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| LONG TIME ABC BOARD MEMBER MICKEY POWELL GIVES INSTRUCTIONS TO NEWLY APPOINTED CHAIRMAN FREDDIE BLACK AT THE NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING. BLACK IS THE THIRD CHAIRMAN OF THIS BOARD DURING THE HUTCHINSON ADMINISTRATION. |
Newly appointed Alcoholic Beverage Control Board chairman Freddie Black must have taken a peek at our post about his appointment.
Black actually stated that his first appearance as chairman might be his last.
If not for the experience of long-time ABC Board member Mickey Powell, the ABC Board would be like an amoeba in a swimming pool and they might still be sitting at the table a week later.
Powell, a former board chairman himself, relocated from his position at the end of the table were he was relegated by the two previous Hutchinson appointed board chair's to the one next to Black and was overheard giving him instructions.
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| POWELL(left) IMPARTS WORDS OF WISDOM TO THE NEW ABC BOARD CHAIRMAN FREDDIE BLACK |
Black floundered each time he swore a witness in and seemed to be amazed that he was asked to serve as chairman by his pal Asa.
AS you can see in the video, it appeared that Black was chewing his cud or a wad of gum most of the meeting.
Most of the chit-chat he made with other board members was about deer hunting.
Black was not the only ABC staffer to have some issues with the process.
Fresh from a stint with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, newly hired staff attorney Deanna Ray, was lacking in knowledge of ABC rules and regulations.
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| DEANNA RAY - ABC STAFF ATTORNEY |
The monthly board meeting concluded rather swiftly and that was a good thing.
TV stations were there to cover the permit for Searcy restaurant El Amacen that Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Alice Gray tossed back to the board.
Stephen Morely, the attorney for El Amacen, obtained what was probably his fastest decision from and ABC Board when he called ABC Enforcement Agent Shebly Clark, who like to use his former rank from the Arkansas State Police, as a witness.
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| ABC ENFORCEMENT AGENT CPL SHELBY CLARK - ALSO A REALTOR IN WYNNE, AR IN HIS SPARE TIME |
Clark caused the restaurant to be denied a permit months earlier when he made an "executive decision" to bend ABC rules and regulations.
Attorney Moerly introduced an affidavit from Agent Cpl. Clark into evidence and the board quickly voted to approve the permit.
ABC Administration Director Mary Robin Casteel has been noticeably absent from the board meetings and maybe she should be there to help the attorneys hired to fill her shoes get a grip on things.
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| CASTEEL |
We can't wait to see what happens at the December board meeting.