From all reports, a good time was had by all at the Beach Boys/Herman's Hermits concert last Thursday evening.

What was not so good was that slower than expected tickets sales left promoters Ed and Judi Tripp looking at a potential loss for the event.

The less than 3,100 tickets sold did not reach the break even target and prompted mayor Carol Waller to suggest to the board of trustees Monday night that the village not hold the Tripps to the $2 per ticket fee the village was to receive.

"If they are held to the agreement, they will loose $11,000," she told board members. "We could ask them to only pay village expenses."

That $11,000 figure also includes the $7,112.62 owed to the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce based on a $3 per ticket fee.

According to a breakdown of income and expenses from the concert, the village is owed $6,101. Ticket sales totaled $138,552.50. The Tripp's expenses were close to $131,000, including $50,000 for the Beach Boys, $13,500 for Herman's Hermits and more than $41,000 for the stage.

Waller said the village could amend its contract with the Tripps and hold them only to the expenses incurred by the village.

The mayor said she checked with village attorney John Lambert about amending a contract and was told it is possible if both parties are agreeable.

A contract amendment, however, may not be required because, unlike last year, it doesn't appear that there ever was a written agreement between the village and the promoter.

The village clerk did not have a copy of the contract; Lambert said he had never seen one; Waller did not have one nor did concert committee chairman Lee Malone.

Trustee Paul Kuhn said he believes the board must at least recoup any expenses from the concert, but trustee Jeff Katz said he disagreed.

The decision the Tripps made to act as promoters for the concert was a private investment that carried with it not only the potential to make a profit, but also the risk that things might not work out, he said.

Katz asked the mayor and fellow board members if Jam Productions had a loss last year, would the village have forgiven some the fees it charged?

"I do think they understood the risks in this investment," Katz said, adding that the Tripps are good people and village residents and that he was not "trying to be a hardball guy."

"I think you are," replied mayor Carol Waller.

Trustee Stuart Taugher said he was bothered by the idea municipal money might be used to pay for some of the concert, but said he would go along with forgiving the $2 fee as long as the village didn't loose any money.

"We have to do what's right for the taxpayers," he said.

"We can't allow residents to foot the bill for the concert," Kuhn added.

The board made no decision Monday night, but instructed DPW superintendent Brian Clancy and village clerk Teri Barown to calculate the village expenses for the concert. Among other expenses, the village also lost three days rental income on Doubleday Field which would normally generate $2,700.

Chamber of commerce director Polly Renckens said Tuesday that her board of directors is sympathetic to the Tripp's situation.

"I'm not inclined to think they'll try and get blood from a stone," she said.

The chamber board is still discussing what to do and like the village, is considering asking only to recover their costs, Renckens said.

"The thing about this year's concert was that there were no signs of alcohol or drugs. It was so much more a community, family event," she said.