Post by Aggie One on Sept 16, 2004 7:32:48 GMT -5
Street sales at A&T's weekend corralled
9-16-04
By Lanita Withers, Staff Writer
News & Record
GREENSBORO -- For years, the celebration of N.C. A&T's homecoming has spilled out of Aggie Stadium and into jammed streets around campus, where folks hawking fish sandwiches, rib platters and homemade pound cake have cashed in.
Now, the city wants to control where many food vendors and other merchants set up shop for this year's Oct. 9 homecoming against Morgan State.
The city is rounding up vendors not sanctioned by the school and containing them to the War Memorial Stadium parking lot on Yanceyville Street -- and only if they have the appropriate permits from the city and Guilford County.
The decision has divided vendors, some of whom have raked in thousands of dollars on game day.
The new regulation "keeps a lot of the undesirables -- people who don't know how to deal with food -- away from the public," said Joseph Ansley, who runs Bryanna Food Services. "It makes it more sanitary and safe."
Kirby Evans, of Two Fish Five Loaves Inc. in Raleigh, agreed, but he was concerned that limiting vendors to a site about a block and a half from the stadium would change the dynamic of homecoming.
"What's going to happen -- and, I could be wrong -- is the block party style so many people are used to may change now since they're moving off the streets to the baseball field area," he said, referring to the vendors.
Others, like Darius Simms of Ridgeway, Va., are concerned that the new location may hurt business.
"Normally, we're out on the street and you've got traffic from everywhere," said Simms, who runs DBD Fashions and has sold pocketbooks, shoes and clothing at previous homecomings.
Simms said he's never sold by the stadium "so I don't know what kind of traffic I'm going to generate. I know I'll make some sells, but I don't know how it's going to go."
Government officials said the new guidelines are an effort to organize an off-campus gathering that has never had official oversight.
Before this year "there was no regulation, period," said David Foust, a senior environmental health specialist with the Guilford County Environmental Health's food and lodging division.
"There was never a leader or a sponsor or a controlling authority. No one took responsibility for the event. It just happened on its own," Foust said.
Over the years, the number of peddlers has increased, growing "beyond the needs of not being taken seriously and to being regulated as an event," Foust said.
"We're simply going to follow the state law. State law requires that all festivals of this type be regulated if they are serving food."
Vendors must complete an application at Guilford County Environmental Health, at 1203 Maple St., by Sept. 24.
The application must be presented by the seller to city staff at the parking lot on Oct. 7 or 8, the days before homecoming weekend, for sellers to be assigned a vending location.
Upon final inspection by Environmental Health, vendors will be able to get a privilege license from the city.
Nonfood vendors -- such as those selling cameras or Greek paraphernalia -- must also obtain a privilege license from the city.
Licenses cost $100.
Mobile nonfood peddlers must have a peddler's license from the city at a cost of $25.
A&T's homecoming is significant to the local economy, drawing an estimated 30,000 people -- half of whom are from out-of-town -- and putting almost $12 million into the local economy, said Henri Fourrier, president and CEO of the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Vendors who set up on campus will continue to be regulated by the university. The changes will not affect tailgaters.
Assistant City Manager Ben Brown said the parking lot -- about a 5-minute walk from Aggie Stadium -- would be akin to a food court.
"It's all done to raise the quality of the event," he said. "It's makes it easier when you can centralize."
The city will provide, at no cost, a Dumpster, portable toilets, grease disposal receptacles, running water and electricity.
Brown said sale of permits would bring some revenue to the city, but wouldn't estimate an amount.
The city will have spaces for about 120 vendors, the number that usually comes for homecoming, Brown said.
"That's our prediction based on history," he said.
The city and Guilford County Environmental Health collaborated on the new guidelines, with cooperation from the A&T Homecoming Committee.
Ryan Maltese, a co-chair for the homecoming committee, said the city was regulating vending on city streets. He declined to give his opinion about the changes.
