Posted on 05/02/2020 7:20:19 AM PDT by raccoonradio
NEWRY, Maine — The co-owner of Sunday River Brewing Co. in Newry who defied state orders by opening his doors to diners on Friday afternoon has lost his state health and liquor licenses, he said.
Restaurants must obtain state heath licenses to legally serve food.
More than 150 people came to Sunday River Brewing Co. in Newry on Friday afternoon after co-owner Rick Savage announced Thursday night that he would reopen in defiance of state orders meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
After learning that he’d lost the licenses around 4:30 p.m., Savage initially said he planned to keep operating the restaurant and just pay the daily fines that he would face. However, later in the evening, Sunday River Brewing Co. posted a Facebook post stating that the restaurant would be closed until further notice.
Frustration with the state’s coronavirus-related business restrictions has been growing in some circles, but the restaurant’s deliberate act of disobedience appeared to be the clearest example yet of those tensions boiling over in Maine.
Although the restaurant initially said it would open at 4 p.m., it started serving food after people showed up around noon in defiance of a March order from Gov. Janet Mills that barred dine-in restaurant service.
By 4:30 p.m., the crowd of diners lined up around the building on Route 2 had grown to a peak of around 150. By 6 p.m., the restaurant had served roughly 250 people, according to an employee.
Savage, who announced the restaurant’s opening on Fox News on Thursday night while criticizing the Democratic governor and reading her cellphone number on the air, said that he was not worried some of the diners coming from areas with more documented coronavirus cases would spread it in his restaurant.
That was partly because he was enforcing distancing guidelines that other businesses have adopted during the pandemic. If Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart “can do 6-foot spacing and be open,” then his restaurant could as well, he said.
“I really don’t believe it. I don’t believe it at this point,” he said, when asked if it might be dangerous to let those diners into the restaurant. “I’m not a medical expert. I serve food, you know.”
As for the many diners standing less than 6 feet from each other while waiting for a seat, he said, “I can’t tell them where to stand and what to do. We’re America. If they want to isolate, they can isolate.”
Violating orders made under the governor’s emergency powers are punishable as a misdemeanor crime and the deputy director of the state’s liquor regulator said Savage could face a penalty if he opened to dine-in customers.
"That's a nice place you have there. Be a shame if you couldn't sell food and liquor anymore."
The mob had nothing on our wise, benevolent, and honest government.
Totally agreed. This problem, which exists to various extents across the country, can only be solved by citizens revolting directly against the superstitious and unscientific lockdown. No majority of politicians is capable of it because politicians are either communist or if not, on balance driven by fear, not by freedom.
So this one's up to the people, and there isn't time to wait for elections in this case.
Outright disobedience is all that's available. The real meaning for that disobedience, whatever the politicians and media call it, is 'you, government, aren't the source of my freedom, it doesn't flow from your laws. It already IS.'
Governor’s don’t write laws, legislatures write laws. Under what law is this shutdown being enforced?
We all need to resort to recall elections.NOW.
The gestapo just deprived this man of his livelihood.
Declare the restaurant as your home and invite any of your “relatives” in to a dinner party. If they wish to help with the costs, then donate.
I believe Rick is my third cousin on my third grandfather’s second wife, side of our family!
See you soon, Cous’n!
I wondered what the little dictator leftist governors would do if an inferior underling citizen tried to resist and declare himself or herself “free.”
Gretchen the Witch Whitmer probably is leaning back in her desk chair right now contemplating punishments and threats.
Whitmer to aide: “Send the police, in armored vehicles, and have them tear gas and club the resisters at the city park who defied me.”
Aide: “But, they’re, uh, uh, they’re persons of color.”
Whitmer: “Uh, oh. Cancel that stuff. Pass out supplementary food benefit cards to them all.”
Isn’t it convenient that we are locked down which makes obtaining, filling and filing recall petitions almost impossible. That plus the worst of the Governors have Rat SOS’s so good luck getting a recall on a ballot within a year.
There sure are a LOT of communist women holding political office nowadays. Isaiah 3:12
There is some winter tourism, particularly near the Sunday River ski area.The Sunday River Brewing Company which tried to re-open is in that area. It is a very rural area. Except for a few roads it is basically miles of forest.
Many parts of Maine are dependent on tourism. Unfortunately I doubt the Governor is smart enough to realize that without some economic activity soon there won't be enough tax money coming in to keep the government running.
It will be interesting to see what happens when the state can't meet their payroll.
Libtards have taken the cities who determine the election even more with rank stench voting.
Maine will increase the sales tax, business tax and gas tax guaranteed.
Yes. Dems FREQUENTLY use their ‘power’ for personal reasons.
Ranked voting should be illegal. I suspect it is. You get ONE VOTE. Doesn’t matter who you might prefer second. But of course, it’s another way the Dems cheat themselves into office.
“The mob had nothing on our wise, benevolent, and honest government.”
Just pay the mob their street tax and they’d leave you alone and protect you as well.
The kids of boomers are much worse.
What does Maine even have - 5 cases?
Death rate 4 per 100,00
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109011/coronavirus-covid19-death-rates-us-by-state/
They’d save more lives by banning swimming
OMG!! SHE-NAZI needs a LESSON!!
That was the exact reaction that I suspected from the state.
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