CHERRYVALE — A divided Cherryvale City Council clashed Monday whether alcohol should be served at Logan Park for a possible community fall festival.
At issue are ideas by the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce to create a fall festival that might supplement — or possibly even replace — the Cherry Blossom Festival held each May. During a meeting of the chamber’s board of directors last week, ideas were expressed on ways to improve to the spring festival. One suggestion was to create a fall festival, perhaps coinciding with the fall sports homecoming celebration at Cherryvale High School. As a way to boost revenue for the festival, some chamber members discussed ideas to sell alcohol in a social setting, commonly known as a beer garden. The beer garden, which would be sponsored by the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce, could coincide with a food competition, such as a chili or barbecue contest on a Saturday evening and would not be held on the night of the CHS football homecoming game on the previous Friday night.
Although the chamber’s ideas were general and not considered formal plans, the concept of a fall festival with the possibility of alcohol sales was forwarded to the Cherryvale City Council for discussion Monday.
And, it didn’t take long for the sides to develop in regard to the alcohol issue. Currently, the consumption and sale of alcohol on public property is prohibited under city law and will only be allowed by a permit approved by the council.
“I think we have an event that specifically glorifies alcohol, and that is a main problem for me,” said council Randy Wagoner. “I just can’t support it.”
Wagoner, who also serves as USD 447 superintendent, said he also would be bothered by the beer garden being held as an event centered around a school activity: fall sports homecoming.
“I would not be in favor of having a beer function coinciding with a school function,” said Wagoner. “And, I cannot condone a public permission to consume alcohol with the potential of someone being drunk in public. I just can’t do it. I personally have seen too many lives destroyed by it.”
Mayor John Wright echoed Wagoner’s sentiments.
“For once, I’m in total agreement with Randy,” said the mayor.
However, councilor Kevin Crain questioned Wagoner about the sale of alcohol, saying that a controlled environment in which alcohol can be consumed would be far better than restricting it totally.
Crain said the issue was no different than underage drinkers who find ways to buy and consume alcohol illegally.
“If they want it, they will get it,” said Crain. “Why not allow it where it can be monitored and policed in a safe manner rather than people sneaking around with beer hidden in a cup?”
Wagoner replied that he had qualms with the City of Cherryvale allowing a public setting — Logan Park — where problems could arise with the consumption of alcohol. He also said he feared people would take the council’s permitting of public beer sales for one event at Logan Park as a license to openly drink anytime of the year.
Although councilors did not take a formal vote on the matter, their sentiments did reveal a philosophical division with Wright and Wagoner in opposition to beer sales at a fall festival while councilors Kevin Crain, Chad Wickham and Lew Forman favoring the measure.
Trey Cocking, city administrator and a member of the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce board of directors, said he would relay the council’s sentiments to the chamber board when it meets to further discuss the fall festival ideas at a meeting on June 8.
