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Cook gives concert warning

Do not hold concerts for young people indoors.Parks director Bill Cook told The Royal Gazette that he was personally against the idea of using the new national sports complex -- to be officially called the Bermuda National Centre --

years of experience.

Do not hold concerts for young people indoors.

Parks director Bill Cook told The Royal Gazette that he was personally against the idea of using the new national sports complex -- to be officially called the Bermuda National Centre -- as a concert venue for youths.

"I am a believer that indoor youth concerts are not the way to go.'' Mr. Cook said previous experiences in New York plus what he had seen in Bermuda convinced him that indoor youth concerts were a "nightmare''.

"You can get around 4,000 kids at one of these concerts.'' "Young people need space and when they are inside they don't have it,'' said Mr. Cook. "Youths need space and when they don't have it they become very difficult to control.'' And it was a fact that marijuana was smoked at these events, he continued.

This would also create problems if it happened indoors.

Mr. Cook stressed that he did not have a problem with the Corporation of Hamilton's Concerts in the Park being held indoors as they were family events.

And he added that he was "not zeroing in'' on reggae concerts.

Mr. Cook also expressed his concerns that dog handlers -- who work very effectively at these concerts as security -- were not licensed and could not receive training.

"Right now there are no guidelines for dog handlers.'' He said the creation of a license for dog handlers was being looked at by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

SPORTS COMPLEX -- A model of the new national sports complex. Parks director Bill Cook said he was against the idea of using the complex as a concert venue for youths.