Contact Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or lwithers@news-record.com
9-16-04
By Lanita Withers, Staff Writer
News & Record
GREENSBORO -- For years, the celebration of N.C. A&T's homecoming has spilled out of Aggie Stadium and into jammed streets around campus, where folks hawking fish sandwiches, rib platters and homemade pound cake have cashed in.
Now, the city wants to control where many food vendors and other merchants set up shop for this year's Oct. 9 homecoming against Morgan State.
The city is rounding up vendors not sanctioned by the school and containing them to the War Memorial Stadium parking lot on Yanceyville Street -- and only if they have the appropriate permits from the city and Guilford County.
The decision has divided vendors, some of whom have raked in thousands of dollars on game day.
The new regulation "keeps a lot of the undesirables -- people who don't know how to deal with food -- away from the public," said Joseph Ansley, who runs Bryanna Food Services. "It makes it more sanitary and safe."
Kirby Evans, of Two Fish Five Loaves Inc. in Raleigh, agreed, but he was concerned that limiting vendors to a site about a block and a half from the stadium would change the dynamic of homecoming.
"What's going to happen -- and, I could be wrong -- is the block party style so many people are used to may change now since they're moving off the streets to the baseball field area," he said, referring to the vendors.
Others, like Darius Simms of Ridgeway, Va., are concerned that the new location may hurt business.
"Normally, we're out on the street and you've got traffic from everywhere," said Simms, who runs DBD Fashions and has sold pocketbooks, shoes and clothing at previous homecomings.
Simms said he's never sold by the stadium "so I don't know what kind of traffic I'm going to generate. I know I'll make some sells, but I don't know how it's going to go."
Government officials said the new guidelines are an effort to organize an off-campus gathering that has never had official oversight.
Before this year "there was no regulation, period," said David Foust, a senior environmental health specialist with the Guilford County Environmental Health's food and lodging division.
"There was never a leader or a sponsor or a controlling authority. No one took responsibility for the event. It just happened on its own," Foust said.
Over the years, the number of peddlers has increased, growing "beyond the needs of not being taken seriously and to being regulated as an event," Foust said.
"We're simply going to follow the state law. State law requires that all festivals of this type be regulated if they are serving food."
Vendors must complete an application at Guilford County Environmental Health, at 1203 Maple St., by Sept. 24.
The application must be presented by the seller to city staff at the parking lot on Oct. 7 or 8, the days before homecoming weekend, for sellers to be assigned a vending location.
Upon final inspection by Environmental Health, vendors will be able to get a privilege license from the city.
Nonfood vendors -- such as those selling cameras or Greek paraphernalia -- must also obtain a privilege license from the city.
Licenses cost $100.
Mobile nonfood peddlers must have a peddler's license from the city at a cost of $25.
A&T's homecoming is significant to the local economy, drawing an estimated 30,000 people -- half of whom are from out-of-town -- and putting almost $12 million into the local economy, said Henri Fourrier, president and CEO of the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Vendors who set up on campus will continue to be regulated by the university. The changes will not affect tailgaters.
Assistant City Manager Ben Brown said the parking lot -- about a 5-minute walk from Aggie Stadium -- would be akin to a food court.
"It's all done to raise the quality of the event," he said. "It's makes it easier when you can centralize."
The city will provide, at no cost, a Dumpster, portable toilets, grease disposal receptacles, running water and electricity.
Brown said sale of permits would bring some revenue to the city, but wouldn't estimate an amount.
The city will have spaces for about 120 vendors, the number that usually comes for homecoming, Brown said.
"That's our prediction based on history," he said.
The city and Guilford County Environmental Health collaborated on the new guidelines, with cooperation from the A&T Homecoming Committee.
Ryan Maltese, a co-chair for the homecoming committee, said the city was regulating vending on city streets. He declined to give his opinion about the changes.
Contact Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or lwithers@news-record.com