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Editorials
Sandi Robinson, a member of the Lancaster-Depew Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, addressed the Town Board at their work session to promote the idea of having the high school battle of the band contest winner perform one night at the new Lancaster band shell. The band would be scheduled to be play for one hour in the month of August.
The band shell is located next to the Youth Bureau on Oxford Avenue and within a heavily populated area. Robinson declared that it was an excellent opportunity to serve the children and that kids would only be let in with school identity cards. The event would be geared to kids in grades 7-12. The mission is to promote positive ways to help youths steer clear of substance abuse. In fact, the idea came from kids themselves that appeared at other Coalition meetings, stating that they did not want to attend band concerts and that there were not enough music events that appealed to them.
“They are looking for ways to be good citizens,” said Robinson. “We had other events that worked out great and that were successful and they keep giving us input. They (kids) love music. So we thought a better way for the coalition to meet with the kids and work with them, and the school agreed, was to take the winner of the battle of the bands contest (The Mixtape) and award them by putting on a concert. We have been working with the Youth Bureau in making it more of a community Youth Bureau. The Band Shell popped up. Let’s take something that is a drug and alcohol free event that will attract the kids in our community and work together with them. The Coalition consists of the Churches, police, schools and others.”
Robinson stated that three officers would be there in full force to provide security. They would ask for Lancaster school ID’s and that all parties are committed to doing it and will be present to make sure the event is drug and alcohol free.
Town Response
Supervisor Giza: How do you control this? I mean, it’s an open field. How will you control the ID inspection process, by putting a fence up? There are multiple entry ways. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. When there is a party at someone’s house, ten people may be invited and 500 show up. How are you going to control the ID process when there may be anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 kids showing up? There was a concert the other night for the older people and I would estimate that 1,500 people showed up. We couldn’t begin to check that many ID’s. We want to make no one gets hurt, that the kids enjoy themselves and that the neighbors are respected as well.
“If we create this giant event and we can’t control it that concerns me. You have to think seriously about this ID thing because kids will be coming in from every angle and I don’t care how many police you have. If there is going to be a rock band scheduled at the band shell, I can almost guarantee you that there will be 2,000 people there. There is no police department that can take care of that.”
Robinson declared she was here to schedule an August date and would return with an idea how to control the crowd; perhaps selling/distributing tickets. Giza asked what they would do to someone who did not have a ticket. Robinson declared they would be thrown out. Giza interjected that some kids without tickets would go over the fence, go into a neighbor’s yard or find some way to get access. “It’s not an easy thing to control. I’ve been there.”
Robinson countered that although there are risks, kids have to be treated like adults. “We were all kids at one time. We have to have safety, but if we always don’t do anything for fear that we are going to anger neighbors, there is nothing stopping anyone from hiring this band and having them play in their backyard. You have a beer tent in the center of town for three days, 30 hours, and what do you have for the youth?
"I don’t mean to be argumentative but I am tired of hearing that kids are bad and that people are afraid of them. I go over to Cayuga Park in the summertime and there’s all those kids smoking pot and doing whatever and I go sit down with them and give them munchies. I can drive down Central Avenue, pull my car over and take every one of those kids; “do you need a ride” and they will get in. But if we always write them off…"
Giza: What’s wrong with the Lancaster High School Field House? It’s cool inside and you have the opportunity to check ID’s.
Robinson: Yeah, but its summertime and I have to ask what the purpose of the band shell is? Is it just for people over 50? Is it just for certain events, what is its purpose?
It was then discussed that the sound system may be inadequate for the needs of a rock band. The system was designed for a PA system. It would have to be tested should such event be allowed to take place.
When Robinson declared that she could hear the sound from other events taking place at the band shell and at Como Park, it didn’t bother her, Giza responded that he does get calls from neighbors complaining about the noise coming from boom boxes coming from the park and that neighbors will complain when the sound hits a certain noise level.
Giza: It isn’t that we don’t want this event here. I want some assurances that you put on a show where there is crowd control. We create this thing and we can’t control it, we are all going to be in hot water and I don’t want to be in anymore hot water. We have the best Youth Bureau in the county; maybe the state. I started the Youth Bureau and am very familiar with what they do there and accomplish.
Council Member Ruffino echoed Giza’s position on how the town supports the Youth Bureau and also on the issues that could arise from the rock band concert.
Council Member Aquino suggested holding the event at the Fourth of July celebration (three days). “That would be a showcase for the band,” declared Aquino. Council Member Abraham agreed that the main stage at the Fourth of July event would be a better venue.
Coalition Chair Lisa Johnson interjected that the main stage was too close to the beer tent which flies in the face of the coalition’s intent to keep the substance abuse free event away from such distraction.
Aquino suggested staging the event before the beer tent opened and that in fact the beer tent is not that close to the main stage. “There is separation there,” said Aquino.
Robinson again asked what the goal of the band shell was.
Giza replied it was intended for band concerts and to have some Youth Bureau summer events; like plays and perhaps movies in the future.
Robinson again reiterated that she liked the sounds coming from the park and the band shell and would not be one calling in to complain about the noise. “If we bow to everyone’s complaints, we do not move forward,” voiced Robinson.
Giza: What are you going to do if 2,000 kids show up?
Robinson: We will go back and look into that.
Giza declared that when band concerts take place the kids that are there are with parents and that there are other adults who keep the event under control. “You guys will have to watch 2,000 kids.”
Robinson: We have a very large volunteer list and we are working with the two SRO officers and another one as well. If you told us the event would be limited to 400-500 kids to control security, we would find a way to work with that.
Giza: I would like to see the kids there. And if there were 5,000 kids there I wouldn’t care if they behaved. My problem is that if they go bananas. It isn’t like a light bulb where you can turn it off and say “everybody go home."
Robinson interjected that after hearing all the concerns put forth by the board, she would be willing to come back with a plan that limits the concert attendance to 500. “Officer Formato (School Resource Officer) says to give the board his word, whatever that means. We have 15-20 volunteers from our coalition and 15-20 people volunteering from other organizations.
Robinson went on to say that as far as she knew only a request letter to use the band shell was required. “And I know that a lot of people who live in the surrounding condominiums don’t only listen to John Phillips Sousa as Mr. Abraham earlier alluded to.”
Abraham: I only said that because that’s what they are used to hearing. “What bothers me is the crowd control and whether this will be disruptive to the neighborhood.
Council Member Donna Stempniak: I want to know how loud it’s going to be.
It was discussed that there is a noise ordinance but that considering the event is being held in the Village of Lancaster, the stipulations were unknown.
Robinson was then advised to test out the audio system ahead of time to ensure the amplification would not overload the circuit breakers and that the show would be cancelled. “That would cause an angry crowd and…”
Robinson was also asked whether the police who showed interest in assisting were doing so on a volunteer basis or expecting to receive overtime compensation which impacts the town’s tight budget. “Is this offer coming from the goodness of their hearts?”
Robinson was told that the board has a lot of concerns that have to be met before the board makes a decision on whether the event could take place at the band shell. Yes, there are a lot of good kids, and then there are others that are not so good.
Giza presented another scenario on why the town has grave concerns. “Kids have to taken to school by parents or bused, then they have to be delivered home by bus or picked up by parents. Kids can’t be released from school on their own. It’s really structured because the school understands the potential danger of something happening.
This event has to be structured and controlled.
The town board agreed that the best place to hold the event, with the likelihood of best exposure, would be on the main stage during the Fourth of July celebration agenda.
Robinson: I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but it seems silly, why did they put the band shell there?
Giza: For concerts when youths play. I never intended to have rock concerts there.
Robinson: The kids in the high school hate musical music. I think you are being shortsighted. You put it on property next to the Youth Bureau and…
Giza: You think I am going to bring 2,000 kids up there for a rock concert periodically; you never got that from me. I love kids, but I know the potential for problems. I got stung so many times in the past.
Robinson thanked the board for listening, saying she didn’t know what the outcome would be. She was told the board needed more information. The board wanted to know how security would be handled, electrical needs that would be required, limiting attendance, noise etc. “We don’t want to be getting calls from neighbors that don’t like that kind of music.”
Giza: What if we had a testing point and if it works we could think of having it at the band shell?
It was decided that Westwood Park would be the test site and that the coalition would be responsible for managing the affair. It was considered an inoffensive site, away from a heavily populated area.
Giza: I’m not saying we could never have this event at the band shell but I am afraid of anyone getting hurt or having a crowd we could not control.
Robinson voiced that crowd control would be better served at Keysa Park where at Westwood kids could wander off into the woods. Parks & Recreation Director Terry McCracken declared that in August all fields are spoken for; football practice. He suggested a baseball field that was pretty much fenced in and would help with the crowd control concern at Westwood Park. “People coming in and going out could be better observed.” Self generation would be needed.
The board again reiterated that the best place to hold the event would be the main stage at the Fourth of July celebration. Ms. Johnson declared the suggestion was not acceptable with the beer tent nearby and that the coalition was merely seeking input as to whether the band shell was available.
Robinson added that the event could be held at Como Park (County Park) but that the coalition wanted this to be a partnership with the town. It wound up with Robinson being advised to work with McCracken on the idea of having a test run at Westwood Park.
Comments
*Now that you have been informed of the entire discussion held at the work session; a session with many complex issues, it would be interesting to hear your comments on the message board regarding:
*What is the purpose of the band shell? I have heard the Town Board declare numerous times that it was intended for band concerts and have heard their concerns on allowing rock concerts there.
*Security
*Crowd control
*Attendance limitations (and how and who)
*Noise volume and adverse impact to the neighboring residents )it’s only one hour of concert time, but another hour for entering and leaving.
*Traffic control. Who monitors the traffic when adults drop kids off for the venue and return to pick them up?
Who is responsible for cleanup; liable for damage, bodily injury, etc?
*Why should the main stage at the Fourth of July celebration not be considered appropriate for the event when other events have children participate in them.
*What is the Village of Lancaster’s take on all this?
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