at the Carolina Theatre. Former Mayor Keith Holliday, who is president of the Carolina Theatre, also attended the press conference. Scarfone’s promotions company maintains a partnership with the Carolina Theatre, and the promoter said he is finalizing dates for performances by Sheryl Crow and Tom Jones at the Carolina.

Scarfone reiterated an earlier pledge to improve security at his nightclubs by hiring a consultant to draft a handbook, and said he would step up efforts to vet security employees through background checks. Scarfone said he would like to form a club association to improve industry practices and advocate their position.

“The N Club’s name, absolutely, the biggest name, the most established name, a club that’s been here forever, and they’re called out as if they are the only problem club,” he said. “The statistics show differently. So I gather that if there is a call to close a club then the call would be across the board to close all the clubs. Especially, how can you call the number-three club and not close the number-one and number-two. Now, is that the solution? No, it’s not. The solution is, let’s be proactive. Let’s be safer. Let’s all be on the same page, and all get together. Let’s form a club association, a downtown association. To close anything when there are taxes to be paid, mortgages to be paid and people who need jobs — why would we do that in today’s economy?”

Scarfone noted that the N Club ranks third among Greensboro nightclubs in calls for police service over the past six months, behind Greene Street Club and Inferno.

A setback occurred for Scarfone when the news broke that police are investigating yet another shooting, which took place at LAX Gentleman’s Club on Martin Luther King Drive in the early morning hours of Sunday. Police designated the back parking lot of the strip club as a crime scene and reported that crime scene investigations, the criminal investigations division, vice-narcotics and the mobile command post were on the scene.

Scarfone said today that he closed LAX last night to allow police to conduct their investigation, but it will reopen tonight at 9 p.m. He is in the process of trying to sell the club, and said he notified the prospective buyer of the shooting. In response to the shooting, Scarfone said he has ordered security to conduct a search of cars entering the parking lot before allowing patrons in the club. In contrast to what took place at the N Club last month, Scarfone said a physical altercation at LAX spilled out into the parking lot.

Asked if he thought there was anything that could have been done to prevent the shooting that occurred near the N Club, Scarfone said his employees had taken all the precautions that they could. He said that his security currently subjects patrons to a hand wand procedure and pat-down to prevent weapons from being brought into the club.

“A verbal, not a physical altercation occurred inside,” he said. “There were two groups. Our security told one group to leave. That group left — I wasn’t there — but I’m told that they said some things that you can’t print in a newspaper. The bottom line is it wasn’t very nice. It was something to the effect of ‘we will take our blankety-blank money and go spend it at Inferno. They went across the street and went to Inferno. These people were at the Inferno. The other guys left and started walking towards February One Place. That’s when the shooting took place.

“In hindsight,” he added, “I don’t know what could have been done differently.”

GPD: Scarfone warned of arrest for violating sidewalk cafe ordinance

Greensboro city administration responds to complaints by city councilmembers Zack Matheny (District 3) and Mike Barber (District 4) about police enforcement of the sidewalk cafe ordinance this afternoon with an 18-page set of memos and other documents.

At the top of the stack is a memo dated July 31 from Cpl. KB Johnson to Assistant Chief Harold Scott that, according to Matheny, innacurately describes him as being "inside the bar" on the night when Lee Meekins, general manager at Much/Carmine's, was arrested. Matheny did acknowledge that he dined at Carmine's and witnessed the arrest.

The Johnson memo, entitled "Encounters With Much Management Due to Sidewalk Cafe Violations," indicates that Much/Carmine's owner Rocco Scarfone has been disregarding police efforts to bring his restaurant into compliance since late April, and that Scarfone was repeatedly warned that his employees would face arrest if his business continued to violate the ordinance.

Here's an entry for Thursday, April 24:

"Officer TJ Tepedino and I approached Winifred [Lee] Meekins (manager) and Rocky Scarfone (owner) to request that they begin complying with the city ordinance. This was in response to crowd management issues we had experienced on the previous evening. Mr. Scarfone and Mr. Meekins were both present and Mr. Scarfone stated he wasn't aware that there was a timeframe attached to his sidewalk cafe. We showed him the ordinance and told him that we would give him two weeks to adjust to the change and also to give him an opportunity to request a change of the ordinance. I told Mr. Scarfone that evening that in two weeks we would enforce the ordinance by citing them if they continued to violate it."

Scarfone turned up in Greensboro city council chambers on July 15 with lawyer Derek Allen of the Brooks Pierce law firm. Allen requested an amendment to the sidewalk cafe ordinance to allow businesses like the one owned by Scarfone to keep tables and chairs out on the sidewalk until closing time at around 3 a.m. Councilman Barber was ready to move an amendment but his colleagues prevailed upon him to allow the matter to be tabled for further study. District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade joined Barber in arguing for relaxing regulations to help downtown business owners.

