When someone takes the trouble to navigate a complicated legal system to obtain a street closure permit, noise ordinance exemption, liability insurance and a beer and wine permit so he can throw a block party, the systems should try to work with him to make it happen.
Junior David Erdly went through this process not once, but twice, when a death in his family complicated event planning. The second time, however, he got held up on the alcohol permit because of a letter from Ball State University's Director of Public Safety Gene Burton to the Indiana State Excise Police. The problem was the party was the Saturday before Halloween, and Ball State police were concerned they didn't have the manpower to properly monitor the crowd.
The party was scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday. There is no Saturday home football game, and university police wouldn't have been that busy dealing with people "celebrating" Halloween early to keep an eye on the block party. Muncie police had no problem with the date, so university police shouldn't have either. If the police anticipate so many problems this weekend that they can't drive by a block party, maybe they should call in the National Guard.
About three months of planning went down the tube for Erdly, as he and university representatives could not come to a compromise. He almost lost $1,775, but was able to recover $1,655 he paid for liability insurance. That doesn't even count canceled orders for food, drinks and a band.
This was a well-planned get-together - Erdly even arranged for bouncers to check IDs and monitor the crowd - and should have been allowed. The party was stopped even after he went through the proper channels, unlike many parties near Ball State that police, Muncie and Ball State are never told about. Erdly shouldn't be punished because he abided by the rules, or because a family emergency threw a wrench in his plans. Anyone who tries this hard to throw a party deserves to have it.
The university and Muncie should encourage students and residents who obtain proper permission for community parties. Erdly and other students should plan and throw more parties and not let the legal process stop the fun.
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