In regards to Alley Katz:
I’ve only ever been to Alley Katz on one occasion, I think it was shortly after they first opened. There were some local guys on stage playing rock and roll music. It was awesome, I love live music! I ran into a lot of friends and acquaintances that I haven’t seen in a while. Quite honestly, I had high hopes for this place.
For whatever reasons, I guess I never got around to going in there again. I visit the bars that are closer to my home. Plus I usually walk, which is a big deciding factor. Cabs are pretty busy on weekends and there have often been times where they’ve told me it could be an hour or more before they could pick me up. So I stick to whats within a short walk.
Also my friends no longer hang out there either.
I’m guessing that Alley Katz no longer plays rock and roll.
Many people are hoping that they lose there liquor license and shutdown. I don’t give a heck either way.
But know this – Closing down Alley Katz will not solve any problems. They will just shift.
Mason City has always had one troubled bar and its been in various parts of town. They shut down after a while and the clientele move elsewhere.
What bar is closest to Alley Katz? That would be my first guess for the new trouble bar.
But it doesn’t have to be.
The way you run your business has a lot to do with what types of people you will attract. If you have bartenders or waitstaff that are abusing drugs and alcohol then you are gonna have customers who are into the exact same thing.
And if you play country music on the jukebox you’re gonna find yourself with a bar full of beer drinking good ol’ boys.
Whats on the jukebox at Alley Katz?
78 thoughts on “Op-ed: Mason City has always had one troubled bar (by One-Eyed)”
I can believe Blodgett made that threat. We heard a lot of stuff about him that has since been substantiated. With some people, the truth is even stranger than fiction. And Blodgett is strange one. Hard as it is to imagine a gun toting crack smoking lunatic with ties to neo nazis and the Klu Klux Klan living around here, it is true.
“I heard one time this Detroit dude messed with him, and Blodgett whispered something in his ear, and the dude never messed with him again.”
What a pile of unsubstantiated garbage.
Tell me please people how does Todd Blodget in any connect to this thing about the Alley Katz place? He does not now does he? Some of you have nothing better to do than drag Blodget into a story that has got nothing to do with the man in any way or shape or form. Jesus Christ people how about blogging on the story and leave the poor man alone. Unf**k**gbelievable.
I can’t be sure but I could swear I have seen Blodgett in the Katz. He is usually in there just having a soda and mingling, occasionally yes he is dragged out on the dance floor by some hottie and he only stays out there for a couple of songs. I heard one time this Detroit dude messed with him, and Blodgett whispered something in his ear, and the dude never messed with him again. In fact, all the D-boyz left the bar that night and went upstairs.
I heard he can fly
I ONCE SAW HIM WALK ALL THE WAY ACROSS BIG BLUE WITHOUT GETTING HIS FEET WET.
Todd is definitely a racist. He hates all those belonging to the Ignorant race.
You are disgusting, pee wee. Of all the people I’d like meet over a glass of wine, Todd Blodgett is low on my list, very low, indeed. But the conceptualization of your dastardly idea suggesting he just go into a bar and wipe out human beings … simply boggles this mind. It is perhaps the most horrible thing I have read in just ages and ages. You are yucky.
Hey heres how to do it get them scum out of Alley Cats. All right Blodgett likes to play Dean Martin on the jukebox when hes drinking. Okay get Blodgett up to Alley Cats have him play them Dean Martin songs that will make the niggas all mad see. They give him shit he will give it right back and then some real shit get going yet. Blodgett gets the drop on them niggas and there gone all right there you go no problem no more.
“Whats on the jukebox at Alley Katz?”
Probably the same thing that’s on the jukeboxes all over the world in bars patronized by everyone from young professionals, to university students, to the unemployed, to the rich, and to the middle class–Rap and Hip-Hop.
So you think guns are so great, Suzie? Tell that to the carnival worker and others who have had to stare down the barrel at one of Mr. Blodgett’s. You people are insane.
Ya I never heard that Todd ever even showed his gun. All the report said was he has a permit to carry one. They had no reason to report that anyway. You must be voting for Obama.
I’m sure if there were any stock in what you are saying, Mr. Blodgett would have faced legal repercussions to those actions.
There is nothing wrong with a citizen who legally carries a weapon to protect himself. You may not and that is your choice, but do not force what you beleive onto others.
