Aaughtoberfest

[XLFD]

Oktoberfest in Downtown Ludington, it's a lot like Friday Night Live except it's smaller, takes place all day on an October Saturday, and has beer.

Traditionally, Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival celebrating beer that originated in Munich in 1810 (to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig) running from late September to the first weekend in October.

In 1990, in honor of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city of Frankenmuth, Michigan initiated an Oktoberfest. This event was given the official blessing of the city of Munich, Germany in 1996. In 1997, the Hofbräuhaus Brewery shipped its beer outside of Germany for the very first time to Frankenmuth to be sold at its Oktoberfest.  Frankenmuth’s celebration remains the only Oktoberfest outside of Germany that’s officially sanctioned by the city of Munich.

However, many other communities have keyed into the concept of similar October celebrations to take advantage of late season tourism.  Pentwater began the tradition back in 1997, and eight years later, the Ludington DDA led by Chairman John Henderson, saw the potential, and started the tradition in Downtown Ludington.  Unlike the 16 day event in Munich, the four day event in Frankenmuth, these only last one Saturday.

Public DDA records show that Oktoberfest generally costs about $2000 of their budget each year, most spent on inflatables, entertainers, commemorative T-shirts, and unspecified supplies.  A little less than a FNL, which typically costs between $3000-4000.  Because this event features the imbibement of beer, the City also must purchase a liquor license for the event from the State, which doesn't cost much, but does have some limits to what they can do.  Have they been following the rules?  Not quite.

Here's the resolution the Downtown Ludington Board (also serves as the DDA) put out this year, not unlike they have put out the previous years  DLB Resolution  .  Note it says the DLB has gotten permission from the police chief and the Community Church at the bottom.  This is because the basic rules state that the non-profit entity applying must have the expressed written permission of the authorized representative of any church within 500 feet of that event, as seen on the bottom line of this application form  Church/School 500 ft.  and they noted this church on their application which further states what is needed here  notarized signatures needed  .

Now here is their application:  Applic. p.1   Applic. p.2  Applic. p.3  I will abstain from commenting on section 5 for now, where Mayor Henderson certifies that no individual profits from the sale of any alcoholic beverages being served at the event, that the profits go to the organization.  But I will come back to that in a later thread, for now I will focus on p.2 where it has the clergyman's signature from the Community Church.  Only.  Here is the grounds where Oktoberfest is being held, basically the North James Plaza and parking lots.

Now obviously the Community Church is within 500 ft. of the event and needs to give its approval, but according to the records, this was the only church or school within the radius of 500 ft. to this event.  From previous pacing out distances for other threads, that distance is roughly one and one half 'normal' city blocks.  Is the Community Church the only such church that fits the parameter?  Not quite.

From Grace Episcopal Church (301 N James) you can see the fence of Oktoberfest just a tad over a block away, roughly 400 ft. away from the event.  There was no clergyman's signature from this church.  The St. John's Lutheran Church (209 N. Rowe) is just outside the 500 ft. radius although part of its property is within it.  Should it have been contacted?  Probably.

Looking to the south, there are some more churches that come into play.  The Greater Life Church (208 S James) situated where the old Lyric Theatre used to be also is within sight distance of the Oktoberfest fence, and within the 500 ft. radius, around 450 ft away.

Similarly, the People's Church (115 W Loomis) is just a little bit closer than the above church to Oktoberfest as the crow flies, but you have no clear vision to the event.

A clear line of sight exists for the James Street Church of Christ (219 S James) but is just beyond the 500 ft. distance to the event.  So there are definitely three churches within 500 ft. of this event (two very near misses) that never was asked to give their permission for this event.

Most of these churches have been there since 2005's Oktoberfest, meaning they have been ignored for eight years in permitting the licentious activity of swilling lots of beer.  And there has been eight years of John Henderson, President of the DLB, fraudulently signing these liquor licenses without three necessary signatures.  Not only for this but for the New Year's Eve Ball Drop festivities.  Is it ignorance of the fact that there are three more churches in the area, expediency, or just the typical  disregard of the rule of law consistent with the leadership of himself and his City Manager?    Maybe a little bit of all three.

[Willy]

Excellent job of reporting. Makes one wonder how the Mayor and Council have skated around the laws and ordinances for so long without anyone calling them on it. I guess that's why they have the "we're the Kings" attitude. Nobody challenges them and when someone does they act all huffy and indignant like, we're in charge so shut up and sit down peasant.

[XLFD]

Thanks Willy, I have overheard the Oktoberfest events were rather poorly attended this year.  Could have been due to the weather, but this is the second year it's kind of fizzled.  Maybe they will spend even more public dollars to make it bigger and better next year, but they better recheck those maps to get all the clergymen on board first.