EAST P.A. CLUB FOUNDER BEAT OBSTACLES

When Alisi Manuel cut a ribbon to symbolize the opening of her ``clean and
sober'' social club in East Palo Alto last week, she did more than beat the
obstacles of a permit battle and neighborhood resistance. Her biggest
challenges -- recovering from her own addiction and finding motivation --
had to be tackled as well.

The Neutral Zone, as the club is named, is Manuel's way of getting over her
personal demons. ``Clean and sober'' are the buzz words for getting off
drugs and liquor.

``I knew that if I didn't get out of drug rehab with a goal, I'd go back to
my old behavior,'' said Manuel, who used to be known as ``Crazy Lisa'' on
the streets of East Palo Alto. ``I wanted to help other people get over
addiction by giving them somewhere to go.''

The Neutral Zone is located in the former building of the Nairobi Bar, a
notorious liquor club that was shut down for, among other things, illegal
liquor sales and frequent brawls. The Neutral Zone is struggling to put the
building's past to rest.

The building was repainted and cleaned from top to bottom. The club's 13
small tables are used for homework and tutoring. The pool tables remain,
but the bar doesn't house a drop of liquor. On Sundays, Zion Golden Globe
Church conducts services at the facilities.

``I wanted to change the history of this place, this corner, along with my
own history,'' said Manuel, who used to be a regular at the Nairobi Bar.

The path to achieving her dream wasn't easy.

The Neutral Zone is at the busy intersection of University Avenue and Bay
Road, and it doesn't have its own parking lot.

It is also located right in front of several single-family homes whose
residents were concerned about the noise -- and clientele -- a social club
would bring. The Hi & Buy liquor store, described by Planning Director
Michael Bethke as a magnet for drinking activity, is right next door.

When Manuel applied for a land use permit, the East Palo Alto Planning
Commission issued a unanimous denial.

``The thought of having 100 extra people on that corner was something we
couldn't support,'' Bethke said. ``And we had to consider the residents'
concerns as well.''

Unwilling to give up, Manuel decided to appeal to the city council. She
enlisted the help of Owen Byrd, a land use lawyer. Byrd helped Manuel sift
through the morass of permit rules.

``It was just a matter of speaking a language the council could hear,'' Byrd
said. ``This club is going to be such an asset to the community, and we just
had to make the council understand that.''

The council put conditions on the club, but agreed to approve a permit.

``We have a large population that has successfully completed recovery,''
Vice Mayor Sharifa Wilson said. ``This club gives them a place to socialize
in a positive atmosphere, and we wanted to support that without putting any
undue stress on the area.''

In return for the permit, Manuel must work out the parking problem. She said
an adjacent post office has agreed to allow parking in the evenings. She has
also limited the club's hours. It operates from 3 to 10 p.m. during the week
and until 2 a.m. on the weekend.

So far, she's been pretty successful with the city's codes.

``She's running a tight ship over there,'' Bethke said. ``She just passed
her first review with flying colors.''

But her crucial success, with the neighborhood, has yet to be seen. Not
everyone is happy with the club's opening.

``It's a blight and a disservice to the community,'' said Samuel Rasheed,
who lives nearby. ``Why do they need a club like that? If they're clean and
sober, why don't they stay home?''

Rasheed is concerned about the impact the club will have on the neighborhood
and would rather see commercial development in the area.

``Have you ever seen that corner at night?'' he said. ``Clean and sober club
or not, there's drunks sitting right in front of it drinking. Why can't we
have some supermarkets or some banks in this neighborhood?''

Manuel is not worried about negative feedback.

``People are going to see that this is a positive thing for the community,''
she said. ``I have to make this successful for the community as a whole.''

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett