The Wing Off runs dry!

[Jim Price]

"A Wing-Off without beer is like a Tootsie Pop without the chocolate center...It stinks!" - Chris Lawson of The Marauders

Once again, the strong arm of PLCB law has thrown a monkey wrench into the Lakemont Park Wing-Off's. As of this week's Wing-Off, beer is not permitted to be sold. This may be temporary or long-term, likely depending on whether the Wing-Off organizers can find another nonprofit organization for the Wing-Off proceeds to go to. But at least for this night, it was a beer-less Wing-Off, and it effectively killed off the crowd for this week's scheduled band, The Marauders.

Unofficially, I believe the issue is the absence of a nonprofit organization for the Wing-Off proceeds to benefit. It was first reported on TV-10's news a few weeks ago that the Lakemont Volunteer Fire Company, the nonprofit sponsor of the Wing-Off's the past few years, announced that they were withdrawing from the event this year due to lack of time and manpower to devote to it. It was reported at that point that the organizers needed to find a new nonprofit organization to be involved with the event, or by PLCB rules alcohol wouldn't be permitted to be sold at it. The first Wing-Off happened last Thursday (with the Hurricanes performing), but I didn't see any new nonprofit sponsor present. I figured that they must have resolved it somehow. But this week, signs at the entrances to Lakemont Park reported that due to legalities, that beer would not be sold at the Wing-Off.

Here's hoping they resolve the issue quickly and find a nonprofit sponsor (if indeed this is the issue), or this event will die quickly. I'm also hoping this is resolved for the sake of next week's band, Rock & Rye, because the early forecast for next week has the temperature reaching 90 on Thursday - with no cold beer around, that would be brutal!

[RobTheDrummer]

I would like to see a get closer to the music wing off! Come on Ed and Cathy!

[Jim Price]

Here is a link to a preliminary story the Altoona Mirror is running on it. It has to do with the nonprofit group being able to obtain a liquor permit; apparently they couldn't obtain one in time for this week.

http://www.altoonamirror.com/News/artic ... leID=13641

[PanzerFaust]

Here's a letter to the editor I sent in response to that article...

The headline is worded as to insinuate that this is the second wing off canceled and the second and third paragraph have incongruent and slightly incorrect info...


Dear Editor,

It seems to me that The Altoona Mirror and WTAJ will not be happy until the Wing-Off is no longer an event which people can enjoy with family and friends... When the media attempts to make a newsworthy story where there is none, and that creates a situation worth reporting, then I feel the media has overstepped it's role as a service to the community, as well as misled them.
I as an Altoona Mirror subscriber, and as the son of an Altoona Mirror employee retired with 30 years of service, am disappointed in the Mirror's and WTAJ's refusal to respect the privacy of the Non-profit involved, thereby causing the cancellation of the event and possible demise. Even the headline on this article shows the twist being put on the story. The headline is incorrectly worded to insinuate that a second Wing-Off has been canceled and not that a single cancellation of the second scheduled event has occurred. This mis-wording is something that I would not expect from a grade school child so I'm suspect to it's unintentional syntax. All in all it's just poor judgment on the part of the media which harms the community and has no benefit except now a story exists where there was none before.

Donald R. Smith M.Ed.

[SpiritualSadist]

Has anyone thought maybe they are considering the whole "Drinking & Driving" angle???? There will be families there, right?
If people drive there and drink, they are gonna have to drive back.
Maybe safety is first here.

[PanzerFaust]

Has anyone thought maybe they are considering the whole "Drinking & Driving" angle???? There will be families there, right?
If people drive there and drink, they are gonna have to drive back.
Maybe safety is first here.

No not even close... Doesn't have a damn thing to do with it... There is 10 times more police presence when leaving the parking lot at Lakemont compared to a local bar/resturaunt...

This is the problem here ... People are trying to make a story where there is none and won't rest until the poking, prodding and questioning creates a story...

[YankeeRose]

Has anyone thought maybe they are considering the whole "Drinking & Driving" angle???? There will be families there, right?
If people drive there and drink, they are gonna have to drive back.
Maybe safety is first here.

