Travis Turner: Let’s Start Now To Change The Halloween/New Year’s Eve Dynamic
Halloween 2011 aftermath. KLH | Eye
Dear Arcata Community Members,
Sometimes when I travel I wish I could bring just a piece of Arcata to the rest of the world with me. Arcata’s grassroots community involvement and ideological diversity is so amazing.
We are problem solvers here. We are highly educated, opinionated and grounded with a sense of community cooperation. We care about progress more than any community I have ever lived in. We, fortunately, are not perfect. We have challenges that face us, just like every other community, and those challenges help us become even better, if we choose to solve them.
One challenge that has gone on in its current negative state, for far too long, is The Plaza on Halloween and New Year’s Eve. It’s a bit ironic that both of these days signify an end to the previous year. Halloween was originally the Celtic New Year’s Eve.
This year, my company, Venatore Media, along with Treehouse Music Entourage and Arcata Main Street, are hoping to change the dynamic of the Plaza to something positive on those celebratory two days. We hope to create a safe and community charged event that people can be proud of, not something that most of us hide from.
As most of you know, the Plaza scene has continued to deteriorate. Last year an Arcata police officer had a bottle smashed on his face. One man was walking around the Plaza with an AR-15 and a fully loaded clip in his pocket. To continue to step aside and make this a police issue is unconscionable and does not reflect the best of our community. To continue to make the Arcata Police Department mop up the aftermath of a free-for-all when there is an alternative would literally be the definition of insanity. To continue to let the city pay for overtime, cleanup and repairs when something better is available does not bode well for future problems.
This year we hope to harness the festive energy of the Plaza and make it a force for something great and finally get away from the chaos of the last several years. We want to turn this into an event that the entire community can get behind.
We can’t do it alone. We need your help.
We need the community to want something different. We need businesses and the people living around the Plaza to want something more favorable. It will still be loud, but it will be managed. It will still be messy but it will be cleaned up without the support of your tax dollars. It will be a ton of work, but work that absolutely can be accomplished. It will be expensive that is why we will not attempt it unless we have your support.
If you feel as I do and want to see something structured and safe we need you to send a message to the City Council and the city manager.
I can tell you, with your help, this year will not be like years past. Please send comments and questions to info@venatoremedia.com.
Best regards,
Travis Turner
Venatore Media Company
Arcata
