DORA District's First First Friday event is a success

Perhaps, some things truly are worth waiting for.

After having to kick off the First Friday season without the DORA District in place last month, Greencastle officials were more than enthusiastic Friday to celebrate the city's new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) during the June First Friday event last week.

Greencastle City Councilman Vincent Aguirre was one who was instrumental in bringing the idea of a DORA District to his fellow councilors and helped get it pushed through earlier this year. 

Aguirre said it was "surreal" to see the district in action during First Friday.

"It is surreal knowing I played a role in this. I am excited to see how it changes First Fridays and, more importantly, how we can utilize it to support our downtown vendors all year round," Aguirre told The Putnam County Post.

One business that was pleased with how First Friday went was Alex Eaker, of Lost Hollow Beer Co. 

Eaker thanked the efforts of Aguirre and Greencastle Mayor Lynda Dunbar, saying both were "vital" to bringing a good thing to the city. 

"I thought it was absolutely crucial for multiple reasons. Our mayor, Lynda Dunbar, had continued to ask how could we show up on a map as a small town, and all of those council members, who were both for and against it, were huge. We have open carry laws in Indiana, and you can walk around wherever, but if someone buys a beer and walks into another small business with it, that business can be fined," Eaker said. 

Eaker said DORA provides protections for small businesses and ensures everyone has responsibility to ensure it goes well. 

"What the DORA does is provides protections for that small business so we have the freedom to say no you have to dump that out before you walk out the door. This is a collaborative effort between the businesses. A lot of people in town were saying this is nice, and it benefits everyone. I'm not going to say there's no cons to this, but the pro's outweigh the cons. It makes the consumer and business liable. You have to stay within the designated area and it makes everyone accountable," Eaker said. 

Eaker said it is "amazing" to think that Greencastle has a DORA district 52 weeks a year and is one of 34 cities and towns to have a DORA.

"There are over 1500 towns in Indiana. There are currently 34 that have a DORA. We are on a very short list, and someone is going to bring an out of state event and if they look at an area that has a DORA, we are now on that list. That is huge, especially when you consider the amount of cities in Indiana and the likes of Noblesville, Carmel, Columbus and Fort Wayne, places like that. It's pretty cool," Eaker said.