Boatman Slapped With $1,000 Fine; Stripped of Outdoor Serving Privilege

On July 12, St. Mary’s Alcohol Beverage Board stripped Boatman’s bar in Ridge of their privilege to serve alcohol outdoors at music venues for the next 18 months. The action was in response to a guilty plea on violations stemming from a loud concert behind the bar on June 16 that extended hours past the approved time and infuriated some residents in the area.

When contacted July 18, Scott Boatman said the Molly Hatchet concert planned for July 28 is all set to take place at its new location at Seaside View Recreation Park, a few clicks north on Rt. 5.

Boatman said all new arrangements have been made with the promoter, county departments and landowner at Seaside View Recreation Park to make a seamless venue-move.

Though he is no longer involved financially, Boatman said he is working with the promoter and the concerts and attractions will take place as publicized; and all tickets and VIP tickets already sold will be honored.

One of several issues that precipitated the Liquor Board’s decision was testimony from the directors of both the county Land Use and Health departments about a discrepancy in the number of concert tickets Scott Boatman reported as already sold.

At the Liquor Board meeting, St. Mary’s Land Use Director Denis Canavan cited a June 16 article from The Bay Net in which Boatman indicated about 2,500 tickets were sold. Canavan also said that Boatman told a Health Department Sanitarian in July he has sold more than 2,500 tickets.

Boatman told The Bay Net on Wednesday that only 500 tickets had been printed at the time of the June 16 article.

Canavan’s office granted a temporary use permit to Boatman’s bar to hold the concert. The permit stipulated that no more than 999 people could attend the show. Canavan testified that the bar originally sought a permit seeking approval for a crowd of 1,000, but a special event with 1,000 or more expected visitors would trigger additional health department permitting.

In light of the discrepancy in actual and anticipated attendance and other health and safety concerns, County Health Director Dr. William Icenhower asked officials to “revoke the event permit,” in a bit of correspondence read by Canavan.

The Liquor Board also learned from testifying residents and county officials that sufficient parking for the venue was not secured. The American Legion across the street was planning to block cars from parking there. A sheriff’s deputy testified that Sheriff Tim Cameron assigned eight extra deputies to patrol the roads on July 28, and Boatman mentioned paying for extra deputies but no agreement was ever signed.

The Liquor board entertained a petition circulated in Ridge with 127 signers, and complaints from local residents at the meeting, including St. Mary’s Commissioner Dan Raley. The Ridge native pleaded repeated that he is complaining as a private citizen and not speaking for the Board of County Commissioners.

Another resident cited alarm over Boatman’s quote in The Bay Net about the Ridge concerts hopefully becoming an annual event that gets “bigger and better every year.”