I would not go into this bar for the simple reason of it’s reputation. There are other places with a better clientle. However, if this business is closed down, they will go elswhere and the problem simply continues. The people causing the problem need to be dealt with and that should be primarely done by law enforcement.
“When all you see, hear about, and know about are all the crimes committed by one particular group of people, you are going to start disliking them.”
The same can be applied to motorcyclists who pollute our air with noise from illegally altered vehicles, and drag race on our streets with impunity.
The same could also be said of those who drive recklessly, choke us with black smoke, and damage our hearing from their altered truck exhausts.
The same could also be said about those kids who drive beaners with altered exhausts.
And last, the same could be said of those who drive around in vehicles with sound systems that can be heard from blocks away, and play them all hours of the night.
So which group should we start with first?
i have issues with them too…as well as the ones who rev their engines every single time they go by my house when i have a sleeping three month old; please, dont get me started on all the people i have issues with.
I dislike murderers, drug dealers, vandalists, assaulters, and thieves….
Anonymous you are right, Mason City is the drain and it drains away people it needs and keeps the ones that make problems for everybody. I don’t own any guns but I like it that people who have some carry them and legally use them if they need to on bad people. Laker you keep going after Mr. Blodgett for using his guns to keep bad people from stealing his stuff and keep order around places where families like to eat. Well at least someone is doing what the cops will not do or they are too scared to do. Guns are good unless bad people get them and they do, so we need good people to go against the bad ones.
Okay you say business owner need to refuse service to them that can end their business right. So then why do we make owners of business have to serve people they don’t want to have in there. A owner should be able to keep out them he dont want isnt that what you said.
Please learn how to form sentences.
It boils down to this. Business owners need to run their businesses or the customers will. Now if having a gun toting jukebox enforcer keeping people in line is fine with them, then it’s fine with me. Don’t expect to see my face in your place of business though. Business owners need to refuse service to people who will ultimately end their business or face the consequences we are seeing now.
what it boils down to is that the business OWNER is sitting there drinking, playing pool and probly doing the drugs that are being sold there!She hires the help and the bouncers! And belive me I have seen her participate in all of the above! Shut the place down and run that skank out of town too! I would never give my business to her. Visited the place once and I know trouble when I see it and that is one troubled place!
Your wrong I am not Todd Blodgett Col Markison I do know the man and not heard him be racist.
None of it is any different then the mayor and Kuhn fighting in their weekly haunt and being ass holes to other patrons, the drinks just cost more.
Todd Blodgett is a definate racist, look him up. He’s also Ernie here. And an ass. And for sure not the brightest beer sign in the bar.
Mason City = Circling the drain!
Your wrong. Mason city is the drain. It ducks the scum in and contains it. Only difference is mason city doesn’t let the scum pass on so I guess this town is more like a clogged drain.
Hey wait a minute laker forever r u talking about the Tod Blodgett I know that is from Mason and Clear Lake. If u r then you are wrong about him being a racist. If hes racist than he has got more black friends than any racist I have ever heard of… btw I have personally seen him be friends with blacks I am not racist and I got two nephews thats black they also met Todd and he was very nice to them. Sincere nice, too. You laker dont know what u r talking about.
Splendid words, my dear! Thank you, Maybe just Maybe, for setting these racists straight. These ignorant rednecks don’t have a scintilla of information on the tragedy which has befallen the african americans. I was going to head off to bed, but I wanted you to know that your comments are a beacon of light and hope amidst the nasty posts made here by the KKK types, and neo Nazis.
I am really taken back by some of the racist comments in peoples posts. “Enough of them to be in a Tarzan movie”? A monkey reference, I thought we were past monkey references a long time ago. “If I run out of ammo Ill use my truck to make a new blacktop” Now were dragging black people behind our pickup, original. Pretty sure thats been done before, and it didnt work out so well for anyone involved. “Like they just jumped out of the trees” Another monkey reference apparently. Some of you conceal your racism by referring to black people as “they” or “them”, and want to extradite them to Waterloo to be around their own “kind”. I am a 40 year old white single mother of a child who is 1/2 black. I find these comments and references disgusting, and a bit disturbing. Not because my sons “sperm donor” is black, but because my son is 1/2 black. He’s going to be a senior, with a 3.0 GPA, has a job, and plans on furthering his education. He is kind, considerate, and treats me, himself, and others with respect. I raised him to be this way, without any kind of public assistance. Wait, I did receive 5 months of FIP and food stamps right after he was born, while I was waiting for the next CNA class to begin. So I could better my life, and provide better for him. Not every white woman that has a kid by one of “them” is a drain on society, and not every black dude that comes into this town, makes a kid, then runs off to join a “gang” in Mason City, or to become an extra in the next Tarzan movie. Theres a whole lot of ignorant people in this world, and some of your posts truly show it. Next time the friendly “mixed” or black kid, holds the door open, smiles at you as he walks past, takes your order at the restuarant, or carries your groceries out to your car, think, he could be the next lawyer, cop, judge etc. that your ignorant ass or one of your racist offspring is gonna have to deal with in order for you to maintain in this lifetime.
