Students Prepare for Stricter Palmer Fests
Partygoers in the city of Athens hold their breath in anticipation of the rumored stricter law enforcement this year at Palmer and Palmer Place Fest after the new rules for Palmer Place Fest were released.The list was created through the collaboration of Cornwell Properties, the City of Athens, and Athens Police Department as a response to last year’s fire at 11 Palmer. After the fire began during the daylong Palmer fest, emergency personnel worked to quickly clear the street of students and out of town visitors after Mayor Paul Wiehl declared the street a riot scene.During last years’ Palmer Place Fest, students were throwing empty beer bottles and other objects off balconies. The damage to the courtyard at Palmer Place cost over $15,000.“We are just hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” Chief Tom Pyle said.The rules have been posted on Twitter and Facebook describing the expectations of Cornwell Properties and the City of Athens. The police are allowed to enter the property at any time for any reason and the courtyard is off limits after 5:00 p.m., according to the rules.There are to be no glass bottles, no littering, no more than ten people are allowed on the balconies at a time and no more than 40 in the apartment at a time, and all loud music must stop by 10:00 p.m.“We are making signs saying you have to be 21 to drink. There is supposed to be a new law that says, if we provide SOLO cups, we are responsible so we are only giving them to people we know,” Allison Jordan, a senior at Ohio University living at 4 Palmer said.Jordan and other residents are getting ready for the fest filled weekend.“All the neighbors have been getting together DJs. We are going to move our cars and get kegs,” Jordan said. “We are also moving everything from our living and the first floor to the second floor.”Preventative actions could lead to less trouble for students, landlords, and emergency personnel.“They are going to be a lot more strict this year, so we are going to be prepared,” Jordan said.