Collegian, Inc.
123 S. Burrowes Street
University Park, PA 16801-3882

"The Monday, February 12th article on an alternate date for celebrating St. Patrick's Day was inherently non-factual.

[The reporter] obviously did not interview the Owners of restaurants and bars who participated in the meeting with Mike Owens and Joe Sagen in their efforts to organize local extablishment to participate in this event. The facts are as follows:

A number of Bar and Restaurant Owners, at the request of Messrs, Owens and Sagen, met on February 7th, and again on February 8th to discuss how St. Patrick's Day might be celebrated, given the fact that the holiday will fall during Spring Break.

The restaurants and bars represented at that meeting voted unaminously NOT to lend their names to an event historically celebrated with excessive drinking. All present considered the proposal to participate in promoting this event to be against the best interests of the University, State College Borough and its residents. Anyone present at that meeting will most certainly affirm this fact.

As part of the Owners' discussion of the proposal, it was suggested that any such alternate-date celebration target a charity to benefit from the sale of wristbands; include "smoke-free" environments at all participating venues; and that input from the SC Police Department would be solicited prior to agreeing to the proposal. Other factors discussed were the disruption of the University's Friday class schedule, and the additional burden that would be placed on the resources of the State College Borough.

All Owners present agreed that they would do exactly what they do everyday; open for business and plan their staffing and menus according to what event(s) were taking place in the community, but that they would not put themselves in a position whereby they were promoting, cooperating in promoting, or in anyway condoning the proposed alternative-date St. Patrick's Day celebration."

"Submitted with permission from the following State College Restaurants and Bars:

Beulah's BBQ and Bar Bleu
Bill Pickles Tap Room
Café 210 West
Hooters of State College
Players Night Club
The Brewery
The Deli
The Gingerbread Man
The Lion's Den
The Phyrst
The Saloon
The Shandygaff
Tony' Big Easy
Zeno's

by Lew Kamin, Dante's Restaurant, Inc."