The 4-20 Conundrum: Two Press Releases
ARCATA – With the annual 4-20 gathering in Redwood Park anticipated next Tuesday, the City of Arcata and North Coast Resource Center (NCRC) have issued the following press releases.
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CITIZENS ASKED TO HELP PROTECT ARCATA’S REDWOOD PARK BY STAYING AWAY ON APRIL 20TH.
Each year on April 20th, increasingly larger crowds of people attend a spontaneous marijuana related gathering at Redwood Park. This very large, unsanctioned and unorganized event has become a serious problem for the City of Arcata.
The problems for the City include: environmental impact and damage to the park and surrounding forest environment; overflowing garbage; clogged streets from an excessive numbers of people, dogs, and vehicles; alcohol violations; “non-Prop 215” criminal drug offenses; and complaints about frequent disruptions, noise and trespass to neighboring residents.
To address public safety concerns, Redwood Park access roads will be closed to vehicles on April 20th. City Manager, Randy Mendosa, stated: “Each year the City of Arcata is being forced to spend thousands of precious taxpayer dollars to deal with what has become a “big party”. We are asking citizens to help protect Redwood Park by simply staying away on April 20th.”
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North Coast Resource Center to close during 4/20 festival For the fourth year in a row the North Coast Resource Center (NCRC) will be closed during the 4/20 festival that occurs annually in Redwood park. The service center will be closed on 4/20 as well as the days before and after 4/19 and 4/21. Each year Arcata is inundated with visitors during this unofficial event that takes place at the city park. The NCRC has limited resources and cannot afford to use those resources for non-residents. The NCRC has worked hard to develop programs that foster stewardship and civic responsibility among our local homeless residents. The mess that is left in the park and our community after the event is often blamed on our local homeless. In an attempt to be team players with the city and business community, we have restricted services during this time so that our precious resources may be wisely invested in those who actually live here. We will re-open for regular services on Thursday April 22, The NCRC programs teach environmental care and civic pride. We are able to serve community meals to local residents two days weekly, distribute food boxes for our housed community residents that are poor, and our program participants regularly clean up our downtown Arcata streets and park areas as they learn and practice good work ethics. Over 80 Back to Basics participants have entered or re-entered the workforce in the last two years and over 120 local households and individuals have been assisted to obtain or retain housing in just the last six months. The NCRC pilot project New Directions has removed over 20 tons of trash from the Palco Marsh project area in the City of Eureka and helped some camping there to find alternate and better living circumstances. Our statistics demonstrate our programs work. The NCRC is here to help our community. |
