Despite receiving a seasonal liquor license, a Campustown bar remains closed for renovations.

MoJazz, 2520 Lincoln Way, received a seasonal liquor license Sept. 27, 2003, after it received 27 liquor violations in a six-month period. The seasonal license expires March 26.

Pio Rivera, a relative of MoJazz owner Dwight Rivera, said Dwight is out of the country. Pio declined to comment on when the bar closed for remodeling, when it will reopen and any other measures it has taken to stop underage drinking.

Although there is no security camera installed outside the bar, employees of MoJazz did attend an identification training program offered by the Ames Police Department in October 2003.

Cmdr. Jim Robinson of the Ames Police said that of 29 attendees of that month’s ID training program, nine were employees of MoJazz.

A seasonal license lasts six months and can be issued to an establishment that does not receive its annual license.

“If there are no violations, it’s most likely they’ll get their [annual] license,” said Diane Voss, Ames city clerk and records manager.

Ames Police Detective Tom Shelton said when police officers are checking a bar for legal compliance, they are not just looking for underage drinkers but for other violations as well.

Shelton said MoJazz was given a violation Sept. 12, 2003, for a fire code violation. The last underage drinking violation was given Aug. 16, 2003.

Lt. Rollie Link, an Ames police officer who often does compliance checks in Campustown, said the last time he did a compliance check at MoJazz was Oct. 10, 2003. He found nothing because the bar was closed.

The bar remained closed on the last compliance check in November 2003.

At an Ames City Council meeting Sept. 23, 2003, Al Ostebee, attorney for Dwight Rivera, manager of MoJazz, said the bar would hire additional employees, install a camera at the front door and turn in false IDs more frequently in order to receive its annual license and stop underage drinking.

Voss said MoJazz hasn’t yet applied for an annual license.

Voss said anyone who sells liquor has to take three steps to receive an annual liquor license:

1. The city runs a background check on the owners.

2. The applicant needs to buy dram shop insurance, which protects the business in case one of its customers gets into an alcohol-related accident.

3. The applicant must also pay a state liquor license fee.

— Daily staff reports contributed to this article.

A correction was printed on Feburary 12, 2004:

Due to reporting errors, the Jan. 21 article “MoJazz still closed for remodeling” contained an inaccuracy. The article stated no security camera was installed outside of the bar. There were security cameras located inside and outside the bar. One had been removed temporarily for remodeling. The Daily regrets the error.