The article above states that the bar owners

should/will follow the "rules" or pay a "penalty". Problem is the "ordinance" doesn't seem to match the County and State Law-Serving or Selling Alcohol to minors is ILLEGAL! Attorney Mr. Elkind stated the ordinance should be "clean and concise". "This will be chalenged" he predicts. What's the challenge? If the bar owners break the law they can't do business. Even a grocery store clerk can get fired and the store fined for doing so. Now, why this is not the same at the bars or even the "Ragi" marts, you tell me? These kids know where to go. They don't have to be "frat" boys. Allot of High School boys are involved and it's not only the boys. Why else would places like the newly re-opened JR's saloon, who announced in a past Beacon article it will, allow girls in at 18 years old and boys at 21. Hmm, I'm sure those girls will not drink!!

It's not the 2 AM croud either. You can go out fairly early and see the young people having a great time.

Unfortunatly people like Bill Hayden (see comment below) thinks we should "move" if we don't like it.

It looks like deep pockets all around to me.

I GREW UP IN DELAND. AND WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. AT 5:30. THE STREETS CLOSED UP IN DELAND.

BUT THEN THERE WERE OTHER THINGS TO DO.LIKE SKATEING OR GOING TO THE MOVIES.

BUT I DO KNOW THERE ARE PLACES THE KIDS GO IN DELAND TO DRINK. BECAUSE I DONT LIVE THERE ANYMORE ALL MY FAMILY DOES.

AND I KNOW FOR A FACT. MY NEICES GO TO SOME OF THEM PLACES. AND I KNOW THEY ARE NOT OF AGE TO GO AND GET PLASTERED. BUT THEY DO. AND I DONT THINK ITS STETSON. ALOT OF IT FALLS TO THE PARENTS. BUT THEY HAVE TO WORK TO SUPPORT THEM KIDS AND KIDS DONT CARE ANYMORE THESE DAYS. SO THERE IT IS WHO DO YOU BLAME AND WHAT IS GONNA BE DONE ABOUT IT. MY NEICES ARE ALMOST AT AGE LIMIT NOW. A LITTLE TO LATE. AND KNOW THEY LIKE TO DRINK TO MUCH..SOLVE THE PROBLEM..FINE THE ONES THAT DO WRONG..AND DONT GIVE THEM CHANCES. A

FINE THEM AND SHUT THEM DOWN FOR 30 DAYS..THEN THEY WELL GET THE MESSAGE..DONT GOT KISSING BUTTS...

Uhmmmm.....everybody so uptight about OLD news, underage drinking, but what about the pills these kids are popping? Oh, you didn't know? Its easy for a kid to pop a pill when ur not looking.....but when they mix alcohol w/ it, it then can become a deadly cocktail! Bar owners need to consider what other things these kids are on, b4 they serve them alcohol, it could and HAS costs lives! The pills are going to kill our kids! Lets look for the dirty doctors prscribing these pills, half of the pain killers prescribed are un-needed!

For years I lived in a "University town" in another state. Several downtown bars made some of their money from underage drinking. We attracted a heavy party scene, and the local ER saw alcohol poisoning cases.

We all "knew" things would never change.

Then the rapes happened at Spring Break one year. So many local crimes were alcohol related. Multiple rapes over a period of days caused people to wake up.

The local drinking age went from 18 to 21.

A couple of the local frats lost their charters, because rapes happened inside the frat houses.

Frats instituted "dry rush".

The sky did not fall. Applications to attend the University went up. More money and power than ever flowed into the University. The strip where the bars were -- still has the bars. They are still open.

Let's get something very straight here. I am a Stetson University Alumni and I feel like some of the comments posted are very biased. Also, as a side note, I bartended Downtown DeLand through my college years so I have seen all of this first hand. I will first address the "Stetson Frat Boys" issue, I am by no means saying that they do not drink underage because they do. But this is unfair to put the blame of underage drinking on them and saying that they are the source of the problem. Let's take a look at the DeLand High School boys who not only look all of 17, but are STILL in high school. I have seen these boys out drinking every night of the week. Where are their parents? I know when I was in high school, there is NO way I would have been allowed out until 2 am. So if we are looking to place blame, let's place it on all underage drinkers and not just point our fingers at the outsiders.

Secondly, "getting rid of Stetson" would be a horrible mistake. The most important reason being all of the money that Stetson and it's students/faculty/staff pump into our small DeLand economy. Next, DeLand was founded around Stetson University, why would anyone in their right mind want to destroy that part of our town's history?

This is not a new problem for Downtown DeLand and I am in no way saying that underage drinking is ok, but as a community (and that includes Stetson) we have to stand together to try to solve the problem rather than pointing fingers at each other.

One last comment, I am sure that many people are unaware that Stetson has very strict rules on underage drinking. If you are found to have liquor in your dorm room, it is taken immediatly and you have just scheduled yourself a meeting with the dean. If the problem is severe enough you will be kicked out of school.

OK so which is it, the street preachers are keeping the family groups from downtown or is it now the drunken frat boys. The only difference is the street preachers do not spend money in the downtown bars. Ask the city council "who's in your wallet?"

Kudos To DeLand Beacon for bringing new light to an old problem! Even the best journalist can only attempt to expose a problem such as this, which stems from the "good 'ol boy system". As long as the prominent business owners, attorneys, and city employees are in "cahoots" with each other you'll see more cover up than consequence in the way of penalty. As long as the Stetson "frat boys" think this "right of passage" is legal, it will continue. As long as the bar owners get 5 or 10 chances and 90 days to violate the law and get a wink and a nod to carry on, it will continue.

I agree with "Jesse" and "concerned". If they can't follow the rules that were put there for our safety, they should have their liquor license revoked permanantly, before another loved one is lost, permanantly!!!

One place is Halftimes Sports Bar. I know this for a fact since I have personal experience with fighting to keep my underage child from going there. My child does not have a fake ID but is permitted to drink there night after night.

As far as I'm concerned DeLand Beacon is a few decades too late on this story! Either find a good journalist or quit putting out old news!

Sounds pretty toothless to me. Show some guts and let this establishments know that if they sell alcohol to minors that there will be consequences.

Underage drinking has been around forever and will continue to be around long after we are gone. This is the right to passage into adaulthood. Big fines on the underage drinkers only gets passed on to the parents.Shutting one bar down will only cause it to reopen with another owner or name. Face reality. We live in a college town. Nothing is going to change. For the people that don't like the "frat boy environment" there are only two solutions. Get rid of Stetson or move to another town. I guess there really is only one solution after all!

If they serve underage drinkers repeatedly why haven't their liquor licenses been suspended or revoked??? An ordinance with such a lame penalty isn't going to do anything. Don't tiptoe around the subject, hit them where it hurts - their bank accounts - by not allowing them to sell liquor anymore!!!