By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — Music night will continue to be dry this summer at Plymouth’s Young Amphitheatre as a request to sell beer and wine was turned down by the Plymouth Park Board.
Chris Morrow of Encore Performing Arts brought the request before the board to allow The Dandelion Bar to sell beer and wine at the group’s Friday night “music in the park” series.

The series that this year includes bands such as Five Nation, a jazz ensemble, Chantilly Lace, and Shiloh, a country act from Bremen, draws its main crowd from adults in the 35 to 75 age range. Encore was hoping that the sale of beverages would encourage larger crowds.
Morrow stated that audience size has been dwindling over the past few years making it necessary to try to increase attendance for added revenue. The Dandelion would staff a tent for sales, and incur all expenses for the sale of beverages including the added liability insurance. In return they would share a portion of the profits with Encore.
Sales of beer and wine would not have been conducted at a concert by George Shriker later in the summer since it was a family-oriented event. Morrow stated that the added revenue from the sales was not the goal of Encore, but rather the hope that such sales would bring in more concert goers.
Park Board President James Causey stated that alcohol consumption is allowed on some very specific areas on Park Grounds, such as the basement of the Conservation Clubhouse or the Webster Center. While he had no problem with the idea itself, his concern was with the precedent that allowing the sale would set for future users of the facility.
Board member Bob Beiter said that while, “…you’re good people and we know you’re going to run this the right way,” he also worried about the precedent it would set in allowing or denying future requests by groups that were less familiar with park policy.
Member Gina Young as well had no trouble with the Encore request, “…but what about other groups?”
The board unanimously voted to deny the request with one abstention.