Arrests for underage drinking continue at venue
Local legislator wants arts center to run more family-friendly events
BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer
In light of the recent ban on alcohol in all PNC Bank Arts center parking lots, state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (RMonmouth/ Middlesex) has called on a Senate committee to review operations at the 17,500-seat venue in an effort to make events there more family-friendly.

"There is a real problem with the current climate at the event arena and it is time that the committee sits down with officials from the [New Jersey] Turnpike Authority, [concert promoter] Live Nation, state police, and community and local officials to discuss what can be done to rectify this situation and restore the image of the arts center as a family entertainment venue," Kyrillos said in an Aug. 22 letter to Sen. Paul Sarlo (DBergen/ Essex/Passaic), chairman of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee.

Kyrillos' letter came days after the state police announced a ban on alcohol at the Holmdel arena parking lots, following the Aug. 16 Ozzfest show, where 83 people were charged with various crimes, 59 of which were for underage drinking. Two men, ages 24 and 26, passed out at the concert and later suffered cardiac arrest and died. Police are investigating what role drinking or drug use may have played in their deaths.

On Aug. 18, the night after the ban went into effect, 62 arrests were made, 39 of which were for underage drinking, at WKTU's Beatstock event, according to New Jersey Turnpike Authority spokesman Joe Orlando. Orlando acknowledged that Ozzfest was problematic for both concertgoers and local authorities, and sees potential for a similar problem at tonight's Projekt Revolution Tour.

"There has been a problem with that tour at other venues so far this summer," Orlando said. "This starts at 1 p.m. and goes all day and all night, so I have a feeling that there could be some issues here as well. Our goal is to get rid of the problems, and so hopefully we'll be ready if anything comes our way."

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (RMonmouth/ Middlesex), who supported the crackdown on underage drinking earlier in the summer, also feels that it's time for the party in the parking lots to be stopped.

"We can all agree that vigorous law enforcement is necessary and that we do need to make a dent in the issue," Handlin said. "This will still certainly take plenty of parental education and work to get this situation resolved."

State police Deputy Troop Cmdr. Kevin Burke Jr. did acknowledge that there have been "some arrests" since the parking-lot ban went into effect, but declined to discuss how many there were or if there were more or less than he thought there would be.