October 31, 2005
Four minutes on Fifth and Ivy
Here's a sampling of costumes observed at 10:50 p.m. on the northwest corner of West Fifth and Ivy streets (in front of Riley's). The outfits were a little more eclectic than earlier today.
The intersection was much busier than a couple of hours earlier. It's still not as busy as during Labor Day weekend.
Here's the list:
Rapper Flava Flav
Brain surgeon
John Muir (?)
'Naughty' nurse
Nurse (x2)
Cowgirl (x2)
Softball player
Jason mask
Gorilla
Snow White
Knight
Prince (not the musician)
'Sexy' cop
Superman
Preppie
Member of the "Average Joes" team (from the film Dodgeball)
Pimp (x2)
Hooters girl
Again, I may have missed a few because there was some traffic on that corner. And no, I don't know if there's a big difference between the costumes of a regular nurse and a "naughty" one.
Posted by Ryan at 11:34 PM | Comments (0)
Bits and pieces
From Ryan @ 10:22 p.m.
• The temperature has fallen more slowly after that 19-degree drop when the sun set. At 9:50 p.m., it was 53 degrees outside (compared to 57º at 5:50 p.m.). It's been a nice fall night thus far.
• Interesting stuff on the walk from my secret redoubt to West Fifth and Ivy streets. Some people asked if they could pray for me. Others wanted my opinion as part of the annual Halloween survey conducted by Chico State.
Posted by Ryan at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)
Inside the walled garden
From Ryan @ 9:20 p.m.
Word from Chico Police Department volunteers -- things are off to a quiet start tonight. One gent says it's been quiet for the past four years or so.
If I were to make a guess, it's not as busy as downtown during the past Labor Day Weekend. It's definitely busier than a typical Monday. There seem to be only modestly sized parties, but there's activity.
The barricades have gone up across roads around the area south of Chico State University and the police are out in force. Police units are scattered throughout the area.
Officers are supplemented by units mounted on horse and bicycle in addition to volunteers (who are on all the major corners along Main and Broadway streets). I saw equestrian units heading down Third Street.
At about 8:30 p.m., there were often more police officers on the corner of West Fifth and Ivy streets than partygoers.
Posted by Ryan at 09:59 PM | Comments (0)
Open and shut
From Ryan @ 9:15 p.m.
The local nightspots in downtown Chico have different closing times tonight. Several bars that would normally be closed on Mondays (such as LaSalles) are open.
The Crazy Horse Tavern and Mr. Lucky are open. The bouncers say Crazy Horse (with spotlights on out front) will be open until 2 a.m. and Mr. Lucky (featuring a band and DJ) will be up until 1:45 a.m.
Madison Bear Garden will shutter at 10 p.m. It typically hosts "Bear-e-oke" on Mondays. Peeking inside, the group appears to be about three times the size of a normal Monday crowd.
Duffy's will also close at 10 p.m.
Some other downtown businesses called it an early night, notably Starbuck's Coffee, which closed at 8 p.m.
Posted by Ryan at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)
Let's start the show
From Ryan @ 8:55 p.m.
There were plenty of seats available at the Bell Memorial Union ballroom five minutes before the start of the Associated Students' Halloween event geared to provide an alternative to bars and parties.
While the doors opened at 8 p.m., A.S. President Thomas Whitcher said students have in years past streamed in throughout the night to hear the two stand-up comics before a breakfast at 11:30 p.m.
There are 800 seats set up in the ballroom for the event, which will also include a costume contest. While a fraction of the seats were filled before showtime, groups of students were heading to the ballroom.
Whitcher said the night is going well. He said the student government is building off of four years of organizing similar Halloween events.
Whitcher said it has been a nice change for local police officers to treat students with a lighter hand than in previous years.
"It shows more of a collaborative effort between the city and the students to make the event a success," he said.
Posted by Ryan at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)
Rally for the boys in blue
From Ryan @ 7:20 p.m.
Throngs of supporters gathered outside the Chico City Council Chambers Monday evening to voice their support and well-wishes for law enforcement officers as they departed to their evening duty-stations.
"Go Chico PD," the crowd chants as the officers emerge from the building and navigate their way through the gauntlet of supporters. With each new appearance, the large crowd erupts into cheering and clapping that stretches the length of the wide sidewalk from the building to the Fifth Street curb.
