"Straight Edgers" destroy smoke/coffee/music club

XHonusWagnerX - 1-13-2006 at 11:03 AM

RASHAE OPHUS JOHNSON - Daily Herald

As the smoke cleared and the dust settled around midnight New Year's Eve, the scene at Ironic Ashes was ironic indeed. The first dawn of 2006 revealed the final remains of the downtown Provo smoke/coffee/music shop: gaping holes in the walls, smashed toilets, exposed electrical wiring, shredded ceiling panels and a busted stage.

Though the destruction is blatant, just how it happened and who is responsible are looming debates. It has been attributed to everything from a riot to a hate crime, from a gang message to simply a wild New Year's Eve bash.

All that's certain is Ironic Ashes is gone forever.

The end began with a routine compliance check New Year's Eve. Provo Fire Marshal Jim Guinn said inspectors arrived to discover a rowdy crowd that grossly exceeded the building capacity.

"The facility was overcrowded. We asked management to have some people leave the building, and they asked everybody to leave," Guinn said.

As fire officials realized the extent of the damage, they ordered that the live wires be repaired before Ironic Ashes could reopen for business. They notified police and departed.

The business manager and private security staff "called it a riot," Guinn said. "We didn't call it that." Nor, he added, did they condemn the building, but a sign posted on the building says it was shut down by order of the fire marshal.

Property manager Cathy Orehowski will not allow anyone -- even the business owners/tenants -- inside because of its hazardous condition, based on her understanding of the fire marshal's orders. She is awaiting word from an insurance adjuster who surveyed the destruction, but she said fire inspectors guesstimated damages at $10,000 to $20,000. She and her father, property owner Dell Cox, are planning to completely overhaul the location because the bottom level of the building was "trashed."

Orehowski blames poor business management. The business manager, who was working that night, blames mass hysteria.

"We were already notorious for throwing some pretty squirrely shows, but people just got out of control," said manager Glen Goss. "The staff did everything they could to keep people safe and get it under control, but you could almost call it a riot."

In addition to regular local music fans, the "hard-core" band playing that night attracted many attendees from outside Utah Valley. He acknowledged that some outsiders sported the "pale skinhead" look of "extremist" Straight Edge gang members, some of who use violence to impose their opposition to alcohol and other vices. But he resisted attributing the vandalism to gang violence.

"Most of the Provo Straight Edgers are peaceful," Goss said. "If it was Straight Edgers -- and I'm not saying it was -- they weren't local."

Ironic Ashes owner Curtis Cochran says it was Straight Edgers who trashed his business. "This was definitely a hate crime. What they're opposed to is everything my shop stood for."

The Straight Edgers weren't alone in their opposition to the smoke, coffee and hard-core music that earned Ironic Ashes a rowdy reputation since it opened two years ago. Cochran said he has fought off attacks in the form of zoning challenges and harassment from various branches of city administrators to a wrongful eviction attempt by the property owner and Orehowski.

He said he defended the business thanks to intervention by Dave Knecht, a Provo Municipal Councilman until his term ended last month. But other than helping to clear a miscommunication between Cochran and one council member, Knecht said he recalls no other controversy related to Ironic Ashes.

Orehowski denied Cochran's assertions that she wanted to shut down Ironic Ashes because of the nature of the business. She said bands consistently played later than allowed, patrons violated parking restrictions and the crowds regularly exceeded capacity.

The New Year's Eve mayhem was the final straw for Orehowski, who has ordered Cochran and everyone else from Ironic Ashes to stay off the property. She said legal action is under consideration.

Cochran "has sole responsibility for his clientele and anyone he is doing business with," she said. "He is responsible for anything they do" to the property.

Meanwhile Cochran's attorney is working to restore access to the building through the end of January when his lease expires.

"As a renter I am responsible, but I'm also supposed to be able to get in there and get it cleaned up and repaired," he said.

Police classified the destruction as felony criminal mischief but did not arrest anyone. Provo Lt. Jerry Harper said the case is inactive and will remain so unless new information arises as to who trashed the place.

Cochran called it "collective incompetence" that the police didn't arrest anybody and aren't actively investigating the case. He planned to relocate Ironic Ashes when his building lease expired this month, but said he has given up since the outcome of this incident will make it impossible for him to secure another commercial lease.

"My business plans are pretty much kaput. If I do it again it will be in Wendover or somewhere like that," he said. "For me, the moral of the story is Provo is a hostile place for non-Mormon standards. This oasis that I created for people to enjoy coffee and exchange ideas freely was destroyed."

www.heraldextra.com/content/view/159633/4/

clevohardcore - 1-13-2006 at 11:18 AM

"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII AM STRAIGHT EDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Voodoobillyman - 1-13-2006 at 12:03 PM

Since when does the "pale bald head" go with XXX? buncha nonsense is all.

Gooch - 1-13-2006 at 12:36 PM

"A FIRESTORM TO PURIFY!!!!!!!!!"

BKT - 1-13-2006 at 04:58 PM

another reason why anyone that is SE should be shot in the head.

MM.

serenity - 1-13-2006 at 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by metal mulisha
another reason why anyone that is SE should be shot in the head.

