Underage drinking party nipped in the bud

Blake Fowler

ROCHESTER - While an underage drinking party in sand pits off Salmon Falls Road was the talk of Rochester over the weekend, Rochester Police said on Tuesday no one, in fact, was drunk, no one was taken to the hospital for alcohol issues and no juveniles or adults failed field sobriety tests.

“Officers had no issues with anybody,” said Rochester Police Capt. Gary Boudreau on Tuesday.

In all, seven officers in several cruisers descended on the pits in the area of 1094 Salmon Falls Road a little after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Once there they found 30 or so young people and large quantities of beer, Boudreau said. Boudreau said the youth ranged in age from 21 to several between the ages of 18 and 21 and several who were juveniles.

After performing sobriety tests and interviewing members of the group Police arrested Blake Fowler, 18, of Salmon Falls Road, on charges of facilitating a drug or alcohol house party, a Class B misdemeanor.

Fowler was released on $1,000 personal recognizance bail pending an August arraignment.

Riley Gowen, 18, of 206 County Farm Crossroad, of Dover, N.H., was also arrested for unlawful possession, a violation.

The pits, which are located in an area between Haven Hill and Walnut Grove roads, have been the scene of underage drinking parties in the past but not in the last couple of years, said Boudreau, who added the area was out of sight from any road.

Police say they may never likely know who purchased the beer, but they don’t believe it was Fowler.

Meantime, the owners of the property are under no suspicion as being complicit, Boudreau said.