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Queen of Hearts pushed back a week
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
Wednesday night’s Queen of Hearts jackpot is officially postponed.
That decision was made by Shawn Hannon, owner of Barry Dyngles at 1601 S. Raccoon Road, and follows a report Saturday in The Vindicator that the drawing’s future was in a holding pattern.
“We left the ball in his court. The decision was made by him because he’s trying to find the best location,” township Trustee Jim Davis said Monday.
Doug Duganne, general manager at the pub, confirmed that decision Monday afternoon.
“It’s gotten too big, so we’re still trying to figure out how to have it,” he said.
A news release from the pub said, “Our staff will be utilizing the next several days to meet with consultants in an effort to develop the best possible experience for our loyal customers for the coming weeks.”
The pub opened later than usual for the second-straight Monday. Ticket sales for Queen of Hearts began at 3 p.m., and the pub opened at 4 p.m. Monday.
Duganne said those delayed openings were because Barry Dyngles had run out of food, and sales have stayed at high levels.
“We’re basically at capacity from open to close every day,” he said.
Davis listed a few possible locations, but said the problem is lack of oversight from Columbus and whether Barry Dyngles can change the location.
“The rules are not spelled out as such to say he can move it,” Davis said. “Even if he rents out Youngstown State’s stadium, is he allowed to have the drawing there?”
Duganne said he believed the pub can move the event.
Davis said he talked with officials from the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office because state officials gave the game free rein last week – as long as the records are kept properly.
He further said the prosecutor’s office told him, “unless there is some sort of criminal action regarding it, there’s no statutes to have oversight of this game.”
That gels with what County Prosecutor Paul Gains said in a Sept. 5 story about the game, when he mentioned the state should address the game.
Davis said the township has not spent funds on this event besides six hours of overtime pay for township police officers. Pub officials have hired off-duty officers at their own expense.
“All of this is being paid for by Barry Dyngles,” he said.
Davis, Mike Dockry, township administrator and roads superintendent, police officials and Hannon met to decide the next step Friday afternoon. Police Chief Robert Gavalier said he has asked the pub to “give us some ample time so that we can prepare for” the next drawing.
When asked about how many off-duty officers the pub would need for a crowd of 15,000 people, Gavalier said 12 to 16 police officers work at home football games.
Davis listed Stambaugh Stadium at Youngstown State University, the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown, and Greenwood Chevrolet and Fitch Falcon Stadium, which is just blocks away from the pub, as possible venues
Eric Ryan, Covelli Centre executive director, said Monday he had not had communication with Barry Dyngles officials, but the Covelli would be open to having the event Sept. 30.
“We have a concert on Tuesday [Sept. 29] so we would already have the floor covered,” he said. “If they want to, we would definitely entertain it and we could set up” for it.
Officials have estimated that as many as 15,000 people could come to the next drawing, which could reach $1 million.
“I think you would have to do so many [people] inside and then use the parking lot and have it set up with overages,” Ryan said. “We could not handle 15,000 people inside.”
Kathy Mock, Austintown school board president, said she was only speaking for herself but felt that the district “should defer” on hosting the next drawing.
“I am just considering the safety of all the people that would be involved in an event like this. There’s a lot concerns, too, with just the maintenance of our campus,” she said. “We just have to consider the integrity and upkeep of our school system, and this is the time of year that there are a lot of extracurriculars going on.”
The decision to approve a rental agreement is an administrative move and would not require a board vote, said schools Superintendent Vincent Colaluca.
He also said Barry Dyngles had not approached the district about using its football field as of Monday afternoon. He said any rental of a school facility requires a formal application, but did say Hannon, the owner of Barry Dyngles, has supported the school district.
The formal application process could be done in a few days, but there are restrictions that come with a rental. Colaluca pointed to two specific restrictions that could effect a potential rental by the pub – food at the stadium is done by a booster group, and the district has a contract with Coca Cola for refreshment sales.
“That’s why you have to sit down with people” and discuss the aspects of a rental, Colaluca said.
A message left for Ron Strollo, YSU’s athletic director, in regard to the use of Stambaugh Stadium, was not returned late Monday.