The cops won't be issuing any more loud-party tickets given at 721 E. Front St. No. 2, at least if Justin Jaszewski has anything to say about it. One $128 fine is enough. Justin Jaszewski, 19, hasn't had a party at his house since he got busted at around 2 a.m. last April 20: "I'm not about to have any more parties either. I can't afford it."

Jaszewski recalls between 15 and 25 people in his two-bedroom apartment throughout the course of the night. His living room, decorated as always with a bright red Mexican blanket, lit dimly with a yellow bulb, was cramped and sticky: "Twenty-five people really fill up this room, and that is why we opened the windows," he said. "It was pretty loud. The ticket, he was said, was "probably deserved."

Jaszewski's friend and party-mate, Chris Bobo, recalls that night: "You mean the one I had to drag Justin out of bed for when I answered the door to the cops." Bobo said his pal was "pretty much wasted," and that he had to hold Jaszewski up at the door while the cops talked with him. "They asked me if I'd been drinking but only cited me for a noise violation," Jaszewski said. "I still can't believe I got away without a minor."

In Winona-ese, a "minor" is a shorthand for a ticket either for minors caught in possession of alcohol or for serving a minor.

The party stopped with the cops' arrival, Jaszewski said. His friends fled out the back door when the cops showed up in front. Jaszewski said the officers informed him they had received a noise complaint from upstairs neighbors.

Jaszewski, a Winona Senior High grad, claims the incident changed his life. He currently works at Winona Lighting and at Chula Vista on the weekends. Not exactly true to "partier form," he responsibly shares the $460 rent with one roommate and nurtures his two butterscotch-and-cream cats, Pat and Rocky.

Jaszewski speaks of his landlord, Dave Bunke, with the concern and also guilt: "I do not even know if he knows."

Bunke, in fact, did not know about the ticket. Learning about the party in a news interview, Burke said he wasn't too concerned: "Justin is a good kid. Always pays the rent on time." As far as Burke knows, the party was the only such incident with Jaszewski.

Does the new city anti-partying ordinance that revokes a landlord's license after three tickets concern Bunke: "I really have not had any problems with the new ordinance, probably because I don't have many college students."

Despite his apparent change in conscience, Jaszewski is still the shirtless, double ear-ringed smoker, fitting the image of a hardcore partier. He said he was not aware his landlord could get in trouble because of his violation, but swore it would never happen again.

"Maybe he has learned his lesson," Bunke said. Lesson learned or not, Jaszewski said one thing is for sure: "There will be no more opening of my windows to let air in and noise out. Not in my house."

Nick Taylor, a student at Winona State University, learned his lesson after his party was busted and he had to spend four days in jail. Taylor and two of his roommates, Jesse Vogt and Dave Drone, had a small party to celebrate Homecoming. The party began at 11 a.m., and continued until 5 p.m., when the police showed up.

Neighbors had called that alcohol was being carried into the house, so the police went to check it out. Taylor argued with the police for half an hour, and finally refused to let them in to search the house. The police then called Taylor's landlords, Mary and Ted Ligeza, and got permission to search. The police found and photographed one keg that was in the basement, and then began giving everyone breathalyzers.

According to Taylor, 27 people were at the party. Twenty-four were cited as minors in possession of alcohol. Taylor and Vogt were arrested, charged with the gross misdemeanor and furnishing alcohol without a license. They spent four days in jail. Drone eluded the cops, hiding in his bedroom. The charges against Taylor and Vogt were later dropped, although each had to pay a $10 booking fee.

The landlord, Mary Ligeza, said this was not the first time she was called by the police regarding the house. One month earlier Ligeza was called when a party got out of hand and the three tenants received citations for public nuisance. "They're college kids," said Ligeza. "I wasn't surprised." At the time -- before the City Council passed an ordinance to revoke the rental license after three complaints, -- Ligeza wasn't too concerned.

Now it's different. Police Chief Frank Pomeroy has declared the house a long-term problem. Neighbors went to a City Council hearing and urged police to keep an extra close eye on the house. The neighbors complained of loud music, plastic cups being thrown all over their yards, trespassing, and students peeing on their garages. "It was a real battle with the neighbors," said Taylor. "They called us in for every little thing."

