North Webster Beer Tent Idea Collapses
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Indiana State Alcoholic Beverage Commission denied the proposed beer tent with a unanimous 5-0 vote Tuesday.
According to Don Oakey, state ABC Industry liaison in Indianapolis, the main reason for the denial was that the community of North Webster did not want the beer tent and there was no one present at the meeting to support the proposal.
They backed that reason with three others. The first was that the town marshal, Jerry Craig, believed he would not have enough officers to police the town properly.
The second was that the North Webster Lions Club, who organized the Mermaid Festival, did not want it and said that it was no part of the festival.
Third, was that the catering permit that Stimmelators would be using did not provide for operating a beer tent.
The commission was presented, as evidence, several letters in opposition to the beer tent. Included in those were letters from Indiana State Sen. Robert Meeks, State Rep. David Wolkins and Kosciusko County Sheriff Al Rovenstine.
Denise Beno, who proposed the beer tent in association with Sam Stimmel, owner of the Stimmelators night club, accused the opposition of soliciting the letters.
Oakey also said the proposal was highly unusual. He said that, typically, when a beer tent is proposed, it is done by an organization such as the Lions Club or a festival board. The profits of the beer tent go to the entire festival or club. This proposal, however, was for a private business to open a beer tent that, according to the Lions Club, had no affiliation with the festival at all, despite advertising to the contrary.
Oakey also said that Beno told the commission that if a patron of the tent got too intoxicated, they planned to have a limousine service available to take them home.
"I can't believe she made a statement like that," said Oakey who said the idea did not "sit very well with the commission at all."
Oakey said that, to the commission, "it meant they were going to serve beer until somebody got drunk and if they did they'd send them home in a limo. That didn't help on her part very much."
Craig said he was happy about the denial but the main reason was because he didn't have the appropriate manpower that would be required to properly police the event.
Beno said she was "not terribly surprised" that the tent was denied but believed that her right to operate a business was violated by the decision.
She said she plans to file a complaint with the U.S. Civil Liberties Union. [[In-content Ad]]
The Indiana State Alcoholic Beverage Commission denied the proposed beer tent with a unanimous 5-0 vote Tuesday.
According to Don Oakey, state ABC Industry liaison in Indianapolis, the main reason for the denial was that the community of North Webster did not want the beer tent and there was no one present at the meeting to support the proposal.
They backed that reason with three others. The first was that the town marshal, Jerry Craig, believed he would not have enough officers to police the town properly.
The second was that the North Webster Lions Club, who organized the Mermaid Festival, did not want it and said that it was no part of the festival.
Third, was that the catering permit that Stimmelators would be using did not provide for operating a beer tent.
The commission was presented, as evidence, several letters in opposition to the beer tent. Included in those were letters from Indiana State Sen. Robert Meeks, State Rep. David Wolkins and Kosciusko County Sheriff Al Rovenstine.
Denise Beno, who proposed the beer tent in association with Sam Stimmel, owner of the Stimmelators night club, accused the opposition of soliciting the letters.
Oakey also said the proposal was highly unusual. He said that, typically, when a beer tent is proposed, it is done by an organization such as the Lions Club or a festival board. The profits of the beer tent go to the entire festival or club. This proposal, however, was for a private business to open a beer tent that, according to the Lions Club, had no affiliation with the festival at all, despite advertising to the contrary.
Oakey also said that Beno told the commission that if a patron of the tent got too intoxicated, they planned to have a limousine service available to take them home.
"I can't believe she made a statement like that," said Oakey who said the idea did not "sit very well with the commission at all."
Oakey said that, to the commission, "it meant they were going to serve beer until somebody got drunk and if they did they'd send them home in a limo. That didn't help on her part very much."
Craig said he was happy about the denial but the main reason was because he didn't have the appropriate manpower that would be required to properly police the event.
Beno said she was "not terribly surprised" that the tent was denied but believed that her right to operate a business was violated by the decision.
She said she plans to file a complaint with the U.S. Civil Liberties Union. [[In-content Ad]]