The following is an incomplete list of things that were in abundance on the Arcata Plaza five minutes after midnight on New Year’s Eve (when the above picture was taken):
Flood lightage
Officers
Parking spaces
Quiet (‘cept for the generators running the aforementioned lighting.)
What was missing from previous years?: People.
Just two years ago, New Year’s Eve 2010/11 brought jubilant shoulder to shoulder crowds — as well as significant vandalism and destruction — to the Arcata Plaza. As midnight approached, bar row revelers spilled out onto the street and made their way towards the center square for the obligatory countdown, McKinley climbing and general rowdiness.
This year, not so much. In a repeat performance of NYE 2011/12 and this year’s Halloween, the Arcata Police Department, with the assistance of other area law enforcement agencies, provided a heavy uniformed swarm and again barred citizens from McKinley’s inner sanctum. Steel barricades, towering flood lights and the return of the “Critical Incident Response” mobile command unit — parked on a the cordoned off block of Eighth Street in front of Bank of America — all signaled that chaos was not to be attempted. The few that did venture out into the chilly evening remained mostly confined to the bar row sidewalk. All in all, compared to years past, ’twas dead.
As was the case in the other most recent holiday crack downs, the increase in officers had the City’s desired effect: The Plaza stayed intact. McKinley’s face remained unhumped. Happy New Year, y’all.
This article appears in Top 10 Stories of 2012.
I was very unhappy about the use of flood lights, specifically the ones pointed up H street. The lights were positioned just high enough and just far enough away from the hill at H and 13th to look like headlights travelling against traffic on the one way street. Since such surprises are exactly what you are watching out for on New Year’s Eve, it caused me and other drivers I spoke to a bit of a fright.
“Obnoxious” “Over the Top” “Blinding” “Police State” were just a few of the phrases muttered by concerned citizens on the plaza near our new friends,: The big bright police lights. The plaza was near dead, with the bars wrapping things up earlier then normal. The whole square was empty, and the locals were fuming. Way to make youthful arcata into a snooze fest, from previously epic celebrations. Hope everyone got tucked in at 9:30, per usual lights out….. Gag!
I heard that the Arcata PD had 1500 glazed and chocolate donuts donated by Safeway. MmmmmmDonutsYummmmm
Glad to see this was done! Keep the town square safe and protect the small business owners here. If they didn’t do this and there was trouble, then these people would be saying the Police didn’t do there job!
Thrash the Plaza all you want. Just don’t fucking call it “the square.”
Next time we’ll bring assault weapons and hundreds of Molotov Cocktails to attack the cops from behind. ANARCAY RULES PIGS!
Arcata certainly is all that it is “cracked” up to be: a place where the dead can’t ge any rest. Police town?..oh please! Grow up. The brats who terrorize the town with fire (crackers?) bombs at all hours, in particular at night; have no regard for anyone, let alone the little critters (i.e. dogs, wild birds, etc.) terrified by the random bombings here. I’ve never lived in such an unruly place and have lost my joy for wanting to live here.
I look forward to the day I pack up.
At least the plaza wasn’t ruined this year.