Cardinal Points

Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: News

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This weekend is a first in more than a decade for Theta Kappa Beta, Plattsburgh State's oldest Greek organization.

It is the first time in more than 12 years that the fraternity won't be holding its annual TnT block party and rugby tournament - a long-standing tribute and fund raiser.

The event raises money for a scholarship fund dedicated to Tony Santandrea, a rugby player and Beta member killed in a fight, Trevor Bryant Green, an Alpha Chi Rho (AXP) brother killed in a car accident, and Billy Erwin, a former PSUC rugger who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Beta had scaled down the event in recent years, holding it on its property at 130 Brinkerhoff St. But this spring, Beta President Chris Budney said the fraternity's landlord, Daniel Egbert, told them he doesn't "think this is the best year to have it."

Trouble had started when the City of Plattsburgh building inspector brought them a list of items that needed to be taken care of.

City Councilor Bill Provost said Beta's property has "quite a lengthy history of the building inspector having to go there and issue warnings."

Budney said the fraternity had fixed everything on that list, but their landlord then said he didn't want the block party to go on.

Budney said Egbert was in Canada this week. Cardinal Points was unable to reach him.

If Egbert hadn't opposed the block party this year, Provost most likely would have tried to keep the event from happening by blocking the approval of a permit.

Provost, referring to Beta's house, not the organization, said it is "basically a problem property."

"We need the off-campus students to work with the neighborhoods," Provost said.

But Budney described plans to do exactly that.

If the block party was going to go on, Budney said, he would have written a letter to neighbors giving his contact information and inviting anyone with any concerns or complaints to call him. Budney said he was unsure why issues were arising now over TnT, seeing as it had been toned down in recent years.

"I guess they had some problems years ago," he said. "…A lot of kids couldn't behave."

But he said "in the past few years, there haven't been any problems."

Budney, who said he was trying to plan an event for the fall, said he was very disappointed that they wouldn't be having what would have been the 12th annual TnT party.

"Now, this year, we can't give out the scholarship," he said.

"I really want to get something scheduled for the fall - this really bothers me."

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