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Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - By a vote of 7-1 the city council has banned alcohol in Van Eps and Tower parks. The vote was preceded by a lively discussion from community members which lasted for nearly a half hour, with residents on both sides of the debate giving their input. “Deal with the problem instead of shoving it from place to place” said resident Dennis Quigley, who also challenged the council members to come down from their chairs and ask those who drink what causes them to hit the bottle so hard.
Other residents said that alcohol should simply be banned in all parks city wide, no questions asked. As for the council members themselves, they all agreed the problem is a black eye for the city, however some voted yes with the understanding that the problem may simply pop up again in another area. The no vote came from Councilmember Jameson, who said “all we are doing is banning alcohol in two parks, crossing our fingers, and hoping for the best.” Others said the problem could go away, much like the anti-cruising ordinance seemingly solved the problem of teenagers driving the downtown loop.
The ban will officially take effect October 3rd