Tarentum beer ban floors fire companies

Fire company officials said they were surprised by council's decision to ban alcohol at events on borough property, including two major fire company fundraisers.

Highland Hose Chief Jim Huey; Steve Gazarik, who heads Summit Hose's July 4th celebration, where beer is sold; and Rich Heuser, Eureka Hose chief, said no borough official talked to them about the ban and its possible consequences.

"At no time did anyone come and tell us that this was happening," Huey said, speaking for Highland Hose. "We were not made aware of any of this."

Council made the decision Monday in the wake of the Tarentum Festival in Riverview Memorial Park. The June festival features rock bands, with beer sales bringing in barrels of revenue.

But residents across First Avenue from the park complained about the behavior of apparently drunken festival-goers, including damaging property and public urination.

Police Chief Bill Vakulick said a fight on the final night of this year's event nearly started a riot among a crowd of 5,000 to 6,000 people gathered at the bandstand.

But Huey said on that night, police did not express any concerns before the fight.

"At no time during the course of the evening did they come to us and tell us, 'Hey, it is getting out of control,'" he said.

"In the past, there was a time when there was a fight and we shut it down," Huey said. "The beer truck was shut down; we told the band to quit and we started cleaning it up."

Huey declined to comment further, saying the members really have not authorized him to talk about the situation. He said the fire company is set to have a meeting on Monday to discuss the matter.

"There's too much other stuff going on with this beer thing," he said. He would not elaborate.

Borough Manager Bill Rossey, a life member at Highland Hose, said one of the Highland members involved with the festival expressed concern Tuesday because the company has just invested in new equipment for next year's festival.

"I told him that Highland Hose needed to have some members at that council meeting," Rossey said. "They knew there were issues."

But Rossey and Councilman Mike Gutonski, a member of Summit Hose, who made the motion to ban alcohol, said that as far as they knew, nobody had approached any of the fire companies before Monday's meeting about banning alcohol.

Gutonski said, "I think some of the stories that council members heard and what they saw down there, set them off.

"I think that over the years there were some negative reactions to the whole thing. I just think over the past few years it started wearing on everybody."

"I don't know about whether they were approached before (Monday) night," Rossey said. "I know they were talked to and told there were some problems that had to be worked out."

Referring to the ban, Heuser, a former councilman, said, "Quite frankly, I read that and I said 'Whoa.' I think this thing just blew up at (Monday) night's meeting and snowballed.

"I can certainly understand that it is a concern for them and I certainly understand that they have the citizens interests at heart and something needs to be done there. I wouldn't say it is a knee jerk reaction, I'm sure it is something they have given consideration to."

Eureka actually started the festival and ran it for 20 years before bowing out in 2000.

"I just think they acted a little fast," Gazarik said. "I do agree with the residents: No one should have to put up with that in the town they live in. But maybe we could have come up with some alternatives that wouldn't hurt the fire companies. And maybe there is still time to do that."

While Summit sells beer at the July 4th celebration, Gazarik said most of the revenue comes from food booths.

"I think the thing is that ours is more of a family event than coming to watch a band," Gazarik said.

He said the beer sales have been flat and estimates that Summit has averaged about three half-kegs over the past three years.

Council President Carl Magnetta referred to 80 half-kegs of beer being sold at the Highland Hose event, but Huey seemed doubtful about that number.