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Appearing to discuss the new ordinance regulating amusement devices <br />were Sam Nilva, National Amusement Company, 3591 Glenhurst, who <br />owns the machines in Apache Plaza Ball and Jerry Schiena, 2821 <br />Hilldale Avenue N.E., of St. Anthony Lanes. <br />Mr. Nilva said he had operated amusement devices at Apache for the <br />past 15 years and had never received a complaint about misbehavior <br />of children who used such machines. He opposed the provision in <br />the ordinance which would require more than 10 of such devices to <br />be placed in a specific center with supervision provided for that <br />center. Ile felt isolating the machines would result in a "pool hall <br />atmosphere" which would encourage the patronage of a disruptive class <br />of juveniles. He said such a center in the basement of Apache had <br />to be discontinued for just that reason. The 23 electronic games <br />and 7 rides provided by Mr. Nilva in the mall area are now supervised <br />by the security guard, provided by the Apache management for sur- <br />veillance of the center. <br />Councilman Sundland arrived at 7:55 P.M. <br />Louis Chiodo, 3001 Silver Lake Road, former security guard for Apache, <br />agreed with fir. Nilva. Rather than being called to the shopping <br />Center to answer complaints about juveniles using the games, the <br />City police answered complaints regarding the "elements in the bowl- <br />ing alley below the mall or shoplifters at Montgomery Flr_rd". He <br />contended that police had never been called because of intimidation <br />of the shopping center's customers by youths who play the devices. <br />In an effort to establish the respectability of his electronic <br />amusement devices, fir. Nilva cited numerous civic organizations, <br />churches, hospitals and motels who use his machines as well as shop- <br />ping centers where such devices are not confined to one area. He <br />said he had already refused to provide devices for the roller rink <br />which had been proposed for the building just vacated by the flea <br />market. <br />Councilman Stauffer agreed with his assumption that the rides might <br />be supervised by the parents of the youngsters who patronized them <br />but said that left the other 23 electronic devices which are played <br />by juveniles to a large extent unsupervised. <br />fir. Shiena then wondered if the 10 machines whicl, include a pool <br />table in operation in his bowling alley would constitute a center <br />under the new ordinance and was told the pool table came under <br />separate licensing. He also questioned the wisdom of the provision <br />in the ordinance which would prohibit the transfer of licenses from. <br />one machine to another and that was one of the points which Council <br />members will consider in further study of the ordinance before the <br />second reading at the November 23rd Council meeting. The Manager <br />said the Police Department would have a representative present at <br />that meeting to comment on the reasons they had recommended the new <br />ordinance. <br />(2) <br />