La Habana Hemingway WINS in New Orleans.

[TommyBB]

This from Glynn Loope who was here to help the cause.
It's been a couple weeks, now, but the store in the Quarter that hadn't been permitted when the ban went into effect petitioned the City Council for an exemption to the new law. They were victorious. You MUST read the article, it's a quick thumbnail full of good folks and great news.

http://stogiepress.com/blog/this-jus...ts-of-america/

As many know, the New Orleans City Council recently passed a smoking ban, all while Sergio was engaged in a permitting scuffle that jeopardized the ability to have smoking in his cigar lounge. He engaged the right lawyers at the local firm of Adams & Reese, mounted a public response with his loyal customers leaping to his defense, met with members of city council, got his landlord, business neighbors, suppliers, and customers that include a former judge and close friends to speak for his cause.

On the evening before the final hearing, the dimly lit atmosphere of La Habana Hemingway cigar lounge had tourists as patrons, coupled with a two local college professors, and former Civil District judge, The Honorable Ron Sholes, who as a cigar connoisseur, bar none, who ironically has a Masters degree in Public Health.

One of those attorneys was a former student of mine back in the early 2000s when I taught at St. Martin's.

[mrdiver]

BB-
This was just for the IPCPA(sp) week? Or always?

[TommyBB]

Originally Posted by mrdiver

BB-
This was just for the IPCPA(sp) week? Or always?

No sir!
They got a 5-1 vote in favor from the same city council that voted 7-0 for the ban.
Go figure. This city, I swear, maybe Keith IS right.
It helped, I think, to have a judge with a degree in public health advocating for them.

[Glynn Loope]

This was a great victory for the cause, and a case study in coalition building.

Glynn Loope, Executive Director
Cigar Rights of America