As a local small business owner, I felt it appropriate to address a situation that affects a significant portion of Sullivan County promoters and vendors. Our primary income opportunities are at the many seasonal festivals and specific town “days” that are produced each year. At such events, all licenses, fees and permits are obtained, and other necessary public safety measures are all followed as the state of New York dictates. These are family-oriented events that highlight some of the best our community has to offer.

In recent years, an unregulated “field party” has taken place adjacent to an established festival area, specifically during the August 15 to 17 Woodstock anniversary. I received a call during last year’s gathering from a young girl, requesting me to pick her up. She was very frightened, and all I knew was that she was across the street from Hector’s Inn. When I arrived, there were several more underage girls, all needing to be removed from a very disturbing atmosphere of drugs, alcohol and an unsupervised co-mingling of adults and minors. The reputation of this party has begun to erode the credibility of other festivals, as well as obviously eroding the safety of our young people.

I feel it just to let citizens of Sullivan know that this rogue party not only exists, but is allowed repeatedly to exist with no recourse. There are no tickets sold, it is a free event, with no public safety outline, and is of no intrinsic value to our community. The organizers are not being held accountable, and the dangerous possibilities to our children must be addressed by our law enforcement agencies. Year after year this “celebration” is allowed to commence without the same procedures town officials demand from others. I can only hope that this field party is put to an end before a life is.

Karri Krol

Narrowsburg, NY