No toasts for easing alcohol policy
at GP Woods' Lake Front Park
The Grosse Pointe Woods Council met as the Committee of the Whole this week to consider a proposal to allow alcohol consumption in Lake Front Park. They got an earful of objection, not from residents but from park employees.
Several told the committee there is already plenty of alcohol in the park, they are understaffed to handle more and easing restrictions will promote a greater potential for accidents. The employees offered war stories to back up their contentions.
Mike Frick, who patrols the park, said Lake Front is the only one of the Pointe waterfront parks to have a road running through it. Frick said last week he had to have a boater sleep over so he wouldn’t drive out of the park drunk. (Boaters are allowed by law to drink aboard their vessels.)
“It happens all the time,” he said, adding, “You’re living in fantasy world. You know the safety of our families are at stake. Alcohol and driving do not mix.”
Frick described past incidents that he claims occurred at the park, of “drunken teens relieving themselves on the board walks, lighting huge bonfires on the barbecues, jumping off the gazebos and parading around half undressed.”
Council member Todd McConaghy challenged Frick’s statements about boaters.
“Are you saying there is a proliferation of drunken boaters? Because I am a boater and I’ve never seen a proliferation of drunken boaters. I’ve never seen a person so intoxicated they had to spend the night on their boat. I’ve also never seen an accident in the park either,” he said.
Council member Joseph Sucher stated he knew of one incident in probably 30 years in which the St.Clair Shores police came and took an intoxicated boater to jail.
But council member Lisa Pinkos Howle said Frick made points council should consider.
“One is the driving, the way that our park is set up. I wasn’t actually thinking about drunk people driving through. The other good point you make is, who does police it? How would you handle it now?”
Frick responded, “I would confront them, call the police and write a report.”
Diane Mastropietro, who works at the gate, said last year an apparently intoxicated bicyclist came in through the exit.
“He was drunk. I was afraid that he was gonna get hit by a car or swerve his bike and hit a kid. I was afraid he was going to get hurt in the pool. He had a beach towel.” Mastropietro was also concerned about cyclists crossing Jefferson Avenue outside the gates.
“They (bikers) have to walk on the street to get to the bike path. If there are people drinking, you don’t know what they are going to do.”
Council member Victoria Granger responded, “If we are going to have an ordinance, let’s enforce it. Maybe we ought to have golf carts to patrol. What if we got some guy who is drunk that comes in and decides to go off some high diving board? It’s unfortunate more wasn’t discussed in advance.”
Sue Friezza, who works at the activities building, also spoke.
“This is a family park. I feel that if we are introducing alcohol we are inviting potential problems. We can’t even police the 10-mph speed limit. How are we going to police the drinking?” she said.
Council agreed they were not ready to vote on the recommendation. Mayor Robert Novitke said he didn’t think they would be approving anything before the end of summer. He also said the group should seek more information about alcohol-related incidents in the park.
