• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Aberdeen, S.D., Board Considers Proposed Tailgate Area at School Site

Posted on: Friday, 1 July 2005, 18:01 CDT

Jul. 1--The most recently proposed site for tailgate parties with beer got a thumbs-up on Thursday from an Aberdeen woman who earlier raised objections to having such get-togethers near Central High School.

"I have no problem with this," said Rhonda Swanson, as she stood on the proposed site on the south end of the football field that's part of the Clark Swisher Activities Complex under construction on the grounds of Central High School, 2200 S. Roosevelt St.

Swanson and several school district officials were at the site for a special school board meeting called to give board members an opportunity to examine the proposed tailgate area.

The board took no action, but is definitely comfortable with the new proposal, said board member Duane Alm.

"We feel confident this is going to be worked out," he said.

A formal decision on the now school-owned site being put under city ownership has not been made. The ownership change would make tailgating with beer legal there.

A school board quorum was not present Thursday; Alm and Mike Miller were the only board members to attend.

Last week, Swanson appeared before the school board to voice her opposition to tailgate beer parties on any CHS parking lot. Such parties are traditionally held before Northern State University home football games, which starting this fall will be at the new complex. The parties typically involve alumni and their families.

"I didn't want people inside Central to be able to look out the window and see people drinking beer," she said. Now she's convinced the site under consideration is far enough away from Central that alcohol consumption won't be visible from the school.

Swanson said she's also pleased the tailgate parties have a solid reputation for being conducted well. If that were not true, she might still object to them taking place at the complex, she said.

The proposal also calls for the city to take ownership of the small party area that's currently public-school property. School district policy forbids alcohol consumption on its property, and city ordinance forbids alcohol on school parking lots.

Last month, City Commissioner Lloyd Hodgin and others pointed out that the original proposal for tailgate parties violated school policy. After he raised the issue, the commission passed a resolution stating it opposes tailgate beer parties at Swisher if they are on school property.

The complex is a joint project of the city, the district and NSU. The proposal for tailgating on city-owned property is expected to be incorporated into the joint-powers agreement governing Swisher's use.

Neither the city nor the district approved the agreement in its original form, before the tailgate issue came up, although the state Board of Regents had. That board governs NSU.

Swanson said those who tailgate should pay for whatever improvements are needed to make the area amenable to the parties.

The proposal calls for some curb and gutter to be installed and some gravel to be hauled in to convert the site into a wide parking spot, and for a handful of sprinkler heads to be moved, said Scott Sikkink, the school district's director of buildings and grounds.

He expects cost estimates to be prepared soon. The area would be approximately 200 feet long starting at South Roosevelt Street and stretching west, and taper to 60 or so feet wide at its widest.

-----

To see more of the American News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.aberdeennews.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: American News (Aberdeen, S.D.)

More News in this Category