Chaos. Photos from Will Startare,
the face of the
Journal
:
After the jump, Startare’s writer/director,
Journal
calendar editor Andrew Goff, chronicles the event’s tragic aftermath:
This article appears in The Broken State.
Halloween on the Plaza
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Chaos was an excellent word for last night. I wonder if the midnight "Thriller" flash mob ever happened? My friends and I wandered back to our respective parties around 12:30pm, figuring it was a bit late, even for Humboldt time.
Way to go Arcata, you ruined your own town because your friends were all doing it. Get your hungover butts down there and clean it up. This is why I never go to Arcata, well one of many reasons. What self-respecting citizen would trash their own town? I hope they arrest every single person in that photo for vandalism. Shameful.
The party rocked! Hate the man, loved climbing the statue! There is a mess after every party. Glad there was one left on that genocidal shot caller.
Everyone in that picture had one helluva good time. Those two guys up there were hilarious, but not cuz they were trying to be.
The guy on the left shoulder kept screaming, “Fuck yeah! You guys are awesome I love you!” in a manically happy yet aggressive manner while repeatedly giving high fives.
The guy on the right could barely talk!
Both chaps were respectful and polite when it came to climbing around up there, as was nearly everyone.
The incoming projectiles made it interesting too. Mostly empty beer cans, oranges, water bottles and an unopened bottle of apple juice. The juice was quite refreshing, ce magnifique!
McKinley was the best seat in the house, giving us a focal point to get our wild on like a big bronze pressure release valve in this largely repressed society.
Y’all who kept the drum circle going til the end are my heroes! Thanks so much!
The fireworks at the end really did it for me too. I sat on the bronze fools shoulders and watched as fireworks blazed past right me and lit up the foggy night sky overhead.
This message would not be complete without a shout out to the beautiful women who were up there, you know who you are 😉
shout out? what are you the plaza palin?
Yeah, cuz Palin came up with that, right?
no, but your perky attitude and aimless drivel make the match!
The party was WAY out of control. Believe me, I enjoy a good party, but it wasn’t completely innocent.
I ran into a woman who was mugged behind Bank of America, punched in the face in fact, and her purse was stolen. Then there was the young girl ODing in front of Toby and Jacks, and lets not forget the guy who fell off the statue and landed face first into the dirt.
And I won’t even begin to go into all the high school-aged kids pounding booze all night.
Arcata needs to find a way to allow everyone to have a wonderful Halloween on the Plaza, but also maintain some semblance of order. What is someone fell off the statue, broke their neck, then sued the city?
A lot of adults haven’t grown up yet. Like children, they think nothing of trashing the plaza because a very permissive Mom & Dad (government and community volunteers) will clean up after them.
It’s called a par-ty.
So a few daisy’s got smashed, cry me a river.
There is far more for this generation to worry about than a mess on the plaza.
The responsible among us will be cleaning up the messes of this industrial society and subsequent environmental and economic collapse for the rest of our lives.
Lady getting mugged, obviously bad. Girl OD’ing, that really sucks.
Guy falling, own damn fault. Almost knocked me off too. He turned out to be fine and walked away.
When these happen independently of Halloween who do you blame?
All in all, it’s probably more fun and safer to party with the masses out in the open like that than to party behind close doors, out of view, where a lot worse can happen.
Would those teenagers be pounding booze if they were in private? Of course they would, and more.
Things such as these happen without parties going on and are a result of American culture.
Y’all are treating it like it’s some tragedy.
All right, I’m done with this, it’s like a center-left puritan review panel or something.
muggings and overdoses are tragedies you nimwit. take a logic class while your burning through college.
Cry you a river? Spoken like a person who has no clue how much of a financial hit the city takes cleaning up and repairing the plaza and how many hours of volunteer time (and private donations for seedlings) go into restoring the planter beds because a bunch of 20- and 30-somethings wanted to get drunk and party in a public park.
But hey, I don’t live in Arcata, so it’s your deal. I’m just surprised by the level of arrogance and ignorance involved. Partying isn’t an excuse for juvenile behavior, unless, I suppose, you really are a juvenile.
What evs. You ignore my logic and have no argument.
unanonymous that is.
Thank you for proving my point for me.
The McKinley Statue wasn’t torn out of the ground so the party was bullshit.
Am I right folks?
Skunkman- Just so you know, Im as ‘lib’ as they come. But you sir, are an idiot.
Those ‘few daisies’ took someone time and money to grow. They were put there so everyone could enjoy a little beauty. Someone ELSE- not you, Im sure, has to clean that disgusting crap up now.
Go party your brains out- fine. but do it in your own home. Trash your OWN place!
yep. that’s Arcata and the house prices will continue to plummit’ cause your turn your back attitudes do it. Might as well walk over an injured person cause you just have to not get involved as per you CA political correctness dictates your behaviours
The trash/recycling was cleaned up in no time. Much of it by older homeless people who are living hand to mouth.
The landscaping annuals are easily grown and easily replaced.
I was the first responder when that guy fell off the statue, made sure no one moved him, and took care of him until it was apparent that he was ok. So no, I don’t walk over injured people.
In my opinion, my detractors on this blogthing are behaving like ignorant, biased, puritans.
The only argument that has any sway with me is where life and limb are concerned.
If my disregard for the monetary/emotional value of landscaping plants makes me an idiot then call me stupid.
Hey Stupid.
I suggest Skunk Man speak to the city and Arcata Main Street to get a clue about the real expense because he so easily dismisses the work of volunteers out-of-hand. You’re not stupid. You’re insulting.