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Earlier this month, Orono Town Council members decided to table the decision of whether to grant Ushuaia nightclub’s request to renew the club’s liquor and special amusements licenses. Councilors said they had questions to ask club owner Alex Gray, regarding nudity and underage drinking at Ushuaia.
Gray was not at the meeting, but will have a chance to defend himself and his club at the Monday, Feb. 11 meeting of the town council.
While the town of Orono is responsible for what goes on within its borders, council members need to remember that the University of Maine is a large part of the community – financially, geographically and demographically. The university provides thousands of jobs for Orono and the surrounding communities. The only reason these jobs exist is because of the students, 20-something people who need to grow both academically and socially. Ushuaia is one of the few venues in Orono that provides a safe, controlled social outlet.
While mistakes have been made in the past at Ushuaia regarding nudity provisions in the special amusements ordinance, it is important that the community support the club and help it improve. There are already too few places in Orono and Old Town for students to spend their down time. One fewer would only lead to more unregulated parties in the community.
While there have been a few public problems at Ushuaia, the safety record at the club is fairly clean – three major incidents in three years according to Gray – showing that he is a responsible business owner. Council members should grant Gray his special amusement license and recommend that the state renew his liquor license pending his promise that he will work to solve the nudity issue and continue to prevent underage drinking.
