Owners of downtown bars in Vicksburg say they can co-exist with other merchants and residents.

Still, Mayor Laurence Leyens has said he’ll introduce shortly a new ordinance – one saying 75 percent of sales must be food at establishments also licensed to sell drinks.

The debate has followed a confrontation among patrons at the New New Orleans Cafe at Washington and Grove that escalated into a homicide at another location June 17.

Timothy Tillman, manager, said personnel did everything they could to manage the situation in the bar, then three weeks old, but had no control over what happened later.

&#8220It’s tragic what happened later, but that was out of our hands,” Tillman has said.

Vicksburg Police Chief Tommy Moffett has said while that might have been the worst incident, there are ongoing problems with noise, trash, loitering and containers of alcohol being left on the sidewalk.

&#8220You just can’t put a nightclub in the middle of shops, art galleries and residences and expect there to be harmony,” said Moffett, who favors a strict divide.

That would be overbroad, said John Harper, owner of Pig Willie’s, a bar above Harper’s Country Junction BBQ, 1416 Washington St. In his six months of operating downtown the police have never been called to his bar, nearby residents have never complained, no fights have occurred and alcohol always remains inside.

&#8220It’s unfair for there to be one bad apple among the bunch and to let that reflect badly on all of us downtown,” Harper said. &#8220Our customers come to our bar, listen to some music, have a few drinks and have a good time. That’s it.

&#8220There’s no fighting here, and if there ever is, those people are leaving and they aren’t ever coming back.”

Robert Ware, a downtown resident and owner of The Ware House, a lounge at 1412 Washington St. that opened about six weeks ago, agrees.

&#8220I have lived and owned property in downtown for 2 1/2 years now and never have the bars been a disturbance, nor have I ever felt unsafe,” said Ware. &#8220And, because I have two young children, I want downtown to be safe as much as anybody. I wouldn’t continue living downtown if I thought it were unsafe.”

Ware is among several new investors downtown attracted to the area during an urban renewal project the Leyens administration began in 2001. Before that, the area was plagued by vandalism and other crime, with crowds spilling out of bars into raucous street crowds. Logs showed literally hundreds of 911 dispatches to some places. The general downtown cry is, &#8220We’re not going back to that.”

Angela Lovins, who owns The Loft, 1306 Washington St., is one of those who said times have changed. After she took over the bar nearly two years ago, Lovins said, she had to work to overcome a previous establishment’s bad reputation. She said there were incidents of occasional fighting in the beginning, but behavior has improved.

&#8220There’s always potential for problems such as fighting to occur in a bar or nightclub atmosphere, but I don’t think Vicksburg’s downtown has a problem, by any means,” Lovins said. &#8220With the one exception, I feel all of the downtown bar owners have really done well working together and will continue working together to provide a fun but safe night-life for Vicksburg.”

Not only do bar owners believe Vicksburg’s drinking establishments are safe, they feel they are necessary.

&#8220We’re considered a tourist town, and if we want to have a downtown which reflects that we need to have a downtown that provides a nightlife,&#8220 Lovins said. &#8220People need something to do at night when they come to Vicksburg. We have the casinos, but I feel we need more than that, another element of night life.”

Harper said, &#8220I have been to a lot of places in my time, but I feel that Vicksburg’s downtown has as much potential as anywhere around. And as much as we need clothing stores, art stores and everything else, we need a source of entertainment and a place for folks to go at night.”

Leyens said he supports nightlife in downtown Vicksburg, but also said he wants to prevent problems.

That’s why, he said, an ordinance is needed.

&#8220We’re basically trying to prevent downtown from ever becoming a French Quarter kind of atmosphere,” Leyens said of the ordinance, which he noted would not apply to existing establishments, or those with &#8220resort” status.

&#8220We’re hoping we can create a nightlife through more of a restaurant-oriented atmosphere,” he said. &#8220I am all for downtown Vicksburg having a nightlife. But I want to make sure it’s one that is compatible with its surroundings downtown.”

Another option the city has used and Leyens has mentioned is seeking a declaration of a business as a public nuisance. If the city makes its case, business licenses can be revoked.

Killed on June 17 was Justin Maurice Harris. He was shot at his 1224 Grammar St. home shortly after 3 a.m., following a reported fight outside the New New Orleans Cafe.

Charges are pending against four brothers, Anthony, Armond and Alonzo Trevillion and Matthew Nash, along with Rufus Armstrong.

In Mississippi, when municipalities pass ordinances, they become law 30 days after publication.