Published: August 04, 2008 08:04 pm      

NORTH TONAWANDA: No more beer at canal concerts

Arrests for underage sale prompt liquor authority crackdown

The taps are dry at North Tonawanda’s Saturday night Labatt Blue Light concert series.

All sale of alcoholic beverages at North Tonawanda’s popular free Saturday concert series was ordered to an abrupt stop during last weekend’s show after the state Liquor Authority revoked the concert promoter’s alcohol permit following an underage drinking sting by police.

In the wake of the decision, two questions remain unanswered as of Monday: Can promoters and the state liquor authority work out a compromise? — and if not, will the concerts continue without the primary source of revenue?

On the first question, Larry Denef, the liaison between promoters and the City of North Tonawanda, said a meeting is scheduled for today between lawyers for promoters and the state. On the second question, Denef said he could not say whether the concerts will continue without the profits from the sale of alcohol to underwrite costs of the free shows.

“That’s a business decision that’s got to come from the promoter,” Denef said. “There’s no way I can speculate on that. The plan is to be back next week, 100 percent, full deal (with beer).”

This Saturday’s scheduled headliner is Bruce Hornsby, one of the more well-known acts of the 2008 lineup.

Denef said promoters were withholding comment because they had not yet received or reviewed the written complaint from the state, though on Monday a Liquor Authority spokesman provided a copy of the complaint, dated last Thursday.

Unless a compromise can be reached, beer and other alcoholic beverages will not be sold at the Sweeney Street location, though a separately run beer tent on the City of Tonawanda side, the proceeds from which go to charity, will still be in operation.

Officials entered Gateway Harbor Park unannounced about 8:30 p.m. Saturday after performances had already begun and as fans held drinks they had already purchased. Promoters received no advance warning of the state’s decision, according to Denef, and word didn’t reach him until after sales had been stopped.

“Until we get to the bottom of this and see what the heck happened — why it happened, I don’t really have an answer,” Denef said.

The state’s decision stems from two arrests made during the July 30 concert after an undercover sting by North Tonawanda Police found that multiple individuals sold alcohol to underage “decoys.”

Michael Smith, public information officer for the New York State Liquor Authority, provided a letter sent to permit holder JMD of WNY Inc. dated July 31. The letter outlines the police operation, stating: “The decoys were denied wrist bands that would allow them to purchase alcoholic beverages by ticket staff.”

Despite the decoys’ lack of a wrist band, which enables concert-goers to use their tickets for alcohol after they show proof of ID to event staff, the authority wrote: “The decoys gave employees serving both lines their beverage tickets and were both served Labatt Blue beer.

“Neither staff person asked the decoys how old they were, did not ask for identification, nor did they verify that either of them were in possession of an alcohol wrist band.”

Denef said promoters have yet to receive any such letter from the state.

No ID is required to buy tickets because they are used to buy food and non-alcoholic beverages in addition to beer.