72 % of Black…..oooops I mean “African American”.. babies are born to single mother’s in the U.S.
You should be proud that you are not a welfare maggot for life 🙂 Good for you momma !
In good old scandinavia-hey grandma!-it’s around 70% as well.
Thank you Maybe just Maybe. I totally agree with you. The racist attitude many exhibit on here is appalling. (Hey Vince maybe you should look that up and educate yourself a little.) It is very sad that the mentality of hate is so evident in North Iowa. I am certain it is part of the problem. There are many, many upstanding, law-abiding, intelligent minorities in North Iowa. Too bad it seems there are multitudes of whites who are just the opposite.
Its not that we are not intelligent, we are just sick of the problems brought to our hometown. When all you see, hear about, and know about are all the crimes committed by one particular group of people, you are going to start disliking them. It is not like we are out there spreading rumors or saying untruths about them. They have given themselves this reputation, not us. If you don’t want the name calling and belittleing, don’t act out, act stupid, or cause unnecessary drama and crime in what use to be a place I was proud to call home.
Three murders in the last year and two of the three killers were white. I guess that certain group of people these bigots keep complaining about is white trash.
he he you said comes in to this town… twice
Not sure what joker is referring to, but, look up the definition of racist and you will find a judgement of an entire race of people based on observations of a few people of that race. Generalizing based on skin color and that is exactly what you are doing. Therefore, calling you racist is not incorrect. You judge the entire African American populace based on a few. You are wrong.
For your information, “Suzie”, I happen to know that Blodgett is a dangerous man. He has admitted to attending cross burnings and other horrific racist events. He was personally acquainted with the Nazi who killed an african american at the Holocaust museum in Washington. From what I gather from your comments, I’m sure that this act of murder was fine with you. I do not like to communicate with racists. And you are a racist. Goodnight.
My, my, laker, you really like going after Todd Blodgett, don’t you now? Do you even know what color these barflies were, the ones that he got into it with? So judgemental it makes me sick.
Tourist, the bar was the same place where Mr. Blodgett was robbed recently. Rumorz. And no, patrons can’t just do whatever they like. Just Todd Blodgett.
John they got Dean Martin music on the jutebox at Ellys bar at the lake and also on the jutebox at the Vee at the lake. I know because he comes on there sometime especially when older folks like real old is in there. Older than me and I am 57 yes I agree with Vince send Blodgett into Alley Cats and let him do his thing with his gun. Shoot them scum and clean up some other places to.
Yes, John. Not far fetched at all. It was one of those webcast jukeboxes where you can get pretty much anything. And it was the man who Laker said it was, I wasn’t going to mention names but she got it. He played probably 20 Dean Martin songs and a bunch of Elvis. And that got things to rocking. It was at the same bar where he got robbed a couple weeks ago. It is true Dean Martin is on that jukebox, and I heard it myself, and saw what it caused that night.
Wouldn’t suprise me. I seen Mr Blodgett shout it out with a couple guys out back of a bar on Main street a couple years ago. Looked like for all the world they were gonna kick his ass, but I could’t see real good cause it was dark. Couldnt hear worth a shit either after the 3 got to talking. But then things got real quiet like very fast…Blodgett went back inside the place and the other two dudes were no where to be found. They must of left in a hurry and from being scared. No way those dudes got talked into leaving him alone in a nice way. I just bet he threatened them into leaving.
If your not sure who it was you shouldnt say. If it was Blodget it can be a good idea to get him to get up to Ally Cats and clean that there scum out of Ally Cats. Blodget can probly shoot them scum and get away with it he is the man for the job yes.
I will bet dollars to doughnuts that the man who pistol whipped the two was Mr. Todd Blodgett. It sounds just like how he would do in that type of a situation.