The three-level house was "ideal for partying," said Taylor. There was a large porch, about the size of a bedroom, where Taylor and his roommates frequently drank and played foosball. The basement lent itself to parties -- like a scene from an old prisoner-of-war flick, dark and grungy, with one flickering light bulb that hung from the center. Hot and sticky with the combined smell of warm beer, sweat, and urine seeped into its cement walls. Taylor said that his parties usually had around 200 people crammed in the basement, about the size of a two-car garage.

According to Taylor, police called students who were at the party and asked them if they had said anything to the guys throwing the party. Joey Arneson, who was at the party, said: "The cops asked me if I bought a cup at the party, and I said no." He didn't want to get his hosts in more trouble.

Taylor said that he learned a lesson from his jail time. Still, he said he continued to have parties. Fortunately for him, no more have been reported to the cops.

A small group of friends was busted for being too loud in the Fairway Wood Apartments last January. "You always hear about big house parties getting busted, but there was only eight of us," said Jennifer Homewood, 1545 Homer Road 205. According to Homewood, she had friends over who were home for Christmas break. She said all they were doing was sitting and talking.

Around 10 p.m. the cops arrived in response to a noise complaint from neighbors in the apartment underneath. Homewood was cited and fined $128.

Fairway Wood, a fashionable four-building complex near Southeast Tech, is home for a mix of families and single adults. Two-bedroom units go for $500 a month. Because the buildings are compact and close, noise is often a problem, said Homewood: "On any given day you can hear your neighbors walking around and talking."

Homewood said she wasn't surprised that someone complained about the noise, but was shocked both at not being warned and at the $128 fine. She said that her friends pitched in money to help with the fine, but she still had to come up with most of it.

One police officer commented that the cops are called to Fairway Wood frequently for noise complaints.

In 2000, 267 people were ticketed in Winona for disorderly conduct, including noise violations and bar fights, said police officer Dave Belz. Because the tickets aren't broken down into categories, Belz couldn't say how many were given for noisy house parties.

Robert McCarty, 21, knew there was trouble when the cops showed up 1 a.m. "It was the third time the police came to my place." said McCarty. "I knew it wasn't going to be good," McCarty had been warned two times before for noise but didn't think too much about it.

Chad Daszkiewicz, who lived in the same complex, populated mostly with Winona State University students, said he could hear drums being banged until 2 a.m. pretty much every night. "Rob had it coming to him," Daszkiewicz said. "He would be playing those drums, banging on those things until the early morning. It was just a matter of time until the cops were going to fine him." Daskiewski said neighbors around the complex, behind Home Beverage on Huff Street, had been complaining: "Some even thought it was me making all that noise."

Dave Evenson, landlord at the time, said he had to talk to McCarty on several occasions to let him know to keep it down late at night. Evenson said, "Rob was the only one living in the four-bedroom apartment and should have never had a problem with keeping the noise down. I guess playing those drums loud was worth the fine to him."

McCarty minimizes how bothersome he had become: "When the cops came, there was only about 10 people in my place. All I was doing was playing the drums as usual, but I guess this time I just got a little too loud. And it was pretty late."

Police Chief Frank Pomeroy said that on two separate occasions he had complaints of loud noise coming from the back apartment above Home Bev. The popular campus liquor shop has three apartments above it. A two-bedroom, a three-bedroom and the four-bedroom are in back.

"The last time was the final straw," said Pomeroy. "We gave him several warnings, but he insisted to keep on playing those drums loud late at night. I think he knew he had it coming to him."

McCarty paid the fine, $128.

Eventually he was asked to move out. McCarty said, "I knew I would have to leave once Dave sold the building in November." The new landlord, Peggy Ask, told McCarty he would have to go at the semester break. Ask said: "He was just paying $250 a month for a four-bedroom apartment. With the noise problems in the past, I knew it wasn't a good situation for me to be in." Ask said McCarty took it "pretty smoothly": "He understood were I was coming from."

"I've learned from my past and also learned my lesson," said McCarty. "You cannot keep thinking you will just get warned all the time. Eventually it will cost you. It cost me a ton."