Donna Kraus, of Chico, said the rally is a tradition that began a few years ago when the police department would use the Neighborhood Church off Notre Dame Boulevard as a staging ground for its Halloween effort. She said the group decided to shift downtown with the police.
"Since they're staging here this year, we decided to come here," Kraus said.
Kraus held a sign that said "Thank you" on one side and "May God go with you" on the reverse. She said members of the group hand officers a postcard containing a prayer.
Kraus' husband, Bill, said the group is trying to focus on the positive side of Halloween. He said the community has been a "mecca" for people from other places to party, but the police and community have done a good job to rein in the event -- including a dramatic turnaround last year.
"It's coming away from the insanity," Bill Kraus said.
After the officers departed, several members of the crowd embarked on a prayer walk.
Posted by Ryan at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)
Trunk or Treat
From Ryan @ 6:30 p.m.
Briefly leaving downtown, I head towards the corner of East and Mariposa avenues. In the parking lot of the Church of Jesus Christ and Later-Day Saints, there's an annual tradition called "Trunk or Treat."
It's pretty much like it sounds -- people pull into the parking lot and give children candy out of the vehicles' trunks. Every one appeared to be having a good time.
Melissa and Justin Soulsby, of Chico, were dressed as elves from The Lord of the Rings -- complete with cloaks and elven ears.
Melissa Soulsby remembers the trunk-or-treat events she attended growing up in Tracy. She said it's a lot more fun than going door-to-door.
"It's a good, safe place where kids could walk and do their trick-or-treating," she said.
There are also more opportunities for kids to get candy. Some children have passed by their red Ford Escort several times.
This is Justin Soulsby's first time. He said he thought it was cool when his wife told him about the event.
"This is a unique idea," he said.
Justin Soulsby said many of the kids are from the church's two wards, although there are several community members as well.
Some people go all out to decorate their vehicles — with strands of orange or green holiday lights or spooky music. One has placed several duck decoys in the bed of a pickup in a recreation of a hunting camp.
The Soulsby have placed two lit Jack o' lanterns atop their car.
"We didn't have time to decorate, so we have pumpkins," Melissa Soulsby said.
Joyce Atrian, of Chico, was going around with her daughters — Angelina, two-and-a-half, and Elysa, 1 — for their first time. She said it's good way to keep kids off the streets.
"I thought it was a neat idea," Atrian said.
Victor Gonzalez, Atrian's brother, has been coming to the event for 14 years. He said there appear to be more vehicles and kids than in past years.
"This is a pretty good community event," Gonzalez said.
He said "Trunk or Treat" continues until the candy runs out.
Posted by Ryan at 07:32 PM | Comments (1)
Mounting up
From Ryan @ 7:17 p.m.
Heading from downtown to my secret redoubt, I've noticed the police are marshaling their forces. On East Eighth Street, there is a Chico PD DUI enforcement unit parked to the side of the road.
Elsewhere, there is a city street blocked off. Within the cordoned area, there's several horse trailers for the equestrian units. There's a trailer from the city of Modesto Police Department. A woman from the Chico Equestrian Association keeps an eye on the goings on.
Posted by Ryan at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)
Chilly willy
The temperature has dropped 19 degrees over the past two hours, according to the National Weather Service station off the Skyway.
It was 76 degrees at 3:50 p.m. (the day's high). At 5:50 p.m., it was 57.
The overnight low was 41. Let's hope there's not a repeat tonight.
Posted by Ryan at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)
A photo treat
Here is a slideshow of photos from E-R photographer Ty Barbour. He snapped these pics at the Treat Street event this afternoon in downtown Chico.
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Posted by Ryan at 06:01 PM | Comments (0)
Downtown at Five
From Ryan @ 5:06 p.m.
Driving around downtown shortly after 5 p.m., I've noticed that most of the families and kids have left the area after the end of the Treat Street event. There were a few stragglers, but that's all.
The sun is starting to set and the weather is starting to noticably cool off. I can't find a current weather reading, but it's definitely not as warm as before.
I drove around City Plaza -- there was nothing going on aside from construction. ;-)
Posted by Ryan at 05:28 PM | Comments (0)
A Web 'trick'?
I noticed something funny while surfing the Downtown Chico Business Association's Treat Street page.
Activities, entertainment and special vendors will be set up in Downtown Plaza Park.
