POCOMOKE CITY -- Members of the Great Pocomoke Fair Committee met with the City Council to request permission to sell beer at a truck and tractor pull on June 25.John Smith, committee president, told the council that the sale would be controlled within the city tent with a double fence around the tent. He added the event was primarily for adults, not children.
Gloria Smith added the fairgrounds were not in close proximity to any church and the schools would be closed. She said other events in Worcester and Wicomico counties did allow beer to be sold.
Police Chief J.D. Ervin checked with other towns and found no major problems.
Dave Barnes, a committee member, said if the town did not allow beer sales, "there would be no more Pocomoke Fair."
No council member stepped up to move for passage of the request after Hawkins asked for a motion, but it was decided the matter would be taken up at the next meeting when a full council was present.
Members of the council did vote to accept revised bids for the construction of an ambulance garage building and a concession building for Cypress Park.
Both measures were brought up at the previous meeting, but the bids were not within budgeted figures for the construction. After items were deleted for both projects, Beauchamp Construction was awarded both contracts, at a cost of $99,454 for the ambulance building and a cost of $83,420 for the concession building.
Under other business, the council heard the first reading of an ordinance to give homeowners a tax rebate of $2,000 or half of their taxes, whichever is less, if they install a sprinkler system; voted to give the Pocomoke Elementary School PTA four rounds of golf for its upcoming fundraiser; and voted to pay $625 for a photo display at the Route 13 Welcome Center.
Tom Grigsby was presented with a certificate of appreciation for his service as chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission and Chief J.D. Ervin introduced a new police officer, Vincent Page.
written by: Bill Kerbin
16 comments:
Has the fair committee and chamber lost their minds? They both advertise family events, have machinery attendees ride on, and want to have attendees riding machinery and yet DRINKING BEER?
What if someone gets hurt while drinking there? What if that individual is a child? Would you want that on your conscience?
This town had problems with beer at the cypress festival years ago and stopped drinking at the events.
If you want to drink have your OWN event, but don't expose others to that! Some people around here get sloppy and mean when they drink.
Six years ago the council was asked if they were Christians and do appear to go to church. Now is the time to walk the talk and prove it.
when I was just a kid maybe around 15 years old, they allowed drinking at the Cypress festival. At that time the good bands started late at night and let me tell y'all..... there was nothing but trouble, fights everywhere, people giving under age children beer and alcohol.
I say if they cannot have a good time without drinking alcohol stay home.
I say NO to alcohol at the cypress festival
Are you listening mayor and council and Mayor and council runners?
Lets hear what you have to say?
I agree with the above comments. Why do people think they need alcohol to have fun? I'm not against drinking at all and do occasionally "tie one on" myself, but alcohol has it's place and it's not at these types of events.
This has nothing to do with the Cypress Festival and nothing to do with the Great Pocomoke Fair. The fair committee appeared before the council to seek permission to sell beer at the annual Truck and Tractor Pull that Lucas Oil brings to the fairgrounds every year! ( in June)
If you have ever attended the truck and tractor pull you would have noticed that not many children are present. Surely all of you must know that the vendors that sell the beer don't just allow people to stand there and drink beer........it's not a bar!
In most places the beer has low alcohol and is draft.
This article is confusing jmmb. Why did the committee memeber say there would be no more fair if alcohol sales weren't allowed?
Keep in mind that when this first posted in the Times someone had it titles "no beer-no more Pocomoke Fair?" That was confusing and since the title has been changed.
Anon 2:14 I do not know why a committee member made that comment. But I am sure that this is just about the Truck and Tractor Pull only.
It would be foolish for the fair committee to try to get beer sold at the Great Pocomoke Fair! I suppose alot of people would attend the fair just to block that from happening, and rightly so. Beer has no place at fair as small as the one in Pocomoke and one where children are present in great numbers.
It can't hurt to try it at this years Truck and Tractor Pull....If it doesn't go well then the committee members know there would be no need to ever ask again.
Are you for real? Good mix - tractors and beer? NOT.
Have an event for only adults. Not a family event.
Anon 5:46- That's exactly why NO alcohol is allowed in the staging area of the trucks and tractors(known as the "pit").
For goodness sakes, let's give the fair committee some credit for having enough sense to handle the sale of alcohol properly. I have no ideas of what their plans are as to how they will control the sale of beer but I do know that in most places it can be and IS controled as to how many beers you are allowed.
Let's just wait to see what is discussed at the next council meeting. They will probably be able to answer your questions there if you can attend. Or give your councilman/woman a call about this matter.
I don't know any more than you do. Wish I did.
If it is on town property, which the fair committee is, then the town can be held responsible.
No Christian councilperson wants that 'on their hands'.
Resposible for what anon 6:25? And what does being a christian have to do with it?
go read your Bible
Christians aren't suppose to cause another to sin....each of the candidates made a big too-doo about being Christians and praying...especially those elected 6 years ago.
I don't understand 11:26, how does one person cause another to sin? No one's going to make anyone go buy a beer.
Some people can't be around it due to issues of struggling with addictions (Proverbs 10:21)...and then there is the scripture of (1 Corithians 10:32)
Then there are those who don't go out to bars purposefully.....do you think they would be inclined then to go to an event that serves alcohol. Why should those who want alcohol out weigh the rights of others? Most importantly, children DO ATTEND these events. Children and teens do come out along with the adults to see the tractors. My Dad use to enjoy taking my daughter there to see the tractors! All it takes is one accident, and believe me that would be the end of the event.
My question is this - who in their right mind would want alcohol to mix with this type of event? Anyone with half their sense would know better!
Obviously not one of you that posted this went to the meeting. The fair is going down. They are in the red. They charge $15.00 for entry to keep it more adult oriented. They will have a designated place off to the side with double fencing and volunteer fire fighters maning the tent. They will only sell 5 tickets per person and they will not allow anyone under 21 in the tent and no one out if they have a beer. Get your heads out of the sand and get with the times. It is no longer 1940 or 1950. TImes have changed and so has the economy and the fair has to use every step available or they will not be able to support the grounds anymore - I wonder how many of you will show up at the next meeting? Or will it interfere with bible study. I would rather our policy makers and council base their rulings on the law and not their christian beliefs. If that is the case then they can count on me using every voice I can to vote them out.
Selling beer this year didn't help them either. They came up several thousand in the red. Even funds promised to them by the City of $10thousand wasn't given to the Fair committee. At least the President Mr. John Smith says they only get 4and the other 6 goes to the barn. Really? Thought that's what the horse owners pay the city rent for. So in reality, the city pays itself 6 thousand? Is Mr. John Smith telling the truth?
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