Party-goers bought cups at UMass

Author: NANCY H. GONTER

STAFFUNION-NEWS (Springfield, Mass.)

Article Text:

Party-goers attending an event broken up by police Saturday afternoon were carrying souvenir cups bearing the words "Hobart Ho-Down '94" which were available for $6 all over the University of Massachusetts campus the week before, police said yesterday.

Twenty-five people were arrested about 4 p.m. behind the apartments at Gilreath Manor on Hobart Lane after police discovered that an illegal bar was being run there, police said.

An undercover police officer was able to enter an area that was cordoned off with a snow fence by paying a $6 entrance fee. She was able to obtain a souvenir cup and beer, police said.

11 kegs confiscated

Police said there were between 1,200 and 1,500 people at the party and 12 kegs - 11 of them empty - were confiscated.

Also on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, police said 13 other people were arrested for violation of alcohol laws in other areas of Amherst, including five who were arrested on North Pleasant Street for having open containers, police said.

Most of those arrested were University of Massachusetts students, police said.

Yesterday in Northampton District Court, 15 people who had been charged with violating the open container law or with being a minor in possession of alcohol pleaded guilty and were fined $80 by Judge Peter Rutherford, police said.

Others who faced the same charges or charges of being a disorderly person or disturbing the peace pleaded not guilty and had their cases continued until July 20.

More arraignments are expected today.

Police said yesterday they expect several people to be summoned to court on charges of operating an illegal bar and dispensing alcohol to minors.

Copyright, 1994, The Republican Company, Springfield, MA. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.

Record Number: MERLIN_276912