In a town which has in times past been too lenient in doling out liquor licenses, approving beer gardens, allowing Madison Street to resemble a frat house, the Forest Park Village Council is surely giving Slainte Irish Pub a bumpy ride in its effort to open its own beer garden.
In 2012 the council outright rejected such a request. And in 2015, despite a thumbs up from the Zoning Board of Appeals, the council voted, Monday, 4-1 to send the Slainte application back to the same board for further review.
Commissioner Tom Mannix said he wants to see a stronger effort by the zoning board to solicit feedback from immediate neighbors and other business owners. He said he’d heard from multiple residents and business people asking for more input.
We see no harm in taking more time, asking more questions, gaining more input.
The inevitable tension between a vibrant business district built at this point largely on the strength of the restaurant and bar trade and a just-across-the-alley residential neighborhood must always be parsed by elected leaders. There is no obvious answer, just thoughtful listening and response.
If it takes one more round through the zoning board to give the council what it needs to make a decision, then that’s OK.
Theresa Giglio Way
It was Forest Park at its best Monday evening as village leaders brought the Giglio family and friends together to announce the coming dedication of a portion of Brown Avenue, that portion near Grant White School, as Theresa Giglio Way.
Mrs. Giglio was the secretary at the school for decades until her retirement in 2013. Shortly after her retirement she was diagnosed with cancer and died in a few short months.
Mayor Anthony Calderone struck the right note in describing Mrs. Giglio as “the face of that school. There was a bright smile that greeted you. … She knew every single kid who walked in and out of that school by first name.”
It is the rare and fortunate school that has such a presence as Theresa Giglio. We all know the mayor is right. The right school secretary sets the tone, carries the memory, tamps down the drama, connects the pieces.
The actual dedication of Theresa Giglio Way will take place on Sept. 19 at 3:30 p.m.
This is a big small thing. And it is the sort of action that builds bonds of community.
