By Rich Larson, News Director
Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a motion for a restraining order yesterday against the Alibi Drinkery in
Lakeville, saying that the establishment is in violation of the Governor’s order against in-person dining at bars and restaurants due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Alibi is owned by Lisa Monet Zarza who also owns and operates Froggy Bottoms in Northfield. Zarza opened the Alibi on Wednesday as a part of the ReOpen Minnesota campaign. She said that she and her partner are frustrated by the state mandated shutdown, and it was time to take a stand.
Zarza said she understands that the Covid-19 pandemic is a major problem, but she has been unable to make a living during the shutdown, and her concern for her staff overrides any consequences she may have to deal with.
“I knew exactly what would happen. We have spoken with lawyers; we have no lawyers retained. We are representing ourselves as the people of the United States. And we know what was at stake. We also know what was at stake to not open. It was our staff’s livelihood, our livelihood, and our Constitutional rights. It wasn’t just one cut-and-dried reason. We were getting a lot of people from the community saying ‘Hey how are you guys doing? Do you need anything? How’s your staff doing?’ And that’s when I started reaching out to our staff and finding out just how bad it was for them.”
Asked about the public health reasons behind the mandated shutdown, Zarza said that there are any number of businesses that have not been shut down where people could contact the virus, and she believes her industry has been unfairly targeted.
“We’re not trying to be pioneers. There are other people who have gone before us. And we’re just fighting for what’s ours. Honestly, we’re just fighting for what’s ours. We’re fighting for what we have worked our whole lives for, for what our staff has done their whole lives. You just can’t take away constitutional rights without expecting someone to say, ‘Enough is Enough.’”
Asked about the state’s actions to suspend her license, Zarza was blunt.
“They cannot suspend our liquor license without an administrative hearing. And we do not have a court date set yet.”
Attorney General Ellison’s office issued a statement yesterday afternoon saying that the restraining order is necessary because “Immediate and irreparable injury will result if the State is required to wait until Alibi Drinkery can be fully heard in opposition.”
Zarza said she has no plans at this time to re-open Froggy Bottoms.
Lisa Monet Zarza’s entire conversation with Jeff Johnson can be heard HERE.
Hospital & Clinics issue statement regarding vaccination priorities and timeline
The Northfield Hospital and Clinics issued a statement yesterday, saying they will begin vaccinating Hospital and Clinic staff next week against Covi-19, but will only receive enough vaccine for those “Priority 1-A” workers.
The statement said that the federal and state governments have control over the vaccination process, and there is no timeline for vaccinating the general public. It could take more than two months to vaccinate the healthcare workers and nursing home residents across the country. Once that is accomplished, the general public can begin to receive the vaccine.
NHC anticipates receiving from the federal and state governments at the same time the general public does. There is no established wait list for the vaccine, and the clinic is not currently taking vaccination appointments.
NH&C president Steve Underdahl said through the statement, “We can truly see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we are in a very vulnerable moment. We have more cases of COVID now than we have all year. Stress and fatigue make us want to take a holiday away from COVID worries right now. We simply can’t. This is a crucial time to keep ourselves and our families well.”
While waiting to receive the vaccine, NH&C strongly recommends everybody stick with the standard COVID precautions: Wear a mask, keep a safe distance, don’t gather, and stay home as much as possible.