Just THINK of the $ they could make. All it takes is common sense to realize if it was truly a safety issue, alcohol wouldn't be sold at Curve games, right next door...also a "family" event.

[SpiritualSadist]

What does Police Presence have to do with driving drunk? I dont think it deters many from drinking and driving ever. It just helps the "I have to concentrate" mindset.
Its a "Wing-off" NOT a "Beer-Off". If they took away the wings, I could see how the event would be ruined.

Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

Another issue is, SHOULD alcohol even be sold at FAMILY events? It TRULY is risking lives. No matter how much money can be made.

[Jones]

What does Police Presence have to do with driving drunk? I dont think it deters many from drinking and driving ever. It just helps the "I have to concentrate" mindset.
Its a "Wing-off" NOT a "Beer-Off". If they took away the wings, I could see how the event would be ruined.

Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

Another issue is, SHOULD alcohol even be sold at FAMILY events? It TRULY is risking lives. No matter how much money can be made.

Shirley you can't be serious? And yes I'll stop calling you Shirley. While you may see a ballgame as a "family" event, I see it as a chance to get together with the guys, have some ballpark dogs, and throw back a few beers. Yes of course you'll throw the old "impairment starts with the first drink" story at me, but over a three hour period, a few beers is NOTHING.
Now, on your side, are there people that take the priviledge of having beer at this function too far? Absolutely. There's no excuse for being sloppy piss drunk at such an event, same goes for other sporting events.(although I'll admit to having been that person once or three times)

Seriously though, no beer at a ball game or a wing off? It's like sex without the climax.

[DirtySanchez]

Seriously though, no beer at a ball game or a wing off? It's like sex without the climax.

If you think beer and wings should not live together harmoniously you should revoke your American citizenship.

[Jim Price]

It seems like the local state police LCE try to use every loophole and minute detail in the liquor code that they can to try to do this event in. Every year there seems to be some veiled threat in the media or through the state police that threatens whether the Wing-Off event can happen. Of course, a few years ago was the infamous fiasco where the LCE barred anybody under 21 from entering the Wing-Off, until the higher-ups in Harrisburg caught wind of it and told the local state police that they had to rescind the ban.

I haven't heard about the Tussey Wing Challenge or Johnstown's Wing Fling events going through these types of hassles. But almost every year Lakemont seems to come under state police scrutiny.

And agreeing with Tood's point, it seems that the media doesn't publicize the Wing-Off events for benefiting nonprofits (like the Lakemont Fire Company the past several years), but makes it a top story when there is any controversy surrounding liquor enforcement. It does make you wonder...

[BDR]

What does Police Presence have to do with driving drunk? I dont think it deters many from drinking and driving ever. It just helps the "I have to concentrate" mindset.
Its a "Wing-off" NOT a "Beer-Off". If they took away the wings, I could see how the event would be ruined.

Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

Another issue is, SHOULD alcohol even be sold at FAMILY events? It TRULY is risking lives. No matter how much money can be made.

You crusading against the sale of Satan's swill might have more of an impact if the audience you were bringing your point across to wasn't in the business of selling alcohol. We musicians in the local club curcuit are in the booze business, whether you like it or not. If not for clubs' registers ringing, we would have no venues at which to play, nor paychecks.

Disclaimer No. 1: I don't drink. Not a drop, so from a personal standpoint, it makes no difference to me if there is booze someplace when I show up.

I could give you the URL to my daughter's church forum if you'd care to bring your viewpoint across to like-minded people, because I can pretty much guarantee your argument for a beer-free wing-off is probably not going to get too much sympathy here.

Disclaimer No. 2: I'm not advocating drunken driving at all. Everyone who chooses to drink, no matter where they do it, must do so in a responsible manner or suffer the concequenses.

r:>)

[PanzerFaust]

Great point JP.. It is very sad that a great opportunity for local bands to get some alternate exposure than the usual bar gig, and a great event for the community to come together and catch up with people we haven't seen in awhile, to be treated like it's some nefarious event which needs strictly monitored and is subject to horrendous interpretations of the law..

