The Page Closes Lounge After Beating Death

The owners of The Page Sports Bar and Restaurant have closed the downstairs lounge one week after a Dover man was attacked there by another patron and later died from his injuries.

On the restaurant's Facebook page, The Page owners wrote:

The ownership, management and staff of The Page Sports Restaurant and Bar deeply regret the incident that occurred last weekend. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Josh Krantz.

We have decided to close The Stadium Lounge located downstairs at The Page as it is presently being used, effective immediately.

The safety and comfort of our customers is our highest priority. Moving forward, we will work closely with the Portsmouth police department and Portsmouth city officials to develop a strategic plan for the use of the downstairs space that will better serve the local community.

According to Portsmouth Police, by Zachary O'Neill, 24, of Dover. Krantz later went home to his apartment with his friends after he refused any medical treatment offered by The Page staff and later died after he has suffered a fractured skull, according to authorities.

O'Neill was arrested a few days later and charged with first degree assault. He is being held on $250,000 cash bail at the Rockingham County Jail in Brentwood and the charge against him could be upgraded to murder if the results of an autopsy being conducted by the State Medical Examiner determine that Krantz's cause of death is a homicide.

Last week, into a new 50-seat Italian-style restaurant as a way to pay tribute to the city's northern tier, which was known as Portsmouth's Little Italy for many years.

The Page's announcement on Facebook that it has closed the Stadium Lounge was greeted with approval by several Portsmouth area residents.

Dan Deering: "Thank you for hearing the concerns of the residents of Portsmouth."

Terry Fournier: "I'm shocked to see that people mention the criminal who committed the crime almost as an after-thought, and focus the bulk of their rage at the 4 walls and the ceiling of a building. Now, this establishment heard the concerns of the community and is taking immediate action in response, they are doing the right thing. So continuing to spit a diatribe of venom at the business on this thread does what? They've heard you, they've heard the community, they have committed to changing to ensure safety by completely shutting down and revamping the area where the problems all originate, that is a good thing."

Steven Sebastian Decker: "Don't blame the venue. That's like blaming the grocery store because your car got hit in the parking lot."

How do you feel about The Page's decision to close the Stadium Lounge following last week's beating death? Share your comments.