That must be a fancy trick considering the ongoing construction there. Chances are the Web site team used a blurb from a previous year without reading too carefully.
Posted by Ryan at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
''Safe' is the word...'
From Ryan @ 3:46 p.m.
Downtown Chico was invaded by numerous princesses, ninjas, angels and superheroes this sunny afternoon.
Hundreds of young kids, decked out in their Halloween costumes, were accompanied by dozens of families as they flocked downtown as part of "Treat Street".
Robert Hasten and Reshieda Carter came downtown to celebrate the first birthday of their son, Cameron Hasten -- who was wearing an Indian costume. Robert Hasten said the downtown event is good for kids so they don't have to go out at night.
"I feel it's safe," Hasten said. "I feel like I don't have to check the candy this year."
The Hasten and Carter family was waiting on the busy corner of Second and Main streets to meet with other family members. They intermixed with other families and the occasional college-aged passerby.
Hasten, who first came to Chico to attend Chico State University, said things have changed over the years.
"It's a lot calmer," Hasten said. "Safe is the word for everybody."
Ron Karkellie, of Paradise, was impressed with the event after figuring out that the kids needed to register to trick-or-treat downtown. He was walking with his two kids, who live in Chico, after visiting the Book Family Farm.
Karkellie said the event provides something for kids. He said he didn't want the kids out after a certain time.
"There's not much for kids to do in Chico," Karkeillie said.
The event, organized by the Downtown Chico Business Association, is geared to provide a safe Halloween experience for kids 12 and under.
Posted by Ryan at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)
Four minutes at Treat Street
From Ryan:
Standing on the SW corner of 2nd and Main street, I observed a number of kids wearing costumes during a four-minute period starting at 3:54 p.m.
There seem to be high numbers of princesses (at least 10), but there were also at least six kids wearing the "Scream" masks from the movie series.
Here's the breakdown:
princess (x10)
Scream mask (x6)
witch (x4)
devil (x3)
fairy (x3, plus one male)
The Thing (x2)
Darth Vader
Indian
Neptune
Spongebob
Spider-man (x2)
Doctor
Nurse
Love bug
punk-rocker (x2)
Power Ranger (x2)
Nurse
Jason
Firefighter
GI Joe (x2)
Zorro
Mr. Incredible
ghost
fashionable girl
Batman (x 2)
Ninja (x2)
Bee
Dragon
Harry Potter (x2)
Tigger
Cowgirl
There are couple missing because I can't read my writing. I also missed a few because it was a busy intersection.
Posted by Ryan at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)
Welcome to Halloween Live ’05
Hey folks. Welcome to the E-R's Halloween blog. Tonight, we'll have reporters with dispatches posting throughout Chico.
There's a lot of events going on, and we'll try to hit them all. Whether it's Treat Street downtown, Trunk or Treat on East Street, the A.S. comedy show on-campus or other activites, we'll be there.
If you've got a tip, comment or even photos, please feel free to contact us:
Phone -- 520-9790
E-mail -- rolson -at- chicoer.com
We'll see you online. "Hey, let's be careful out there."
Posted by Ryan at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
From the E-R: Police ready for Halloween revelers
BY SCOTT JASON - Staff Writer
Published on Monday, Oct. 31
The amount of partying during the weekend before Halloween was about the same as any other weekend in Chico, police said. For some students that's all right.
"This Halloween has been 10 times better," said Chico State University student Shannon Dace, 21. "It's way more localized."
Dace and her friends dressed as characters from "Alice In Wonderland." She was the Queen of Hearts.
Dace said she went to a 50-person house party Saturday night and was going to go out Sunday and Monday nights.
"I don't let the cops bring me down," said 25-year-old Jennipher Dace, who was dressed as Alice.
Jennipher, who is Shannon's older sister, said all of her friends were going out today, but added that some people were probably going to stay home because of police's crackdown, which includes a no-glass zone, zero tolerance for alcohol violations and increased patrol.
"I'm curious to see if people are going to go all-out," she said. "It's a Monday."
Erik Rust, dressed as the Mad Hatter, remembers when Fifth and Ivy streets used to be packed with revelers.
"It's just not fun anymore," he said. "There's just so many restrictions."
Rust said he understands that violent crime, sexual assaults and huge crowds led to the crackdown.
