STORY:
Two Celebrations Cancelled in San Francisco

The city of San Francisco was to have four major celebrations this New Year, but now its down to two. A firewor ks display at the Golden Gate Bridge was cancelled and so was an event the Civic Center.

Mayor Willie Brown’s office said it cancelled the New Year party at the Golden Gate Bridge because of safety concerns. There was worry crowds would destroy a sensitive wetland project, which is nearing completion at the Presidio’s Crissy Field. There was also concern people would be injured on the cliffs in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area on either side of the bridge. It is a very rugged coastline and if it was filled with spectators there was no guarantee of safety.

The bridge celebration was to have included a 15-minute midnight laser show, a shower of fireworks above the bridge and a "fire fall" from below its deck.

The party at the Civic Center Plaza next to City Hall was scrubbed because of the lack of funding. That party was depending on private donations, which just have not been coming in as quickly as expected. The Civic Center party was also going to include fireworks and a laser show.

With these two celebrations cancelled, San Francisco visitors and residents have just two choices this New Year’s Eve and only choice if they want to see a firework display. There will be a party at Union Square and a party at the Embarcadero.

The Embarcadero event will include fireworks. The celebration will begin as a street party along the waterfront and then will conclude with a fireworks show. The New Year’s Eve show is much different than the city’s Fourth of July fireworks display. The Year 2000 fireworks display will be focused in one area, around Broadway. On the Fourth of July there are usually firework barges strung out along the waterfront.

The second San Francisco event will take place at Union Square. It is being called a Peace Celebration and is organized by the Glide Memorial Church and supported by San Francisco’s religious community. The event will include music, dancing and poetry readings. It’s free, but area churches are giving out tickets.

With just one location for fireworks, city officials are gearing up for possible problems and with good reason. Last year hundreds of people rioted during the fireworks display. They trashed parked cars, spray-painted store windows and threw bottles at horse-mounted police. Police arrested 35 people.

This year police plan to be prepared and extra patrols will be on duty. The San Francisco Police Department plans to put all its officers on 12-hour shifts from December 30 through January 3. Many of the officers will be stationed in the Embarcadero area because that will be where most of the crowds will gather for the fireworks show.

At this time San Francisco isn’t planning to see huge numbers of tourists in town. If hotels are any indication, the Hyatt has only sold half of its rooms for the evening. Officials at the airport say they are not expecting big crowds either. They think it will be like any holiday, but not much bigger than usual. An airport spokesman said the numbers just don’t show any large increase for New Year’s Eve in San Francisco.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

DATE: 11/15/99

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