Community involvement is up in the event planning for the year's last big party. The Mifflin Street Block Party has been a tradition for many years at UW-Madison, and the mayor, area alders, police officers and students are working together to maintain a safe atmosphere for the event.
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is planning to attend the block party to experience the event firsthand. Cieslewicz spokesperson Melanie Conklin said the mayor will work with various members of the community to learn \how he can be most helpful and have the most fun at the Block Party.""
Conklin said the goal for this year's party is to ""replicate the fantastic years and avoid the pitfalls.""
She said the mayor plans to be directly involved in the planning of the event to be sure there are no communication obstacles that might lead to a repeat of the problems that occurred during Halloween of last year, when crowds rioted on State Street.
""The communication that occurred then will guide how the Mifflin situation will be handled,"" Conklin said.
Downtown Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said there will be more police officers at the party than last year. He also said increased enforcement is necessary not because of past incidents but because ""the party seems to be gaining popularity, weather permitting, after waning several years after the 1996 riots and the cops' zero tolerance policy.""
The Madison Police Department officer in charge of overseeing the event, Lt. Mary Schauff, said although there will be more police officers in attendance than last year, they ""do not want to be an overwhelming presence, their goal is to facilitate the event.""
Schauff said the police department will maintain flexibility in their planning, and hope to address problems early during the event. She said exact numbers of law enforcement to be used is still being discussed.
Verveer said the police officers are expected to be as laid back as last year, but will still enforce the law of no open intoxicants on public property. Mifflin Street resident and UW-Madison junior Molly Stewart plans to host a party during the event, and said she will be very aware of her guests to make sure the party stays under control. Stewart said she has some concerns with property damage, but believes ""the party is good to have for meeting neighbors and winding down the semester.""
Verveer will hold a neighborhood meeting for all members of the community interested in participating in the block party. He has held the pre-party meeting every year since rioters lit a car on fire and vandalized houses during the 1996 block party.
""The annual meeting is to make it clear to residents what the police department's expectations are for the event, and it will be helpful for residents to know how to plan for the party,"" Verveer said.
He encouraged residents to attend the meeting at 7:30 p.m., April 29th, at the Madison Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St.