Country Music Hero, you could not be more wrong… I have seen some bad situations where bar patrons tried to drive others crazy with music and all that ended up happening was shouting, fighting, and gun play. Allow me to furnish an example. A few summers ago, my husband and I and another couple were having dinner and drinks at a Clear Lake bar on south shore drive. A well-known local man came in, and sat with some of his friends. A little while later, the man got change for a twenty, and put four fives into the jukebox. Almost immediately, some drunks seated not ten feet from our table started loudly criticizing his choice of music. About every other song the man was playing was either Dean Martin or Elvis Presley, and the other customers didn’t like it one bit. He at first ignored them, and then he got in their faces about it. Two guys challenged the man and one of his friends to take their problem outside. After about a minute, the country music fan and his pal came back, and the man told the rest of the people at their table that the two members of their party left and wouldn’t be coming back. At least not for a while. He gave one of them a cell phone, that he said belonged to some lady’s boyfriend. One of the ones who took off. Then he told a different lady at that table to call her boyfriend on his cell phone from that cell phone. She did, while she she talked, her eyes got real big and she kept looking over at the country music fan. The she covered her mouth like she could not believe what she’s hearing. Then they all just up and left. Threw down some money, left full drinks at the table, gone. What I heard was that when the man they picked the fight with got outside with his pal to take on the other two, the cm fan took out a gun and swatted the two guys both in the face with it, and threatened to shoot them. Scared the living heck out of them and he enjoyed doing it. So that’s how I know that your idea is not a very good one. Take it from me, who saw and heard, not the best idea. Thank you.
Ho-lee cow. Yikes. People are freaks!!! Just glad no one was killed!
Sounds like a horrible place where the patrons do what ever they like? Where do I need to stay away from besides alley kats?
Sounds kind of like a far fetched to me story to me. You are telling me that they have Dean Martin music at a Clear Lake Bar? Elvis, I can understand but Dean Martin? Their music vendor neeed a slap if that is the case but I don’t see that is true.
sorry for the typo’s (and I even proof read the momment. 🙂
It worked for Dillinger’s….towards he end of their reign there 45 minutes before it was closing time they would play country and everyone would leave. When they figured out it worked they increased the time before closing they would start playing it. But I agree not he best idea. They would just congregate in he parking lot and that’s when all hell broke loss. How they solved that was, I don’t know if they called or they where just there, constant police present as the patrons were leaving.
eleven..would never allow this to go on in their establishment !
I’ve seen it go on there
I know that everyone out there thinks running a bar is an easy thing belive me it’s not. You have the right to refuse service to anyone but you can’t just kick out black people or it’s descrimiantion and you can’t play all country or you wount have any customers. There hasn’t been a country bar thats ever made it in mason. There are also plenty of white people out there getting in bar fights. Once you start banning everone there is noone left to drink and the bar business is hard enough right now as it is.
Anybody on here remember the old Royal Roost? It was down on So. Federal and was the place for them to go, and whites stayed out. I knew a negro who is dead now and he would go there. And I like to think that probably half of the customers there either worked or had retired from working. Today’s breed thinks mainly of drinking, drugging, f*****G, and stealing our stuff and dating white women, making babies that we gotta support. Something has gotta be done to try to bring in a new Royal Roost sorta place, we all will be better off for it.
People can say all you want but when them was slaves they didnt get away with this shit. Yes there are some good ones I know my son works with one. But its to bad this happen because if they would of kept them busy they would of been to tired too cause all this trouble, break into peoples houses and smoke drugs and make babies.
“But its to bad this happen because if they would of kept them busy they would of been to tired too cause all this trouble, break into peoples houses and smoke drugs and make babies.”
You also should go back where you got an education and demand a refund.
Racists like yourself should be placed in stocks and ridiculed at the public square for a month of Sundays. If you ever gain an ounce of humility, perhaps there might be a chance you can get an education that will allow you to contribute to the common good.
As it stands, you are contributing to the insensitivity and debasement of the community you reside in. You will forever gravitate towards the lowest places that will never see success. That is because people who want thriving communities don’t want anything to do with attitudes like yours. You will never fit in.
Just like water, sludge seeks it’s own level.
I have to agree with Observer.
Not intelegent Pee Wee. You showed your ignorance.
I met a white folk like you peewee one time and I though to myself, (if that plant would have kept him more busy, he would be too tired to come to this dad gum bar so we don’t have to listen to his racists crap.)