"They went a little hard-core, though," he said. "But the danger makes it not fun."
Chico Police Sgt. David Britt said the weekend was pretty quiet with no major crimes occurring.
"There hasn't been much more than the normal level of fights, drunks and DUIs," Britt said.
There will be about 160 officers on duty tonight, with 70 of them from outside agencies.
There will be a mounted unit from Modesto, along with the Chico horse unit patrolling downtown, Britt said. He said he hopes the amount of people out on Halloween this year is similar to the last couple years. In 2002, there were about 5,000 people downtown. Before that there were about 20,000.
"We have to make sure it's not going to erupt again," he said. "We are doing everything we can to keep the crowds down."
But police efforts are not keeping Chico State freshman Sarah Shwedel in Whitney Hall tonight.
Shwedel, 18, and six friends are going to dress as Tom Cruise in "Risky Business" - men's briefs, tube socks, button-up shirt and dark glasses - and go to downtown house parties.
Saturday night was "insane," she said, because of the amount of people downtown. She and her friends were going to do homework Sunday night so they can party on Halloween.
"All of our friends will be out," she said. "Everyone wants to be here for Halloween."
Because of class Tuesday, Chico State students Megan Delis, 18, and Natalie Schallberger, 18, are going to go out dressed as superheroes, but not drink any alcohol.
Just being with friends and watching drunk people will be fun, Delis said. "We got all the partying out this weekend. The cops aren't scaring a lot of people."
Staff writer Scott Jason can be reached at sjason -at- chicoer.com.
Posted by Ryan at 12:51 PM
October 25, 2005
From the E-R: University police, A.S. ready for Halloween; events to deter from downtown planned
BY MELISSA DAUGHERTY - Staff Writer
Published on Oct. 25.
Officers from Chico State University's Police Department and the Associated Students are prepared for Halloween and their respective efforts to keep students safe.
In spite of a crackdown that's led to a much more manageable holiday during the past several years, the University Police Department will have all of its officers on duty, patrolling the campus and south-campus neighborhoods, said university police Lt. Eric Reichel.
Meanwhile, A.S., with help from the city of Chico, is bringing two comedians to the campus. It's the fifth year the student organization has held an event as an alternative to bars and parties, said Thomas Whitcher, A.S. president.
"We're trying to help find a solution to the problem, instead of being part of the problem," he said.
Doors to the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium open at 8 p.m. Monday. More than $225 in gift certificates will be given away during the event, which is free and open to the public. Following the comedy show, at about 11:30 p.m., is a free breakfast.
Last year, more than 700 people packed into the auditorium during a similar event, Whitcher said.
Since Halloween falls on Monday, Reichel said university police will also be out in force during much of the weekend.
"We don't know what Friday and Saturday are going to hold for us ..." he said. "We'd rather be prepared than not."
Three years ago, the Chico Police Department brought in more than 400 officers, closed much of the south campus areas to vehicular traffic, held multiple DUI checkpoints at entryways to the city and banned glass downtown.
Police organized the effort in response to huge crowds, which resulted in rapes, stabbings and other violent crimes. And the plan worked.
An estimated 5,000 people wandered the areas south of campus and downtown in 2002, which was a dramatic reduction from the previous year's 15,000 to 20,000 revelers.
Reichel said Halloween had been steadily growing since the mid-'90s.
This year during the holiday, university police will close the campus parking lots along Hazel Street and Normal Avenue at 8 p.m.
And only faculty, staff and students will be allowed in the parking structure at Cherry and Second streets, Reichel said.
In addition, Chico police will close Warner Street, from First Street to West Sacramento Avenue, to northbound traffic.
Southbound traffic on Warner Street will be diverted east to Legion Avenue and onto The Esplanade.
According to Chico police, 160 uniformed officers, including about 70 from outside agencies, will be on duty Halloween evening. A mounted patrol unit from Modesto will also be here.
The city will enforce its usual downtown glass ban, but checkpoints will be set up at the edge of a 50-block area to warn those entering that glass containers are prohibited, and that alcohol violations of any type will be met with zero tolerance and result in arrest.
Celebrants entering Chico will also face long lines at up to five DUI checkpoints
"We're just trying to keep it safe, bottom line," Reichel said.
Staff Writer Greg Welter contributed to this article.
Posted by Ryan at 02:03 PM