According to former Green Dragon minority owner, brewer, and publican, Lorren “LoLo” Lancaster, he has registered a name for his next venture.  Not letting the setback of losing his beloved pub, Lancaster said today that he plans to dub his next venture “Civil Disobedience.”  He also says he has registered the name and will not sell this dream to anyone.

Posted under Beer personalities

One Nation Under Rogue.

Rogue:

The papers have been signed.  Rogue has purchased what was the Green Dragon pub and bistro.  Lorren “LoLo” Lancaster says “Ed offered me a fair shake and when we went in to talk to the Rogue guys, he caved.” Lancaster, a minority owner in the original Green Dragon undertaking says of majority owner Ed Schwartz: “He never truly cared about this business.  This culture we built here, he didn’t build it.”   Lancaster says that Schwartz told him “‘If you put liens against your house I accept your conditions.’ He got nervous about a bunch of stuff.”  Lancaster said that Brett Joyce of Rogue disallowed the idea of more time to work out a deal with others to keep the Green Dragon a non-corporate enterprise.  Lancaster says Joyce kept with “If it goes two more days this offer doesn’t stand (conditions).  They had (Schwartz) him over a barrel.”  According to Lancaster, Schwartz “said one thing and did another.  (Saying stuttering) ‘this is my only way out’”  So what now?  Lancaster feels disappointed, but not deflated.   After papers were signed before him, Lancaster told friends and employees back at the Green Dragon.  “In fear of there jobs, they were really bummed out” says Lancaster.  ” I have been fighting as hard as I can.  This is our house.   We built it.”  He also says that prominent people approached him with offers to save it .  “If they really have it, we are going to open our own place and (utilize) all the artwork available.”

What appears to distress Lancaster and other Green Dragon loyalists is that Schwartz and Rogue tried to “make it seamless like no one knew, but we blew it up.”

So what now?

“I don’t know” admits Lancaster.  “A good friend of mine who will be GM is gonna make it the same.  You have dough and longevity.  They only wanted it all.”

As for Schwartz, Lancaster says “He’s gonna get a big bag and go to his cabin and watch a bunch of movies and chill out.”

“Something like 30 people employed by this place.   Rogue offered people to move to places like Eugene…made them offers they have to refuse.  Many of these people have families and can’t just move to places like Newport and San Francisco. They’re not seventeen years old.”

What about Lancaster and his brewing?  He says “This isn’t the end of me making beer.  Right now I’m just having a beer and gettin a hundred phone calls.  We’re going to open another place.  Our declaration of war is going to the (Portland) Mercury and possibly the Willamette Week and the Oregonian.  We’re gonna build another place.  I am totally focused.  I didn’t get to where I am by worrying.”

Posted under beer events, brewpubs

I just received a call from Lorren “LoLo” Lancanster, who is still as I type these words, a one-third owner of the Green Dragon Pub and Bistro.  In protest to majority owner Ed Schwartz’s intent to sell the business to Rogue, Lancaster has responded to Rogue’s Declaration of Independence with the following Declaration of War:

Declaration of War

We the minority owners of The Green Dragon, the little people, the Founders Club, the loyal patrons who love the Dragon so, openly declare war on the oppressive forces of the Rogue Nation. We make this Declaration in response to Rogue’s direct attack upon the Dragon.

For those who do not know, Rogue is seeking to execute a hostile take over of the Dragon. This takeover is against the wishes of the masses. Our pockets may not be deep, but our hearts are, and our numbers many.

I implore you to visit Rogue’s website and read their creed, their declaration of independence and what they believe in. Their creed makes many claims about the beliefs and values of the Nation. If you read the creed you will see that the Nation’s actions are in direct violation of their creed. Due to the Nation’s direct violation of their creed we request that all members of the Nation, who believe in what Rogue allegedly stands for, to stand with us in our new revolution. We encourage you to act in some sort of symbolic protest. Perhaps all members of the Nation who are against the Treasonous acts of their leaders, mail or deliver their Nation ID’s back to Rogue. Ghandi was at the forefront of non-violence protest, the art of Satyagraha—the résistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience. Join us!

Rogue claims to be a small revolution. They aspire to be a successful organization “without being big.” Rogue claims they will “stand up to the big guy trying to bully his way into whatever business or territory he wants.” They claim Rogue will be “David.” In Rogue’s “Fundamental Agreement” they make many claims such as: “they will be honest on the battlefield, and most important “cut out the BS.”

The Nation further believes as stated in their “Declaration of Independence” that the members of their nation “are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these Freedom of Expression, Absence of Bull Shit, Variety, and the pursuit of Beer with Taste. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituting among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the Consumers: that when any Form of Government becomes destructive to taste, Expression, Quality, or Fun, it is the right of the Consumers to alter or to abolish it and to institute a new Government.” Further, they declare that all members of their Nation shall “of Right ought to be Free and Independent.” Well Rogue, we the Consumers, we the family of Green Dragon, wish to abolish you from our nation.

The leaders of the Nation need to take a long look in the mirror. There they will find a bunch of hypocrites. They are a large multi-national corporation, seeking to take down the little guy. I am certain this backdoor sneak attack, an undercover theft of the Dragon, is not “honesty on the battlefield.” The Dragon’s alleged crime: trying to build a place for the neighborhood, a place where friends and family can drink good beer and food at reasonable prices. We the family of the Dragon truly represent David and we will take down the Goliath known as Rogue. If they truly believe the claims they make on their website, they will lay their arms down and leave the battlefield. If you, the leaders of the Nation surrender now, we many revolutionaries will take no further action, you will be allowed to return to your homes. However, you will get no spoils of war from us.

Just like the founding fathers based at the Original Green Dragon, who formed a revolution to crush the British, we also will spill Rogue’s Tea. The Founding Fathers of the United States wrote in their Declaration of Independence: “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal stationed to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the cause which impel them to separation.” (July 4, 1776). We, the many of the Dragon, are equally stationed, our opinions dictate and require that you remain separate. Two separate nations free to do what they desire.

This aggression will not stand….man (“The Dude”)

“Let us cry havoc and release the [dragons] of war.” (William Shakespeare and his dogs)

Signed—

The Many. The Proud. The family of the Dragon.

According to Lancaster, the war declaration was passed around the Dragon last night and “signed by many faithful Green Dragon patrons.” Lancaster added that, in the presence of Rogue’s prospective new management, a Green Dragon “faithful” displayed and burned a Rogue Nation card.  “The support of the Green Dragon community has been amazing” said Lancaster.  “We are not going down without a fight.”  Further, there appears to be a growing interest in making the Green Dragon a co-op brewpub.  More to come as things unravel.

Posted under Beer personalities