Chez Vous safe for now

April 13, 2009 01:32 PM Email| Comments (8)| Text size – +

By Matt Collette, Globe Correspondent

The Chez Vous roller rink in Dorchester will not be auctioned off Wednesday, said Greer Toney, general manager and owner of the 77-year-old landmark.

Toney said she received a call this morning from her creditors, who said they had read the article about the rink's plight in today's Globe and agreed to help the rink stay open.

"I said, 'Thank you, God! Thank you!'" said Toney. She said she agreed to pay half of this month's mortgage by Wednesday, the date the auction was scheduled for, and will resume regular payments, about $10,000 due the first of every month, on May 1.

Chuck Levin, the Needham attorney for the creditors, said his firm was committed to helping Toney run her business.

"Our position is we don't want to get into the roller rink business," said Levin. "We are trying to work with Ms. Toney in order to let her continue running the business. "The rink itself and what it means to the community is what influenced our decision."

Toney said she is working to put together the $5,000 that was due 13 days ago. She said she was spending her morning rallying community support.

"And I'm on the phone right now, making calls," she said. "I know we can do this."

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8 comments so far...

Let's see. Wall St. bankers get bailed out to the tune of tens of billions of dollars and they don't do anything for anybody. This poor woman is trying to prevent gang violence and she gets the boot. This is absurd. Ms. Mayor, how about ten grand from that stimulus money.

Posted by korbel April 13, 09 11:26 AM

I LOVE MS. GREER

Posted by BUBBSY April 13, 09 12:16 PM

Absolutely agree, and even better, lets get that 10k from the MBTA! If they can afford to rehire retirees on full pension, then they can afford a little "community investment"

Posted by patspsycho April 13, 09 12:25 PM

I am glad that the creditors are willing to work with her and the community. I used to go skating there when I was younger and it was a fun atmosphere and my son and his friends also enjoy Chez Vous now. I hope they don't take a historic landmark from the Dorchester area.

Posted by Pamela Strom April 13, 09 12:29 PM

Happy to here that creditors were willing to work with her, despite the fact that she shows poor business sense. You simply don't throw a party, no matter how good the cause, instead of paying your bills. Easy to blame the creditors , however this place has been poorly managed from the begining. The city has bailed her out several times. Enough is enough. Stop trying to be something bigger than what your business can support.

Posted by David Roney April 13, 09 01:07 PM

Get real. Chez Vous is not a safe haven for innercity kids. This place is nothing but a magnet and open air market for gang members, drug dealers and punks alike. Check the police records as to how many fights, stabbings and other violent crimes have occured there in the past several years. It may have been an awesome place when "you" skated there decades ago but you are ignorant if you think it is the same today. Another bail out or hand out is not what a place like this needs. You want to make Chez Vous better? Give it a wrecking ball and let's be done with it.

Posted by mike April 13, 09 01:34 PM

how can she possibly have a mortgage of that amount after years in business?
poor management and greed. "community reinvestment" please. give her nothing.

Posted by john April 13, 09 02:36 PM

Korbel, you are right on the money. I hope that they get more support. People like this need it more than anybody. Makes some of this bail-out stuff look even more absurd.

Posted by jmsk1008 April 13, 09 04:16 PM