Weekend bar walk yields mixed reactions
City leaders, officials reflect after a night of observing drinking on Water Street
Brian Reisinger
Issue date: 5/1/06 Section: Campus News
For the usual patrons of the Nasty Habit Saloon, 341 Water St., Friday night's events were relatively typical. Rap music boomed throughout the bar as people danced, laughed and yelled with drinks in hand. Dozens of people lined the bar, barking out drink orders as bartenders hustled back and forth.
But among the crowd that night was an individual far less immersed in the bar atmosphere - UW-Eau Claire Interim Chancellor Vicki Lord Larson.
Navigating through the bar slowly, Larson sidestepped one group of loud, dancing bar patrons after another, surveying her surroundings carefully.
"People appear to be having a good time," she said after stepping outside and considering what she'd seen. "But there are also indications of excessive drinking."
Larson's presence was part of a bar walk initiated by the Bridge Coalition that gave area leaders an opportunity to observe for themselves what happens on Water Street. The walk drew 38 participants, including university and city leaders, health officials, tavern operators, high school administrators, counselors, student ambassadors from the Center for Alcohol Studies and Education and plain-clothed police officers.
Participants roamed the Water Street area and entered bars of their choice. Later, they discussed their observations and received feedback forms, which the coalition will use to identify areas of concern and possible solutions.
The presence of plain-clothed police officers, Deputy Chief of Police Brad Venaas said, was meant to provide further insight into the Water Street environment, not necessarily to provide protection or issue ordinance violations.
Prior to the walk, Carl Westermann, a driving force behind the bar walk and manager of the Pioneer Tavern, 401 Water St., described the Water Street crowd to participants as diverse. And while trouble is always a possibility, he said, it isn't extremely common.
"Bad stuff does happen on Water Street, but it's not the majority of the time," he said.
But among the crowd that night was an individual far less immersed in the bar atmosphere - UW-Eau Claire Interim Chancellor Vicki Lord Larson.
Navigating through the bar slowly, Larson sidestepped one group of loud, dancing bar patrons after another, surveying her surroundings carefully.
"People appear to be having a good time," she said after stepping outside and considering what she'd seen. "But there are also indications of excessive drinking."
Larson's presence was part of a bar walk initiated by the Bridge Coalition that gave area leaders an opportunity to observe for themselves what happens on Water Street. The walk drew 38 participants, including university and city leaders, health officials, tavern operators, high school administrators, counselors, student ambassadors from the Center for Alcohol Studies and Education and plain-clothed police officers.
Participants roamed the Water Street area and entered bars of their choice. Later, they discussed their observations and received feedback forms, which the coalition will use to identify areas of concern and possible solutions.
The presence of plain-clothed police officers, Deputy Chief of Police Brad Venaas said, was meant to provide further insight into the Water Street environment, not necessarily to provide protection or issue ordinance violations.
Prior to the walk, Carl Westermann, a driving force behind the bar walk and manager of the Pioneer Tavern, 401 Water St., described the Water Street crowd to participants as diverse. And while trouble is always a possibility, he said, it isn't extremely common.
"Bad stuff does happen on Water Street, but it's not the majority of the time," he said.