Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

An eye on teens, and no pythons allowed

La Mesa nails down plans for Oktoberfest

The La Mesa City Council on June 10 unanimously approved a special-event permit that allows the La Mesa Village Merchants Association to stage a modified version of the annual Oktoberfest. Changes to the event (scheduled for October 3–5) include the return of carnival rides, the addition of a second police command post, new beer-sale rules, and advance notification so people don't bring pets.

The association and the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will hire additional security to supplement police services, according to a city report. La Mesa has a cost-recovery policy, and the two organizations will pay an estimated $77,000 for costs, including police salaries, fire-department safety personnel, traffic-control coordination, and street-cleaning.

Changes to Oktoberfest grew out of efforts to resolve residents' safety concerns. Last November, police chief Ed Aceves reported to the council that 2013 was the third consecutive year that large groups of youths caused problems. Removing carnival rides from last year's Oktoberfest shifted the location where juveniles congregated, according to police reports. Disruptive youths gathered in an area near the Spring Street Metropolitan Transit System platform. They congregated around a fountain near a building with businesses on the ground floor and the La Mesa Village Plaza Condominiums on the upper four floors.

During meetings between city officials and members of the business groups, the city "offered recommendations to address safety issues," Aceves said at the June 10 meeting. That led to changes, including the return of the fun zone with rides for children under the age of ten.

Sponsored
Sponsored

A new police command post will be located at 4700 Spring Street, the site called the "fountain area." John Vigil, association executive director, said hired security and condo security officers will patrol the area. (Police will again operate another command post on Palm Avenue.)

Mayor Art Madrid praised the city team and merchants "for reflecting residents' concerns."

Another change is that beer will be sold only in cups with a limit of two cups per purchase. The chamber will again operate the large beer garden in the Allison Avenue municipal parking lot. The association will oversee the smaller Nebo Drive beer court and a street fair.

Furthermore, signs at entrances will announce the city ban on animals, other than service animals.

Councilman Ernie Ewin asked if signs could be displayed in advance because people tell him, "I didn't know" until they "got there with their dogs."

Vigil said signs will be posted beforehand.

Chamber president Mary England said that information is on her organization's website, "but it's very difficult. They get there with their dogs, so they have to take them home."

She asked if a notice could be posted on the city website to "please leave your dogs at home."

Ewin said the city wasn't "just picking on dogs”; reptiles were also an issue.

"Pythons aren't allowed," said England.

"They used to be allowed but aren't now," said Madrid.

After the meeting, Ewin said the sight of people with snakes around their necks disturbed some residents.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Second largest yellowfin tuna caught by rod and reel

Excel does it again
Next Article

Now what can they do with Encinitas unstable cliffs?

Make the cliffs fall, put up more warnings, fine beachgoers?

The La Mesa City Council on June 10 unanimously approved a special-event permit that allows the La Mesa Village Merchants Association to stage a modified version of the annual Oktoberfest. Changes to the event (scheduled for October 3–5) include the return of carnival rides, the addition of a second police command post, new beer-sale rules, and advance notification so people don't bring pets.

The association and the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will hire additional security to supplement police services, according to a city report. La Mesa has a cost-recovery policy, and the two organizations will pay an estimated $77,000 for costs, including police salaries, fire-department safety personnel, traffic-control coordination, and street-cleaning.

Changes to Oktoberfest grew out of efforts to resolve residents' safety concerns. Last November, police chief Ed Aceves reported to the council that 2013 was the third consecutive year that large groups of youths caused problems. Removing carnival rides from last year's Oktoberfest shifted the location where juveniles congregated, according to police reports. Disruptive youths gathered in an area near the Spring Street Metropolitan Transit System platform. They congregated around a fountain near a building with businesses on the ground floor and the La Mesa Village Plaza Condominiums on the upper four floors.

During meetings between city officials and members of the business groups, the city "offered recommendations to address safety issues," Aceves said at the June 10 meeting. That led to changes, including the return of the fun zone with rides for children under the age of ten.

Sponsored
Sponsored

A new police command post will be located at 4700 Spring Street, the site called the "fountain area." John Vigil, association executive director, said hired security and condo security officers will patrol the area. (Police will again operate another command post on Palm Avenue.)

Mayor Art Madrid praised the city team and merchants "for reflecting residents' concerns."

Another change is that beer will be sold only in cups with a limit of two cups per purchase. The chamber will again operate the large beer garden in the Allison Avenue municipal parking lot. The association will oversee the smaller Nebo Drive beer court and a street fair.

Furthermore, signs at entrances will announce the city ban on animals, other than service animals.

Councilman Ernie Ewin asked if signs could be displayed in advance because people tell him, "I didn't know" until they "got there with their dogs."

Vigil said signs will be posted beforehand.

Chamber president Mary England said that information is on her organization's website, "but it's very difficult. They get there with their dogs, so they have to take them home."

She asked if a notice could be posted on the city website to "please leave your dogs at home."

Ewin said the city wasn't "just picking on dogs”; reptiles were also an issue.

"Pythons aren't allowed," said England.

"They used to be allowed but aren't now," said Madrid.

After the meeting, Ewin said the sight of people with snakes around their necks disturbed some residents.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

NORTH COUNTY’S BEST PERSONAL TRAINER: NICOLE HANSULT HELPING YOU FEEL STRONG, CONFIDENT, AND VIBRANT AT ANY AGE

Next Article

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader