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-7- <br /> who <br /> 7-who are , rather, "mostly from 19 to 25 years of age . Mr. Springfield <br /> insisted he could never make a .go of- it if he had to close at 9 :00 P.M. <br /> He also said, that since he anticipates he will draw the same type of <br /> customers to his St. Anthony establishment, .he resents the inference <br /> they would be "riff raff" . He operateson the principle that "people <br /> will hang out where they feel comfortable,, and .if you don' t want them, <br /> it's easy to make them uncomfortable" . Mr. Springfield said bowling <br /> alleys used to have the. same type. of reputation pool halls have now and <br /> he 's .doing :his best to change .this . He reiterated that Chief Nelson <br /> has never. indicated he has any problem with the Coon Rapids establish- <br /> ment and is certain. the police would let him know if people reported <br /> any complaints . Instead, ..many .people have made favorable comments about <br /> his business in the sixteen months he has been in Coon Rapids , accord- <br /> ing to the billiard/bar owner. <br /> Mrs . Lane' s question about how much a fourteen year old would spend <br /> was "a tough one" -for Mr. Springfield -because he said it would all <br /> depend on "how good the boy was . at playing the games" . However, he <br /> insisted most of his customers are young working .adults since most <br /> kids and people who are unemployed would not be able to afford the fees <br /> he has to charge for his games because of his high overhead. Other <br /> smaller operations , like the one in the St. Anthony shopping center, <br /> with more amusement devices , can probably charge less . The owner said <br /> a young man and his date could have -an enjoyable evening in the Coon <br /> Rapids Chick' s for around $6 . 00 . Mr. Springfield responded to one of <br /> the questions put to him by saying, "it is true , I don 't live near a <br /> • pool hall , but, I am very comfortable having my own children working <br /> in my business , even the late hours , although, of course , they are <br /> both college age" . This type of operation should generate less traffic <br /> than 'a grocery store,. and Mr. Springfield refutes the conclusion that, <br /> "it has to cause trouble" . He is convinced that the neighbors ' con- <br /> cerns "will go away once he is in operation" , and they will come to see <br /> his business as an asset, rather than a detriment, in the long run, <br /> because they will see for themselves he is not just a "quick buck <br /> operator" . <br /> Accompanying Mr. Springfield were his =attorney, Mark Gehan, West 1100 , <br /> First National Bank Building, St. Paul; Bob Rhodes ; William Miller; Dave <br /> Stahl; and Dick Schillinger. Mr. Miller said he operates the- Coon <br /> Rapids Karate Association .from the store next to Chick's and "would <br /> never have advertised cooperatively with Mr. Springfield if Chick' s had <br /> a bad reputation or was a hangout for ruffians" . He said he is usually <br /> at his school from .10 :00 A.M. to 10 :00 P .M. and has yet to 'see a brawl <br /> in Chick 's.. The. karate instructor then told about .the community <br /> oriented promotions- in which he and Mr. Springfield .have been involved. <br /> Mr. Stahl told .the Council he has been a bartender in Chick ' s since it <br /> opened. He works most of the late evening and weekend shifts and he <br /> has yet to have to "raise a fist" since he came to work there. He was <br /> anxious to clear up the misunderstanding about the "brawl" reported <br /> by a St. Anthony resident, which he assumes, was the family argument <br /> • between two brothers which occurred at 3 :20 A.M. one Saturday morning. <br /> He had observed that the two gentlemen sitting at the bar drinking <br /> coffee seemed to have had a death in the family and started discussing <br /> about some of the details . Mr. Stahl said five other gentlemen who <br /> knew one of the two walked in, and that brother punched the other; said, <br />