OFFICIALS CALL FOR SNOE.DOWN TO MELT

Fifteen arrests on charges of illegal drug possession were made at the
Olympic Center this past weekend during the Snoe.down music festival,
and seven other arrests were linked to the event, leaving some leading
members of the community doubting whether Lake Placid should host to
Snoe.down in the future.

Mayor Jamie Rogers said the people who were arrested, most for drug
possession, have a negative impact on the community.

"The minority of people who impact the community for this type of
event has the potential of putting a very negative label on our
community," Rogers said. Rogers, along with his father Jim Rogers,
said the heritage of Lake Placid's community is in sports, not events
that bring drugs into the area.

Jim Rogers said he would like it if the event was not held in Lake
Placid in the future.

Charges from this weekend's event included possession of cocaine, LSD
and marijuana. Ben Jaehne, vice president of Snoe.down sponsor Great
Northeast Productions, said that no matter what the event, there will
always be "knuckleheads" doing "stupid" things.

Jaehne said it's too soon to say whether or not Snoe.down will again
come to Lake Placid, but he said it is a good place to have the event.

"We like having the event in Lake Placid," Jaehne said. "We're happy
Lake Placid was welcoming to having us."

About 4,000 people attended the weekend-long music event that was held
at the Olympic Center and the Cloudspin Lounge at Whiteface Mountain
Ski Center in Wilmington.

State Olympic Regional Development Authority spokesman Sandy Caligiore
called the behavior of the people who were arrested, numbering 22 at
the Olympic Center, "abhorrent." ORDA runs the Olympic Center and Whiteface.

"It's certainly not something we will ever condone, it's against the
law, and more importantly, it goes against common sense," Caligiore
said. "If you break the law, you pay the price."

Jamie Rogers suggested meeting with ORDA and the event sponsors to
talk about the logistics and time frame for the event in the future
and whether or not it will coincide with another activity that is
going on at the center. Caligiore said such a meeting is definitely
something they could do.

Jamie Rogers said that because the event was held the same weekend as
a Can/Am hockey tournament, he was "nervous" that Snoe.down would
leave a negative impression on visitors who may choose not to return
to the Olympic Village because of the number of arrests.

"Our community's heritage and future is athletic, and that is a much
more positive role," he said.

Law enforcement operations were very visible, with guards patting down
everyone as they came through the door at the Olympic Center and
police roaming around the center throughout the entire event, as well
as street patrols. Caligiore said that, given the precedent of heavy
security at last year's Snoe.down, he had hoped people would not try
to bring anything illegal to the shows.

"You'd like to think people will wise up before it gets to that
point," he said.

He added that if Snoe.down is held in Lake Placid again, law
enforcement units will do "the proper thing."

"You hate to take the whole crowd by the actions of a very few, but we
want those very few to clean it up."

Village Police Chief Scott Monroe said the event is a huge burden on
the police department and on the taxpayers.

"We had 188 hours of overtime; that's $5,300 of overtime," Monroe
said. "For a small community, that's a chunk of money."

Monroe agreed with the Rogers that Snoe.down isn't an event for Lake
Placid.

"In my opinion, it's not an event that is needed in the community,"
Monroe said. "We don't need to be supporting an event that brings drugs in."

Monroe added that most of the events that come to Lake Placid are
"mild," where only alcohol is in use. "Alcohol is legal, drugs are
not."

Monroe said that many people bringing things like marijuana into the
center had the contraband confiscated from them at the door by
security, but unless an officer was there when it happened, the person
was likely not arrested.

"We couldn't physically arrest everybody that went into that place,"
Monroe said. About three-quarters of the village police department
worked at the event. Another concern of Monroe's is that the event was
held so close to the school.

"I don't know what's going to be found when the snow melts," he
said.