ELLSWORTH — The Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce has cancelled plans for a bar at its May 3 annual meeting at Ellsworth High School after concerns were raised about serving alcohol in the school.

Chamber Board President Chris Crockett said in the end, nixing the drinks was not a hard decision to make.

“Alcohol isn’t a key component to the chamber annual meeting,” he said Wednesday.

While they said they did not want to crash the party, local police became upset when they learned alcohol would be served.

Drinks would have been strictly for adults age 21 and up and no student activities are scheduled in the school that evening, so the concern was not over underage drinking.

At issue was a central question: should alcohol ever be served on school grounds?

Ask Police Chief John DeLeo and the answer is “No.”

“I’m philosophically opposed to liquor being consumed on school grounds for any purpose,” DeLeo said, while conceding it is not illegal.

He said he has no doubt that the chamber plans a responsible event and he is not worried that underage drinking will take place.

But a school is no place for a bar, he said.

“I think we have to send a better message to students,” DeLeo said.

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