Cpl. Johnson's memo suggests that Scarfone both openly defied the ordinance and did not understand it, indicating that his business has had a string of run-ins this year with the Greensboro police. The memo itemizes

• A police citation for operating the cafe outside of prescribed hours on May 9;
• An enforcement action by state Alcohol Law Enforcement to shut down the cafe after midnight on May 10;
• A voided police citation for operating the cafe after midnight on May 24; and
• A police citation for operating the cafe after midnight on May 31.

Cpl. Johnson said he spoke personally with Scarfone on May 24 when a subordinate was writing a citation to Meekins for operating the cafe after midnight.

"Mr. Scarfone stated that he intended to pay the citations off and continue to keep his cafe open beyond hours," Johnson writes. "I advised Mr. Scarfone that the law he was breaking was not a civil violation but a criminal misdemeanor. I told him that evening that I would arrest him if he did not comply with the ordinance."

Cpl. Johnson says police met with Assistant City Manager Jim Westmoreland and Downtown Greensboro Inc. President Ed Wolverton on June 4.

"By that time Mr. Scarfone had retained an attorney and was alleging that we were bullying him because his establishments were patronized by African-Americans," Cpl. Johnson writes. "I outlined at that meeting everything that had transpired up until that point. The consensus at that meeting was that we had been more than accommodating to the management of the restaurant and any further violations would result in arrest. Afterwards Sgt. Hunter instructed Cpl. Hollis to go by and speak again with the management of Much. Cpl. Hollis spoke to them that evening and relayed that further violations would be dealt with by a physical arrest of whoever was in charge of the business at the time."

In July, various city council members got involved in the conflict, and police contend that Scarfone's business continued to defy the ordinance.

Cpl. Johnson writes that on July 16, the night after Scarfone appeared with his lawyer in city council chambers, Sgt. Steve Hunter escorted District 1 Councilwoman Dianne Bellamy-Small downtown and "both observed that the Much Cafe was open beyond 11 p.m. and that there were people drinking wine in the cafe. No enforcement action was taken."

And on July 26, Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson Groat and at-large Councilman Robbie Perkins "were touring the downtown area.... I was escorting Councilwoman Groat. At 10 minutes after midnight I drove by the Much cafe and it was still open and operating. I took no enforcement action and the cafe was later closed." YES! Weekly Editor Brian Clarey, who also accompanied Groat, confirms that the cafe was operating beyond the cutoff time.

On July 30, Cpl Johnson writes that Sgt. Steve Hunter cited Meekins for operating the cafe beyond hours, and told him any further violations would result in his arrest.

Which brings the story up to last Thursday, as told by Sgt. Hunter in an e-mail to Assistant Chief Scott the following morning.

"I was traveling north on Elm Street from Washington Street," Hunter writes. "As I passed through the 100 block of South Elm Street I observed that the sidewalk cafe at Much Restaurant [was] still in operation. The area was still roped off and all chairs and tables were occupying a large portion of the sidewalk. I checked the time on my cellular telephone and the time displayed was 10:07 p.m. I parked in the right turn lane just north of the restaurant and activated the flashers on the police vehicle."

Hunter said he asked someone at the podium in front of the building for the person "in charge of the restaurant."

"Moments later Winifred [Lee] Meekins appeared and said something to the effect of what is the problem," Hunter writes. "Meekins was accompanied by two or three other acquaintances, I am not certain if they were employees or not. I then told Mr. Meekins that his cafe was still open after the mandated closing time. Meekins then began to argue that the cafe was not open and I responded by telling him that he was under arrest. Meekins turned his back to me and began started [SIC] to use his cell phone stating that he was going to call his lawyer. I told Meekins that I did not care who he called but he needed to place his hands on the wall so that I could begin arrest procedures. Meekins turned to face the north wall of the restaurant and told someone to go and get 'Rocky.' I then told Meekins to place his hands on the wall and performed a quick search of his person. On the [community resource team] channel I radioed Cpl. Hollis and advised him that I needed a car with a shield to transport a prisoner. I asked Meekins to place his left hand behind his back and he complied. After getting one cuff on Rocky Scarfone appeared and asked Meekins what was going on. Meekins then told Scarfone that he was being arrested for not closing the cafe. Mr. Scarfone then remarked that we have until 11 o'clock. Meekins then stated, 'No, it's 10 o'clock.'"

Matheny said on Monday that he requested a list of violations of the sidewalk cafe ordinance.

"I do agree that this establishment has been treated unfairly," he said. "I was there and I witnessed [Meekins' arrest]. There area a couple of other establishments that I frequent in the morning, and they're technically in violation, but they're treated differently." The ordinance stipulates that businesses may not operate before 11 a.m.

Matheny went on to characterize the arrest as "excessive."

Cpl. Johnson's memo lists a dozen businesses with sidewalk cafe permits, and notes only three incidents: once when Rim operated its sidewalk cafe beyond the cutoff time, and twice when the Green Bean neglected to put a rope around its sidewalk tables. In all three incidents, Cpl. Johnson said, the problems were corrected immediately after an officer spoke to a business manager.