And for all the good it does locally it seems like the media (TV 10 and the Altoona Mirror) are willing to jump on the bandwagon and basically sacrifice the Wing Off for the sake of a 10 second sound byte..
The LCB is to basically do what all police forces are to do "Protect and Serve" my question is who is being protected by this? in other words who was being hurt or endangered and secondly who the hell is being served by this? now the community is hurt, the bands are hurt, the park, the church etc etc... If the basic intent of any public entity is to first do more good than harm than I think the LCB is way over it's limit here...

And for God's sake SpiritualSadist!! be part of the solution not part of the problem... There are enough bullshit, half-researched, facts as it is without you projecting for the sake of sounding like you might know what's going on...

Peace, Tood

[MeYatch]

[bassist4life2004]

I totally agree.

[getclosertothemusic]

I would like to see a get closer to the music wing off! Come on Ed and Cathy!

Thats a great idea Rob, Thats defnitely something worth looking into in the future...

[Asundor]

Fuck the PLCB, no what I say BYOB.

[metalchurch]

I know exactly what you mean. Bring your own Beans.

[drums=life]

Fuck the PLCB, no what I say BYOB.

RIGHT ON MAN!!! Well said.

[jangel]

The one thing I know is that the LCE responds to complaints, just like the noise violations. Someone, or a group are against the wing offs being held.
Pick a reason noise, alcohol, someone that was banned from it etc. the LCE must respond to it and react. No different than a bar. Did they just happen to drop over to see whats going on, I doubt it.

[YankeeRose]

If I recall correctly, in the past the LCB did show up at venues with absolutely NO complaints having been filed. I'm not certain how this was known. Harrisburg needs to be contacted regarding the Wing Offs and they should be reported, again. Last time the that was done, problems with the PLCB calmed down for a little while. So what if there is no specific non profit charity listed. The money will be donated to one, and that is ALL that should matter.

[PanzerFaust]

before too many more rumors innuendos or hypothesis are thrown out please refer to mine and JP's earlier posts... (I am best friends with the Wing Off organizer and have for the last 11 years worked the Wing Offs carding people and putting wrist bands on.. So I kinda got the inside scoop)....

The LCB or more correctly now, the State Police (Officer Strobert I believe) is always at the wing off that is not the problem...

The problem was a direct result of the media attention... First the WTAJ news broadcasts but in particular the Altoona Mirror not being satisfied till the beneficiary of the events was investigated and contacted against their wishes... The Mirror then hurriedly writing an article before checking to see if the facts were correct...

**This is particularly sad for me since my mother retired from the Mirror after 30 years as a proofreader (replaced by spellcheck) and I spent many years of my childhood contributing photos/articles to the Saturday kids page...
(Used to be a Saturday kids section called the "Mirror Minors" which sons/daughters of Mirror employees created and published)

[YankeeRose]

Well, just off the top of my head, and it's because they have ties to RockPage, are GCTTM and RFTT. Honestly, as far as the organizers not being able to FIND a non profit organization to donate the proceeds to, even in an hour's time, let alone days and days...you've GOT to be kidding me. There must be more to it than that, and I agree, The Mirror and WTAJ both bite for their part in all of it.

[PanzerFaust]

Well, just off the top of my head, and it's because they have ties to RockPage, are GCTTM and RFTT. Honestly, as far as the organizers not being able to FIND a non profit organization to donate the proceeds to, even in an hour's time, let alone days and days...you've GOT to be kidding me. There must be more to it than that, and I agree, The Mirror and WTAJ both bite for their part in all of it.

Who EVER said there was trouble finding a non profit?

The people involved just didn't see the where the media had a need to be poking their noses into it...

[bassist_25]

As someone who was part of the band that organized a benefit gig two summers ago and then had it shit on by a local news outlet with irresponsible journalism and a news correspondent who reported blatantly FALSE information, I can totally empathize with the organizers of the wing-off. It's bullshit and we, as I society, need to hold our media outlets accoutable for how they publish information.