The End of a UND Tradition?

[Cratter]

If a few out of control students want to destroy public and/or private property during Springfest, the person/group who was given the permit would be liable for any and all damages.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The person/group who destroy public and/or private property during Springfest would be liable for any and all damages regardless if they had a permit.

Besides the permit is not about destroying property, it is about having one in order to drink on city parks.

[Sioux-cia]

[CoteauRinkRat]

Is this permit something everyone that will be drinking at the park needs to get or just something the Springfest 'hosts' or participants will have to have?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe everyone who will be drinking at any park in Grand Forks will need a permit, year round.

[Sioux-cia]

http://vastlane.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=575

Some info for those of you who weren't there or don't know what we're talking about.

[PCM]

When I moved to Grand Forks in 1992, I was surprised that there was no ordinance requiring permits for events serving alcohol in public parks. Bismarck had such an ordinance.

[dakotadan]

I completely agree that something needs to be done at springfest to help get it to a more controlled setting. But I also realize that stopping springfest will not stop the binge drinking problem in the region. If springfest is stopped these college kids will still party that day, only in less visable areas.

The cooperation between the City and the University Students these last few years has definately made a big difference. I would like to see this continue. It will have more of a positive effect than trying to completely stop springfest.

[Cratter]

When I moved to Grand Forks in 1992, I was surprised that there was no ordinance requiring permits for events serving alcohol in public parks. Bismarck had such an ordinance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not to nitpick but no one is "serving" alcohol in the public parks (at least not the gathering in the park). Then I would agree lets have them get permits like a bar. Every "major" city in ND besides GF already has this proposed ordinance.

Like I said, I don't want to tell my grandpa he has to put away that beer because he's breaking the law when we have our family reunion in the park. Wait maybe they should just called it the UND Springfest permit:

According to Hutchison, the ordinance would likely be selectively enforced. He said that he doesn't believe it would be enforced against small groups who consumed alcohol without bothering others.

I wish someone the the media would ask specifically how making people poses permits to allow them to poses alcohol is going to help "control" springfest and give the police a greater presence, besides there being fewer people "drinking" because they didn't get a permit. Maybe the media could print the proposed ordinance, although it appears they are rewriting it or maybe someone can look up the ordinances already in place in other cities (not just ND).

[redwing77]

You forgot the NDSU student who nearly "power hour-ed" himself to death within the last three years also.

There seems to be a new focus on binge drinking at all the regional campuses. Recent events put a "rightly so" behind that.

This has become a binge drinking fest.

I'd rather see UND get ahead of it and tame it back down (I'm not saying knitting party, just something tamer) before someone ends up in the hospital and headlines (or worse).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I did forget about him. But that's just regional. Let's not forget all those students nationwide over the past few years who were killed or nearly killed by similar acts.

I agree Sic.

OldSchool- I have gotten older I guess. I just see alcohol as a crutch. It's getting to be abused more and more. An occasional beer or whatever is one thing. Going out just to get drunk is another.

I just don't see why so many students these days see Friday nights and Saturday as days one rarely remember due to the parties or whatever. Or why it's so damn cool to tie one on when you are underage. Or why its cool to be of age giving the underage kids drinks.

Responsibility is something that a lot of people seem to lack. Those same people don't seem to understand that that is primarily the reason why the drinking age is higher than the age one can enlist in the military, why 16-25 year old males pay more for car insurance than ANY OTHER age group or gender, and a slew of other things as well.

[dlsiouxfan]

What the city of Grand Forks doesn't realize is that this ordinance will only make springfest worse. Instead of the students being contained within the park springfest will now be held at the numerous student residences around the park, leading to more and more students trespassing on personal property. If they really wanted to contain springfest the city would fence off the park, give out wristbands at the gate, and thus would be better able to police the crowd. For what it's worth it seems like recent city policy has taken on a decided anti-student agenda. The proposed restrictions on leases to three members as well as the city wide noise ordinance. Grand Forks needs to embrace the student population because it truly is the life blood of the community. Designing laws that target the student population will only hurt the city in the long run. GF would suffer greatly if UND became the suitcase college that it seems as if city administrators are longing for.

[airmail]

For what it's worth it seems like recent city policy has taken on a decided anti-student agenda.  The proposed restrictions on leases to three members as well as the city wide noise ordinance.  Grand Forks needs to embrace the student population because it truly is the life blood of the community. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I disagree that the city has any

[Sioux-cia]

What the city of Grand Forks doesn't realize is that this ordinance will only make springfest worse.  Instead of the students being contained within the park springfest will now be held at the numerous student residences around the park, leading to more and more students trespassing on personal property.  If they really wanted to contain springfest the city would fence off the park, give out wristbands at the gate, and thus would be better able to police the crowd. For what it's worth it seems like recent city policy has taken on a decided anti-student agenda.  The proposed restrictions on leases to three members as well as the city wide noise ordinance.  Grand Forks needs to embrace the student population because it truly is the life blood of the community.  Designing laws that target the student population will only hurt the city in the long run.  GF would suffer greatly if UND became the suitcase college that it seems as if city administrators are longing for.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First of all fencing in University Park for ONE event is not going to happen. There have been many large events held there which have attracted 1,000s of people without a riot breaking out. If there is going to be a Springfest, someone/some group needs to sponser it, own it, provide security, and let the nearest neighbors know who they are and who to call if they have a problem. Not having Springfest is not going to make anything worse. The partying is not confined to one weekend in the spring. Why not have Springfest on University property like the rugby field?

Secondly many of the homes that surround the Park are family dwellings and not rentals. As a home owner in that neighborhood, I can state that many of the students that do rent houses are respectful of the property and their neighbors property, many are not. A friend lives across the street from a rental and states her life on week ends is hell. It's a regular party house, people park in the front yard and on her property, trash ends up in her yard, drunks, who don't know their a$$es from their heads, end up in her yard, there's enough commotion over there that the police are regulars. They're our homes year round and we have paid for the right to be comfortable in our own homes. I don't see how the three people limit is going to stop this type of thing from happening. I would rather see the landlord being ticketed for the unexceptable behavior of the people they rent to. Three tickets and no more renting of the property for a specific period of time. This may help. No one I know is anti-student, what we are against are those students who have no respect for their neighbors and treat their homes and the surrounding homes and areas with the same lack of respect.

[dlsiouxfan]

To clarify what I mean in my above post. I should say that ordinances like the one discussed above and how city officials talk of "selectively" enforcing it only further alienate students from the grand forks community. Selective enforcement of this ordinance would not be unlike the selective enforcement of the noise ordinance which unfairly targets students who are having small togethers as well as those who are having loud parties. It's ordinances like these that tell students that yes students are good enough to spend money in our stores and yes they're good enough to work for us but god forbid i ever have to live in the same neighborhood as one of them and heaven help us if anymore than two or three of them get together in the same place.

[Cratter]

Suite 49 is going to sell beer at Springfest. You can take it anywhere in the park. No permit needed for individuals. Have to have wristband.

By the wording those should be in "bullet" form.

Now the real question: is it legal to drink your own beer in the park?