More than 100 students scattered as police arrived at a house party at 360 Grand St. last year in late August. The three renters of the place were ticketed. Beginning Aug. 25, police officers had started answering calls to loud parties. The majority of them were in the neighborhood near Winona State University. One of the first house parties busted last year was 360 Grand. Police were called to the party by a neighbor at about 10 p.m., and the renters were cited for public nuisance.

Five, sometimes six Winona State male students lived in the large, green, three-story house. "We were excited to have such a large house with a great basement to throw house parties in," said renter Christian Thompson. "The reason for our party was not only because it was the first weekend back to school, but it was also one of our roommate's 21st birthday."

"There were so many people in the house on that hot, muggy night, we had to go outside," said student Kelly Doughty. "It was a great time, though. It's a rush when the police show up and you have to run."

Three renters in the house were ticketed for public nuisance. Two of them went to court and pleaded innocent. They both had a public defender and their tickets were reduced from $128 to $78. The third roommate figured he could get in more trouble by pleading innocent so he took the original ticket and it went on his record, said Thompson.

Landlord Pat Bushman said: "The first time I heard of the party is when I picked up the Winona Post the following Wednesday. There in the headlines was the address of one of my rental houses. I really got after those guys. It says right in the lease: No kegs."

Police Lt. David Belz said: "We try let the party people know that we're out there and we know what's going on -- especially the first couple of weekends the students come back."

After the bust, the 360 Grand St. guys had tried to head off a repeat. "The day after the party we went around to all our neighbors and asked them to call us instead of the cops first if we were making too much noise," said Thompson. "We really didn't have many problems after that."

City Ordinance 39.04.2 for noisy parties and gatherings says that no person shall, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., participate in gatherings of two or more people that create a noise of sufficient volume."

"There is no set number of offenses before the city of Winona revokes a renter's license," said Belz. "However, many landlords put a three-strikes-and-you're-out policy in their own leases to be safe." Belz said: "Usually the first time we bust a party, we warn the renter who opens the door. That warning is kept on a record. If we're called to the house again in the same year we can make an arrest. However, it is never the same person who answers the door twice."

One neighbor who lives behind the house at 360 Grant said: "Last year I did have to call them once to tell them to turn it down, but ever since they've been better. I think they're good kids who just like to have some fun."

"We paid for the tickets with the money we made selling cups at the party," said Thompson. "Each of us only made about $4 after paying for the beer kegs and police tickets."

Three of the five roommates moved out of the dirty, carpet stained, stale-beer smelling house. The other two still live there throwing parties as usual, said Thompson.

A former Winona State University business major, Ben Haas, paid $128 noise violation for his going away party. The party began at 10 a.m. and continued until the police arrived at midnight, kicked out 70 people, and confiscated three beer kegs. Haas called Police Chief Frank Pomeroy the next morning. After a short telephone argument, the chief agreed to reduce an array of charges, including contributing to the delinquency of minors, to a noise violation.

"I went into this to lose money. I just wanted to throw a great party," said Haas, who had asked only for donations in providing free food and drink. Haas said he converted his living room into a dance floor complete with a colored strobe light array and "bass you could hear from the sidewalk." When the cops arrived, his roommates fled. He hid in the garage until the police left.

Haas said he was relieved that he was only fined and didn't have to appear in court. His financial loss was not only the $128 fine, however. He also forfeited his $75 deposit on the kegs.

Nathan L. Bounds, 20, recalls he and friends were carrying a case of 24 beer cans down Harriet Street to a party one night about 9 when the cops stopped them. All were drunk and under 21. Each got a $78 ticket.

When the cops stopped them, they asked to see driver licenses and noticed that no one was of age to be drinking legally, said Bounds. The police took all of the beer, said Bounds. "The cops were cool because they just gave us minors and not tickets for possession of alcohol," said Bounds.

After the tickets, Bounds and his friends proceeded to the party and drank beer that others had brought.

A Winona State University sophomore, Chad Bjerke, learned a lesson after receiving a noise violation ticket for what started as a small gathering at a house he shared with four roommates. Eventually a couple hundred people showed up. "Sometimes there is nothing to do in Winona. When word gets around that there is a party, that's when the parties get out of hand," said Bjerke.

