Just when you thought the tap was dry, the Mermaid Festival's Beer Tent has surged back to life.

Denise Beno, former Warsaw parks activities director who is organizing the tent, said that since she was unable to obtain assistance from the local area police force, she was forced to ask the federal marshals to provide security for the beer tent.

The beer tent was proposed by "Nightshift Inc.," doing business as "Top Drawer Events and Catering" and signed by Beno. Permission for the tent was denied at the local level by Jerry Craig, North Webster town marshal, for "security reasons."

Now Beno said she "has all her ducks in a row" and is ready for a state hearing in Indianapolis at the excise office Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

Craig is planning a trip to Indianapolis to fight the beer tent.

"I need this like I need a hole in the head, " said Craig.

He is mainly concerned with the safety issues that arise with the location of the tent being close to a busy intersection.

Craig said the security being hired by Beno will be used inside the tent only. Once patrons leave the tent, the safety responsibility will fall on the North Webster Police Department. He said he doesn't want to see drunks leaving the tent and entering the road to be struck by motorists.

With the NWPD having only one-man patrols, any arrests made inside the tent will have to be transported by the NWPD, removing the officer from North Webster, said Craig.

Typically during the Mermaid Festival, Craig said, his officers are "stretched to the limit" and he believes they "don't need that additional problem."

The second issue to be addressed by Craig will be the high number of children that will be present at the festival. With the event being a "family event," Craig knows there would be many children there that, he believes, do not really need to be exposed to any form of intoxication.

Beno said she didn't know if the other issues Craig had would be admissible to the hearing because permission for the event was denied for security reasons only.

Tom Bugg, secretary for the North Webster Lions Club, said the beer tent would not be on the festival grounds, so they had no control over the proposed tent.

Like Craig, the Lions were fearful of all the children being present at the festival, especially during the Kiddie Parade when 100-150 children will be there.

Beno said the children that would be present at the festival would probably be on the midway, which is located on the festival grounds and not near the tent.

A press release from the NWLC said the Lions Club wanted no affiliation with the beer tent and, despite some common misconceptions, the Lions have not given, nor will ever give, their blessing to a beer tent.

They told the applicants, Nightshift Inc., which also operates the adult entertainment club, Stimmelators, that the Lions did not want them to use the names "Mermaid Festival" or "North Webster Lions Club."

Despite the request, however, recent advertisements have listed the tent as being associated with the Mermaid Festival. [[In-content Ad]]