Fairview police chief to seek non-renewal of liquor license

Frequency of drunken incidents at Gin Sun have escalated in past year

By Shannon Wells

The Gresham Outlook, Mar 17, 2010, Updated Mar 17, 2010 (2 Reader comments)

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In early January, a Fairview police officer responded to a call at the Gin Sun Restaurant & Lounge. What he found around 1 a.m. when he arrived at 20725 N.E. Sandy Blvd. he described as a “melee” at least 12-patrons strong.

“Everyone involved was highly intoxicated, belligerent and aggressive,” according to the officer’s report. “Fights were on the verge of erupting both inside the bar and outside in the parking lot. No one was cooperative and I could not get a single person to give even so much as their name. No one wanted to either be a victim or pursue charges.”

That night was one of the more extreme examples, but Fairview police have been responding to incidents at the Gin Sung since at least since July 2006, when owner Lilly Choi received a warning ticket for “over service to visibly intoxicated persons.”

With incidents escalating in the past year, Fairview Police Chief Ken Johnson has had enough.

At tonight’s City Council meeting, Johnson will ask the Council to recommend the Oregon Liquor Control Commission not renew the restaurant’s liquor license. It’s the first time in six years on the job Johnson has made such a request.

“We’ve spoken to the owner. The OLCC has spoken to the owner,” Johnson said. “(The owners) keep saying they’re going to fix it. It certainly doesn’t appear” that they have.

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