McCoury 'confident' DelFest is back in 2011

Liquor board chairman resigned Friday


Kevin Spradlin

Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — In a message to supporters, bluegrass music extraordinaire Del McCoury thanked the more than 1,400 people who joined an online community and rallied against what is perceived as unfair and invalid allegations of law violations from the Allegany County liquor board.
"I feel confident that we'll be back next year" for a fourth consecutive Memorial Day weekend event, McCoury said to fans of a grassroots Facebook page that spurred people from across the country to write in defense of McCoury and his family.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to make it 'official' in the next few days," McCoury said.
McCoury said DelFest co-founder Stan Strickland has "a few loose ends to tie up with the county" before making the announcement official.
What put the future of one of the top tourism draws in Allegany County in jeopardy was a series of allegations by the liquor board and then chairman, Gerald Delaney, that cast doubt on actions carried out by the High Sierra Foundation of Allegany County The nonprofit organization received a temporary liquor license for the four-day festival at the Allegany County Fairgrounds each of the past three years. This year, Delaney - who resigned Friday amidst a growing furor of the unproven allegations - requested of Barbara Buehl, county tourism director and foundation member, to have more beer being poured from Western Maryland Distributing, a county distributor. Read more.