From sfraves-request Thu Aug 6 13:45:24 1992 Received: by soda.berkeley.edu (5.65/KAOS-1) id AA12680; Thu, 6 Aug 92 13:29:38 -0700 Received: from Sierra.Stanford.EDU by soda.berkeley.edu (5.65/KAOS-1) id AA12676; Thu, 6 Aug 92 13:29:36 -0700 Received: by Sierra.Stanford.EDU (4.1/25-eef) id AA29892; Thu, 6 Aug 92 13:29:45 PDT Date: Thu, 6 Aug 92 13:29:45 PDT From: "Doug Heise" Message-Id: <9208062029.AA29892@Sierra.Stanford.EDU> To: sfraves@soda.berkeley.edu Subject: Examiner Rave Article Status: R While flipping through the San Fransisco examiner last night, I came across the following article. After reading it, I found myself both amused and enfuriated. I thought that some of you might be interested in what the main-stream media and the local authorities think of our community, so I've re-printed the article in its entirety. I've refrained from inserting my own editorial comments into the text, so that the author, and her quoted sources could speak for themselves. Oce again, this article appeared on page A-4 of the August 5th, 1992 edition of the San Fransisco Examiner. -------------------- Begin quoted article -------------------- 'SMART DRINKS' PARTY UPSETS SANTA ROSA AREA RESIDENTS ----------------------------------------------------- Rural Neighbors Complain to Sheriff About Load Music ----------------------------------------------------- By Donna Birch of the Examiner Staff --------------------- Sonoma Country Sheriff deputy Phil Groat didn't know what a "rave" party was until 2,000 people showed up last weekend outside of Santa Rosa. And after nearby residents flooded his office with more than 70 complaints of loud music and throngs of cars parked throughout the area Saturday night and well into Sunday morning, Groat and other city and county officials knew they didn't want to see another one in their neck of the woods. The all-night dance parties - weekend rituals in San Fransisco - are notorious for the designer drug known as Ecstasy or XTC. But the party held in a field eight miles west of Santa Rosa had the proper permits, and deputies didn't see any Ecstasy, alcohol or fights. Still, Groat said, raves are "something to be concerned about." His office will continue to investigate the incident to "discourage any future rave parties" in the area. Groat spent the last two days reading articles and watching television programs profiling raves, and he figures the parties promote "drugs, sex and music." "Ravers" were initially linked with Ecstasy, but now the craze seems to be focusing on "smart drinks" - amino acid, vitamin and protein-packed beverages - to fuel the long stretches of dancing to bass-heavy, fast-paced music. Raving is a largely word-of-mouth party scene that gained enormous popularity overseas by 1989. As raving died down in Europe, it sparked a new wave of interest in the United States. But what's hip in San Fransisco, may not be Santa Rosa residents' idea of a good time. Last weekend's outdoor party generated an unprecedented number of complaints from neighbors. Before the first complaint came in, Groat said the sheriff's office had heard a rave party was being planned and sent two undercover officers to attend. They, amd other party-goers were charged $20 to get in. "Smart drinks" were sold for $4.50. While the officers said they didn't see anyone using alcohol or Ecstasy, some people were inhaling nitrous-oxide or "laughing gas." Sheriff's deputies said they didn't break up the party because they didn't want guests - who came from all over the Bay Area - wandering through the area causing other problems. On Monday, the daughter of the property owners, Joyce Louise Swicord, 34, of Santa Rosa, was arrested and charged on suspicion of disturbing the peace and maintaining a nuisance. Swicord, also known as Joyce Louise Carver, was released later in the same day after posting $3,000 in bail. Groat said Swicord contacted the county planning department about obtaining a permit for the event, but downplayed the size of the party. On Tuesday, Swicord said the gathering was not a rave and, on the advise of her attorney, declined to make any further comment. --------------------- end of quoted article --------------------- Not only does this article give us yet another reason to avoid large-scale raves by certain promoter, it also reveals the closed-minded attitudes of the local gentry towards anything they don't understand and the police-state tactics they are willing to use to fight them. I, for one, am very concerned that the police are using undercover officers to investigate raves. Maybe I'm being naive and this is common knowlegde to experienced ravers, but it makes me very uneasy, to say the least. Anyway, I'd like to hear some of your comments on all of this. -- Doug H.