With live piano music in the background and glasses of wine in their hands, area business owners discussed local issues with mayoral candidate Marty Tellalian at a meet-and-greet last Sunday.
The event – themed ‘Two Cents,’ according to Tellalian – was held at House Red, 7403 Madison St, and it allowed the business community a chance to express their concerns to the mayoral hopeful.
The bustling crowd included businesspeople like Tonya Hart, owner of Two Fish Art Glass – housed next door at 7401 Madison St. She said that Tellalian was one of her first customers, and that they often talk about community issues. Supporter and fellow commissioner Rory Hoskins also made an appearance.
Though the event was held in a wine store, Tellalian said that public drunkenness on Madison Street concerned many residents.
“We want people to have a good time, but when people are walking out of bars with point-two-, point-three- alcohol-content in their blood, a crime has been committed. They’ve been over-served.” he said. “I mean, I grew up in Forest Park, and I used to be one of the guys who would go up and down Madison and go from bar to bar, but we were never so over-served that we would become a nuisance to the surrounding property.”