Bjerke had gotten to know the neighbors and arranged for them to call him in case the noise ever got too loud. So it wasn't neighbors who complained. The police busted the party because somebody had passed out in the middle of the street in front of the house.

Bjerke received the ticket because of two warnings earlier in the year. The police were "pretty nice" about the whole situation, said Bjerke. The landlord was upset, however. The city revokes rental licenses for addresses that receive three noise violations in a year. Luckily, the revocation ordinance had not been effect when Bjerke's address began racking up tickets.

After going to court, Bjerke ended up with a $78 fine, which he paid with the money from selling more than 100 cups of beer at the party. Bjerke said the main reason he throws a party is for the money. "It's kind of nice raking in a couple hundred, and having a blast at the same time," said Bjerke.

Since then he has kept his parties small because he fears his landlord will not be as forgiving the next time.

A newcomer to the United States was ticketed for $128 by police because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Amit Khanal, a 21-year-old Winona State University student from Nepal, was at a friend's house and answered the door at 1 a.m. to find police. Khanal said he was given the ticket simply because he was the person to answer the door. "I don't answer doors anymore," said Khanal.

Khanal thinks it is unfair that people can be fined by luck-of-the-draw methods.

Neighbors had complained to the authorities about "too much noise" at the house he and friends occupied at 8th and Wilson streets, he said. Khanal said that his friend Daniel, who rents the house, paid most of the fine. "It's a little hard to pay $128 when you don't have any money," Khanal said. The 15 other people at the party promised to help Daniel with the fine, Khanal said. "They never did," he said. Khanal moved to Winona from Kathmandu 2-1/2 years ago for college.

As a 22-year-old Winona Senior High grad tells it, "The music was a little loud, but we did not deserve a noise violation." Nathan Woodworth took the $128 ticket from police, who showed up as he and six of his friends were, as he recalls it, just sitting on the porch having a couple of beers. A neighbor had complained about noise. "Everyone was over the age of 21. The cops were just giving us a hard time," said Woodworth. Nathan's father isn't sympathetic: "I don't think my son handled it particularly well. If I know my son he probably was mouthing off to the officer."

A Winona State University student says he feels reborn after a near-tragic encounter with alcohol. Twenty-year-old Uriah Peterson, a third-year biology student, had already been ticketed for drunken driving once when, last November, he nearly hit a police squad car head-on in traffic. Instead he nailed a lightpole. Peterson considers himself lucky not to have hurt himself or someone else. "I never really knew what I had until I realized it all could have been taken away from me."

Peterson's first citation for driving under the influence of alcohol was in 1998. He was fined $750 and ordered into a mandatory alcohol evaluation, into a meeting with an alcohol counselor, into a Mothers Against Drunk Driving awareness clinic, and given a one-year probation. His blood-alcohol level was .21, more than twice the legal limit.

Peterson said he should have learned his lesson then, but it took the second incident. "It's not the fines or the suspended license or any of that," he said. "It's the pain I could have caused that scares me."

After the second citation, his license was automatically suspended by state law because he refused to allow his blood to be tested for alcohol. Peterson said that although he now has to "pay the price" in having to bike wherever he goes, he feels like a "winner" for finding the right track. The terms of his two-year probation include being available anytime for court-mandated alcohol testing. It would be 30 days in jail if he's found to have been drinking. "I don't drink anymore" he said. "I wouldn't drink even if I could. I just couldn't."

Peterson plans to spend his 21st birthday with his family in his hometown of Wabasha, Minn. In the fall he plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a degree in pharmacy.

It was a nice cool evening one week before school started, and it would be one that Matt Raleigh would never forget. He had just gotten home to his upstairs apartment to find about 10 people partying on his outside staircase. The building has four apartments, two upstairs and two down. His apartment door was open, and music was playing.

Raleigh was home about five minutes when the cops showed. A neighbor had called to complain that the music was loud.

Because the partiers were outside on the staircase, they spotted the cops as they drove up. And because only a few people were of age, everyone scattered into the other apartments.

Since Raleigh had not been drinking, he talked to the cops, who ended up giving him a $78 noise violation ticket. "I can't believe this," he said.