MM.

i agree, because there arent any worse people on the planet than edgers...

upyerbum - 1-13-2006 at 06:20 PM

Maybe if they smoked a big cannon and had a beer they'd fucking relax. Coffee houses are for fucking hippies anyway.

BKT - 1-13-2006 at 06:40 PM

at least 50 party's and fucks chics. Better than sitting around and being pissed that you are Straight Edge. Now if you don't mind I am going out to grab ass and fight, all in the name of booze.

MM.

tireironsaint - 1-13-2006 at 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by metal mulisha
another reason why anyone that is SE should be shot in the head.

MM.

Hey look, another example of what a fucking idiotic waste of space you are.

serenity - 1-13-2006 at 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by metal mulisha
at least 50 party's and fucks chics. Better than sitting around and being pissed that you are Straight Edge. Now if you don't mind I am going out to grab ass and fight, all in the name of booze.

MM.

your life seems to pretty sweet man...

RomanticViolence - 1-13-2006 at 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tireironsaint

Quote:

Originally posted by metal mulisha
another reason why anyone that is SE should be shot in the head.

MM.

Hey look, another example of what a fucking idiotic waste of space you are.

HAHAHAHAHA....
I agree with tireironsaint.

JawnDiablo - 1-13-2006 at 07:59 PM

i think im gonna go and drink a 5th of cuervo and burn down a detox center just to be a dick after reading this crap....

JawnDiablo - 1-13-2006 at 08:03 PM

nah not really, i'm going to drink pepsi and watch DVDs tonight.....

forsaken - 1-14-2006 at 06:56 AM

yeah fuck those straight edge dudes!!! imagine making a personal choice not to drink!!! what a bunch of dumb motherfuckers!!!

METAL MULISHA FOREVORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

clevohardcore - 1-14-2006 at 11:00 AM

HEy MM I heard 50 cent does not drink or do any drugs. HE'S STRIAGHT EDGE!!!!!!!!! I bet him and him and BDP took part in the trashing of the coffee house.

XHonusWagnerX - 1-14-2006 at 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by clevohardcore
HEy MM I heard 50 cent does not drink or do any drugs. HE'S STRIAGHT EDGE!!!!!!!!! I bet him and him and BDP took part in the trashing of the coffee house.

I actually heard that too, but I dont know if its 100% true or not and Im sure hes not "Straight Edge"

As far as the rest of this thread. I know which posts are sarcastic and which are not. The non-sarcastic posts are idiotic. Im straight edge and have been calling my self straight edge for close to 19 years. I have never drank, smoked or done any sort of drug, not even once. That being said I have also never trashed a coffee house, beat up a drunk or yelled at someone smoking.

"Do what you want, but dont you do it to me"

Voodoobillyman - 1-14-2006 at 12:27 PM

Quote:

I am not straight edge, nor do I care about how they choose to live, each to their own, and I really dont care about that stupid fuckin coffee house, but this little piece of wisdom you have bestowed on us............is why you should be shot, now go listen to your fity cent and play gangsta like the dumb white boy you are, shitbag.

Voodoobillyman - 1-14-2006 at 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by XHonusWagnerX

Quote:

Originally posted by clevohardcore
HEy MM I heard 50 cent does not drink or do any drugs. HE'S STRIAGHT EDGE!!!!!!!!! I bet him and him and BDP took part in the trashing of the coffee house.

And I love the fact that you dont pass judgement on those that do choose the alternative lifestyle to yours. I only have a problem with people who have never experienced something but judge others based on what they have heard about it. You know what I mean? Good on ya for the healthy lifestyle Honus and double good on ya for not thinking I'm a shitbag simply because I drink a beer every now and then. I certainly don't think your a shitbag for not drinking. Now MM..........I think he/she/it IS a shitbag for being so ignorant.

Voodoobillyman - 1-14-2006 at 12:32 PM

FIRESTORM THE SHITBAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

XHonusWagnerX - 1-14-2006 at 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Voodoobillyman
FIRESTORM THE SHITBAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well said Billy... on all fronts.

GabeTexasGAMC - 1-14-2006 at 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Voodoobillyman

Quote:

seriously... FUCK BAG!
I am def not sxe, i love to drink and socialize, but MM is just fucked!
Dude, if you are going to have unpopular oppinions, im sure we can all agree to disagree, but if you are going to have shitty, asshole oppinions... GET THE FUCK OUT!

clevohardcore - 1-14-2006 at 01:47 PM

DON'T COME OVER HERE. WE DON'T NEED OR WANT YOU. A MESSAGEBOARD FOR HARDCORE FANS. DOUCHEBAGS WON'T RULE. WITH YOUR SHITHEAD OPINION YOU SHOULD LEAVE AND ROT............. DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is for you thorp board. WE'RE THE ONE AND ONLY...... THORP ......BOARD..........CREW.................

JawnDiablo - 1-14-2006 at 03:11 PM

i heard earth crisis in there
i never knew fitty cent was straight
considerin he made his rep slingin dope didnt he?
i could care less
i like most of you
X or not
i need a shower

BDx13 - 1-15-2006 at 01:01 PM

hot hot heat.

BKT - 1-16-2006 at 01:49 PM

LOL. That was easy.

ha haha

MM.