BOARD: ALCOHOL AND CONCERTS DON'T MIX

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Beer and concerts at the Show Me Center shouldn't be mixed, the center's Board of Managers decided Wednesday.

Board members voted unanimously at a meeting to stay with the center's current alcohol sales policy, which gives the center's director the discretion of deciding whether alcohol should be sold at an event. But the board amended the policy to prohibit the sale of beer at concerts.

"The decision of the board and their wishes is that it would be prudent not to sell (beer) at concerts, and I agree with them," Show Me Center Director David Ross said following the meeting. Ross had recommended that the board take the action that it did.

The board's decision follows the trial sale of beer Feb. 17 at a country concert put on by Ricky Van Shelton, Patty Loveless, and Mark Collie. That marked the first time beer had been served at a Show Me Center concert.

Late last month, Ross said the trial sale of beer had gone well at the concert, which was attended by 5,100 people.

Ross said Wednesday that he had gotten a lot of feedback, both pro and con, since the concert. The feedback, he said, included comments from people on the street and a few letters and telephone calls. He estimated the feedback ran 60-40 against selling beer at concerts, or possibly a 50-50 split.

Although the concert had gone smoothly, Ross said, his observation is that the community is not ready for beer to be sold at Show Me Center concerts.

"Quite honestly, the revenue earned is not worth the controversy," he added.

Wednesday's board decision does leave open the option that board members may change their minds later and permit beer sales at concerts. Such a change, however, would require a majority vote of the board, said Ross.

The center's alcohol sales policy also subjects any event sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University to university rules.

One board member said the possibility of future beer sales remained alive.

"It's like anything else: we might change our minds someday," said board member Charles "Bud" Leming. "But right now, we're not going to sell beer in concerts."

Leming said he supported concert beer sales, so long as vendors are extremely careful that they don't sell beer to the wrong people. On the other hand, he said, he also doesn't see anything wrong with the board saying it's not going to allow the sale of beer anymore.

"I'll say this: I went to the (Feb. 17) concert. I enjoyed the concert. I didn't go buy beer," Leming said.

Board members Wednesday also reaffirmed the center's policy governing the distribution of advertising in the Show Me Center parking lot, said Ross. The policy restricts the distribution of advertising, specifically handbills, on center property without the written approval of management.