CrackdownonalcoholpitsMaryvillevs.

University
MaraRoseWilliamsandBrandonZenner(SpecialtotheKansasCityStar)

Maryville,Mo.,ismorecollegethanmanycollegetowns,withnearly7,000studentsat
NorthwestMissouriStateUniversitypushingthecityspopulationto17,000whenschoolisin
session.
Tosaythatmanyofthosestudentsarentpleasedwiththecurrentcourseofcity
governmentwouldbeanunderstatement.
TheyhavelongenjoyeduncommonfreedomsinMaryville,liketheabilitytohangout
withfriendsinbarswhentheyreage19or20,thoughtheycantlegallydrinkuntiltheyre21.
Andwhilethecampusisvirtuallydrywiththeexceptionofcertainparkinglotsfor
tailgating,MaryvilleistheonlycollegetowninMissouriwherepeopleoflegaldrinkingagecan
walkcitystreetswithanopenbeerinhand.
Butchangeiscoming,startingwithaCityCouncilvotelatelastmonththatraisedthe
ageforenteringabarto21,effectiveJuly1.
Thebarsallowingminorsisreallyunique,NorthwestsophomoreLeeVolmersaid.It
givesacommunitysensebecauseeverybodygetstohangoutatthesameplacewhenthey
wanttogoout.
SydnieAdler,anothersophomore,saidshedoesntthinkthenewbaragewillslow
underagedrinking.
Underagepeopledonotgetservedatthebar,Adlersaid.Ifyourenotatthebar,
youreatafratpartyorahousepartyandyouregoingtogetservedthere.Idontthinkits
goingtohelpthesafetyof(thecity)atall.
Twomoreordinancesthatwouldendpublicdrinkingandmakeiteasierforpolicetoshut
downpartieswereontheagendaMondaynightwhentheuniversityspresidentcalledfora
timeout.
PresidentJohnJasinskiaskedthecounciltotableitsvoteonthealcoholcurbing
ordinancesuntilafterithadheardfromtheuniversitycommunity,includingstudentleaders.A
forumhasbeenscheduledforThursdayeveningonthecampus.
Jasinskisaidhesupportseffortstopromoteresponsibledrinking,butthelatest
proposalshavestudentsworriedtheymaybecomethetargetsofoverlytoughenforcementby
police.
Wewantclarificationontheintentoftheordinances,howtheywouldbeenforcedand
theirpotentialimpact,Jasinskisaid.
Hementionedseveralalcoholabusepreventionprogramsalreadyworkingonthe
campus.
Adlersaidshethoughttheentiredebatewassendingthewrongmessageabout
Northwest.
Itputsusinabadlightandmakesusseemlikeabunchofdrunksandthatwere
drinkingwaytoomuch,shesaid.
Cityofficialssaythemotivebehindsettingnewrulesisprimarilyoneofpublichealthand
safetyfortheentirecommunity.

Thebiggesthealthproblemof19and20yearoldsisalcohol,CouncilmanGlenn
Jonagansaid.Theresnoreasonwhyanypoliticalsubdivisionshouldsupportsomethingthats
againstthelaw.
Maryvillepublicsafetyofficialssaidtheyrecorded145alcoholrelatedoffensesin2013,
thebulkofwhichareminorinpossessions,saidLt.DeputyDirectorRonChristian.
CityeffortstotightenalcoholuselawsbeganinJuly2012andincluded16monthsofresearch
anddiscussion,MayorJimFallsaid.
Itsanintenttocreateasafer,healthierandmorewelcomingatmosphereforthe
communityasawhole,Fallsaid.Itsanattempttomakelifebetterforeveryoneintown.
OfficialswiththeNationalInstituteonAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholismagreewithFallsapproach.
Thereisnoeasyfixyouhavetoinvolvethecommunityaroundthecollege,saidAaron
White,theinstitutesprogramdirectorforunderageandcollegedrinkingpreventionresearch.
Maryvillepolicejoinedwithcityofficialstodeveloptheordinancesandsaidtheyhadthe
personneltoenforcethem.
Underagedrinkingisaproblemeverywhere,butIthinkunderagedrinkingis
compoundedinacollegetownbecauseminorsareattractedtobeingaroundcollegestudents,
saidKeithWood,directorofMaryvillespolicedepartment.
Hesaidresearchbyhisdepartmentfoundthatmostofthestatesmajorcollegetowns,
includingColumbia,Kirksville,JoplinandWarrensburg,prohibitanyoneunderage21from
beinginbarsandbanopencontainersofalcoholonthestreets.
Warrensburgadoptedanordinancesettingthebarageat21in2007afterunderage
drinking,publicdrunkennessandalcoholrelatedviolencebecamesuchaproblemitwaslike
MardiGrasinNewOrleansontheweekends,saidCpl.TomCarey,PoliceDepartment
spokesman.Somecollegekidsbythetimetheygraduatedhadfiveminorinpossession
arrests.
Itwassobad,saidPoliceChiefBruceHowey,thatin2006policemade500liquorlaw
violationandassaultarrestsonasinglestreet.
Itwasnotuncommontoat2a.m.getanallofficerscalltoWestPineStreet,thecitys
mainbarstreet,hesaid.
Severalofficerswereinjuredarrestingdrunkenandoutofcontrolteenagers,Howeysaid.
Sinceadoptingthe21andoverordinance,minorinpossessionarrestsdropped91
percentindowntownWarrensburg,Careysaid.Assaults,fightsanddisturbanceswentfrom161
in2007to83in2011.Initially,nuisancepartycomplaintsescalateduntilthecitytweakedits
ordinancetogivepolicemoreauthoritytoshutdownparties.
NorthweststudentsandothercommunitymembersfearMaryvillesproposedparty
ordinancewouldleadtooverlyaggressiveenforcement.Themeasurewouldallowpoliceto
breakupanygatheringof10ormorepeoplefortriggers,suchasdisturbingthepeace,littering
orfighting,withoutacomplaint.
Itstroublingthat(theordinances)areaimedataparticulardemographicourstudent
population,saidTimShipley,a36yearoldcandidateintheCityCouncilelectioninApril.It
canbeviewedasanattackonthem.Theproposedordinanceswillnot,inanyway,change
behavior.

Theordinanceswillbeabigissueinthecouncilelection.AlongwithShipley,Rachael
Martin,27,andAdamSwitzer,25,arerunningfortwoopenseats.
Peoplealwaysresistchange.Itshardtosay,Weregoingtodothis,thisandthistobe
likeeveryoneelsewhenMaryvilleisnotlikeeveryoneelse,Martinsaid.Thereisnoother
placeinthisworldthatisjustlikeMaryville,Mo.Ourtownissosmallandourcollegeissobig
thatthecombinationissorare.
Idontthinkyoucanmakeourrulesandordinancesjustlikeeveryoneelse.