Request for beer garden withdrawn; Latin festival to seek permit at later date.

Byline: Nick Kotsopoulos

WORCESTER - Plans to once again have a "beer garden" on the Common at this year's Latin American Festival have hit a snag.

Festival organizers last night were forced to withdraw their petition before the Parks and Recreation Commission, in which they sought permission to sell beer and wine on the Common, when it appeared they did not have the necessary votes.

A two-thirds vote of the seven-member Parks and Recreation Commission is needed to waive the alcohol ban in city parks under a policy established by the commission last year.

The problem festival organizers faced was twofold: The commission currently has only six members after the resignation of Herbert Donahue, and two of those six members (Gary J. Vecchio and Bruce M. Wahle) voted against a similar petition for the Latin American Festival last year.

Had the group pressed for a vote on its petition, festival organizers feared they may not have received the necessary five affirmative votes for their petition. Without at least five votes, their petition would have been denied and they would not have been able to sell beer and wine at the festival, scheduled for Aug. 18 and 19.

Instead of risking that, festival organizers withdrew their petition, giving them the ability to go back to the Parks and Recreation Commission at a later date. But there is some uncertainty as to when that will be.

The terms of three commissioners - Michael T. Doherty, Mr. Vecchio and Paul Belsito - will expire at the end of April, and City Manager Michael V. O'Brien has already appointed people to replace them. But Mr. Doherty, who is commission chairman, said it could be June or July before a seventh member is appointed, because of the lengthy public process the city manager has to follow in filling vacancies on city boards and commissions.

Sam Rosario, a volunteer with the Latin American Festival, said uncertainty could throw a monkey wrench into the logistical planning for the festival. He said that while the License Commission has already approved a liquor license for the festival, the group still needs to get approval from the Parks and Recreation Commission to sell beer and wine in the Common.

"We might have to wait until July before we come back again. Who knows?" Mr. Rosario said. "This is what happens when you don't have a full complement of board members. I hope the city manager can fill that vacancy as quickly as possible."

Carmen D. "Dolly" Vazquez, a co-organizer of the Latin American Festival, said the festival and beer garden would be run exactly the same as last year, when no problems or alcohol-related incidents were reported.

Mr. Rosario and Jennithan Cortes, who is in charge of running the beer garden at this year's festival, said a 6-foot-high fence will be erected around the beer garden and two police officers will be assigned to that specific area. In total, they said, more than $20,000 will be spent on police details for the two-day event.

"Nothing is changing over what we had last year, when we had no problems," Mr. Rosario said. "It (beer garden) will be in the same location and the same size."

Mr. Vecchio acknowledged last year's Latin American Festival was well-run and without incident, but he said he once again could not support the petition to have a beer garden at the Common because he opposes the use and sale of alcohol on parkland.

"My position has nothing to do with the festival itself," Mr. Vecchio said. "I'm just against having alcohol in any of our parks."

When the Parks and Recreation Commission took up a similar petition last year, it also only had six members then. But a simple majority vote was all that was needed to win approval. Voting to waive the alcohol ban on the Common for last year's Latin American Festival were Mr. Belsito, Mr. Donahue, Vite Pigaga and Mr. Doherty.

A few months after that vote, the commission adopted a new policy governing the sale and consumption of alcohol in city parks: Beer and wine is allowed for certain community events at the Common, while being strongly discouraged in all other parks. A two-thirds vote is now needed to waive the alcohol ban in the parks.

NAME: WORCESTER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION