County Smoking ban on hold
By Donna Comella

Three local businessmen collected over 1,000 signatures in protest of a proposed smoking ban in Wayne County. But as they sat in the rear of the courtroom this morning, a surprise move by Walworth Supervisor Frank Guelli left them looking stunned.

The three restaurant/bar owners who attended Tuesday morning's meeting of the County Board of Supervisors were Mike Santelli of Trombino's in Lyons, Frank Zappia of The Corner in Newark, and Don Lancaster of Lancaster's Bowling Center & Party House, just outside the Village of Clyde. They presented to Chairman Marv Decker a cardboard box filled with signatures that had been collected at their establishments.

When it came time for Guelli to present a resolution that would establish a public hearing on the smoking ban, he pulled it from the agenda. Without comment, supervisors moved on to the next item. After a few moments, the three restaurant/bar owners stood and left.

Later, Guelli called the move a "strategic withdrawal." He said he had not seen the box of signatures collected, but wasn't impressed with their number. "That's an easy thing to do. I could probably go out here and stand on the street and collect as many."

Guelli said he withdrew the item because he "didn't want to take the chance of it going down." He claimed that restaurant owners had been talking to supervisors and panicked some of them into thinking there would be lost business revenue. Guelli called that a "scare tactic."

Guelli said he will go back to the drawing board with his Task Force and determine a new strategy. "We need to get more information to the public. And maybe we'll have to talk to each supervisor individually."

Whatever the next move is, Guelli assures there will be one. "I've never been one to back down from a fight, and I feel very strongly about this. We have all kinds of laws to protect people from themselves - helmet laws, seatbelt laws...and our job is to legislate for the majority." He vowed, "This is not a done deal by any means."

Editor's note: . The local law would prohibit smoking in most restaurant dining areas, bowling centers (except in bar areas), Bingo halls, etc. Click here to read the 10-page law in its entirety

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