How ironic that the city gave the building owner $25000 to remodel and now they want to shut it down.
That’s pretty obtuse. My suggestion is you go to where ever you got an education, and demand a refund.
Vince, we live just south of Clear Lake and you have spelled it out just like it really is. Most of them look like very dangerous people, just like the ones on Cops and America’s Most Wanted. A friend of my husband’s that use to go to Rookies told us that some of those people looked like they just jumped out of the trees, really scary. But I have heard that the owner of Rookies closed things off to them and somehow got them to relocate. Since the Rookies owner got them to shuffle away, things are so much better there and purses don’t get stolen, ect. Just like MC needs to do with their bunch and get them down to Waterloo more like their kinda place don’t you know. I guess now the Island is like their local place, who knows?
Anonymous your right about the island in Clear Lake we live in Ventura and have drove by and seen enough coloreds in there parking lot to make a Tarzan movie. If I ever go in to that place you bet I will be ready you can count on it to. If some of them gangs goes after me I will take care of them and if I run out of ammo I will use my truck to put a new black top on the road.
I shut down Ally Katz a long time ago.
I don’t go there!
Let em wallow in their own crap.
Wht up wit all da h8 for dis place I there 2 times a week and nothin happen most the time just a coule time and it a bad place why the h8?
Because if you continue to accept garbage in your door, you must be trash yourself or you’re a landfill. And I don’t see Alley Kats burrying the garbage, just allowing it to congregate. I H8s places that axes ’em to keep comin back yo. Comprender?
two times a week? do either happen to be on a friday or daturday night?i go and drop my significant other and his friends off and have seen more police action, fights, domestic abuse, and drug deals to last me well into the next life. perhaps you go on slower nights, but i for one second the motion of most- shut it down.
What???
Juan G,
You are proof of the type of people who go there. You can only type on here as if your texting. It shows that you have no higher education than grade school, that is if you even finished school!!! I say close it down and let them all move to Waterloo!!!!
I live in Clear Lake and they have already invaded the Island……went from a nice dance club to a bar full of fights for no reason. If you have your permit to carry dont forget it if you go there.
i was there one night attempting to spend some quality time with a friend from out of state and saw a guy get head-butted for no reason other than the head-butter was completely wasted. its insane what some of these idiots will do; i gave up drinking all together because i dont want to deal with having to go out and deal with the drama.
I almost forgot about Rookies, good call! Ive been to the Kozy Korner once as well, and I enjoyed that place too (I like any bar where you can sit and have a conversation with someone) and honestly I don’t see that becoming the new trouble bar, I was just hoping to wake some people up. It’ll be interesting to see what impact this will have on the whole ‘north end’ thing if they do shut down.
Playing Marty Robbins on the jukebox will keep Ally Katters out of the Kozy. Burkes will be a target though.
This bar isn’t done for. They need to change the way they do business if they want to STAY in business though. The cops don’t look for places where there ISN’T trouble. If the owner is calling foul that cops are around her place. CLEAN UP YOUR PLACE! I have YET to enter ANY establishment that doesn’t have a sign that says “we have the right to refuse service to ANYONE”. Start enforcing it. Zero drug policy. Zero weapon policy. Zero fighting policy. No drinking on the job for staff. Get arrested, you don’t get back in for 3 months (north iowa mugshots is a great place to check for offenders). Registered sex offenders, no entry. Stop SERVING criminals and your clientele will not BE criminals.
sounds like if they quit serving criminals there would’nt be anyone in there so they would have to close anyway
Went there once– once is the key word!!! I thought I had entered the worst Walmart in the country!!! Many toothless wonders. Loud and obnoxious men and women, that were not very clean. People hanging outside that looked like they all should be on Mughsots… I say close the place or keep it open and maybe they will have a big evening and turn on each other and shoot it out. Lots less riff-raff for our great town. Dillingers closed. Lots of the northenders frequent the Island already– it’s a bit scary there too. Maybe they can find a bar out of town and leave us alone….. one could only hope!!!
My guess will be “Eleven”
Cops are making sure that doesn’t happen. Just depends on who you are and who yo know.
the closest bar to alley katz wont be the new trouble bar; think about it- they went from rookies and dillingers to alley katz; my guess would be sidewinder are sallees.
or the island in clear lake
what about sporties? are they still around? seeing what caliber of people go to alley kats…thats probably wherer theyll go next.