Pubdate: Fri, 18 Apr 2014
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Lee Romney

WEEDING OUT POTENTIAL 'POT DAY' TROUBLE

San Francisco Officials Don't Want a Repeat of Last Year's Massive 
Party. Plus, It's Easter.

SAN FRANCISCO - Golden Gate Park's Hippie Hill is famous for the 
wafting aroma of marijuana just about any day of the week. But Sunday 
is 4/20, and to those in the know that's code for "light up the ganja."

It also happens to be Easter Sunday, and officials fear a repeat of 
last year's massive daylong party that culminated in a crowd sourced 
haze at 4:20 p.m. and then sent brain-fogged crowds flocking out of 
the park into the Haight district and as far as Hayes Valley.

There were only a few arrests, but property was damaged and streets 
so clogged that buses came to a near standstill. Furthermore, 
Recreation and Parks Department staff and volunteers the next day 
picked up more than 10,000 pounds of litter. (4/22 is Earth Day. So, not cool.)

Because the party does not have a permit or designated sponsor, there 
was no one to be held accountable.

This year, the cannabis holiday also falls on a weekend. But San 
Francisco Supervisor London Breed, whose district includes the 
eastern edge of the park and the affected neighborhoods, has crafted 
a plan to keep the event in order. Or at least more so.

On Wednesday, to lay out the details, she held a news conference with 
San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr and two of his captains; 
Juvenile Probation Chief Allen Nance; and Recreation and Parks 
General Manager Phil Ginsburg.

Uniformed and plainclothes officers along with juvenile probation 
officers will be in higher supply, Breed warned, cracking down on 
"all code violations." Traffic officers will be towing anyone 
blocking a driveway or parking on someone's lawn. Booths without 
permits - in abundance last year - will be cited and removed. And 
buses will be re-routed away from Haight and Stanyan streets and 
Masonic Avenue "to avoid delays."

"San Francisco, as always, welcomes celebrants with open arms," Breed 
said, "but this Sunday there will be boundaries to keep the community 
safe, and there will be no tolerance for anyone using 4/20 as an 
excuse to harm our parks or neighborhoods."
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