The Tiki Bar did not have its liquor license revoked at Thursday night’s meeting of the Calvert County Board of License Commissioners, commonly called the “Liquor Board.”
It was a close call, though, as Chairman J. Allen Swann dissented in the 2-1 vote. It was the latest chapter in the long-running dispute between Dr. Ronald Ross and owners of the popular Solomons establishment.
The Tiki Bar issue was last on the board’s agenda, and centered on the issue raised by Ross at a May 12 special hearing — whether part-owner Michael Theesen of Lusby had a “pecuniary interest” in the Tiki Bar. “PT Tiki Inc. has not met the legal requirement of having a county resident who has paid greater than $5,000 of actual consideration for a pecuniary interest in the license. Since the licensees have not met the legal requirements of obtaining a license, nor have they since 2006, the licensee could not have been legally granted a liquor license and therefore the license is null and void.”
Swann began Thursday’s consideration by introducing an affidavit from Theodore P. LeBlanc, who had owned Theesen’s stock before. In it, LeBlanc stated that there was no oral agreement between him and majority stockowner Patrick Donovan, and that the memorandum of sale was the whole agreement.
On May 12, Donovan had stated the “pecuniary interest” was a promissory note, callable at any time, which was first issued to Pamela J. Tarr. When her stock was transferred to LeBlanc and later to Theesen, the promissory note traveled along, although no significant cash ever exchanged hands in consideration of the stock. The situation became even cloudier with the transfer of the stock from LeBlanc to Theesen. LeBlanc had given Donovan a check, but the check was never deposited.
Swann had been visibly annoyed May 12, saying, “It seems like everyone’s ge
