After fires at Oak Street's two fests in 2009, street residents took precautions to prevent similar blazes at Friday's Oak Fest.
Residents tried to keep their parties calm and police officers patrolled the street saying the block party was much different than Palmerfest, which ended in more than 80 arrests and a couch fire, forcing police to shut down the fest. During last year's Oak Fest, partiers started two small fires and during Oaktoberfest in fall quarter revelers set a couch on fire in the street, according to previous Post articles.
There is no comparison to Palmerfest
said Athens Police Department Lt. Anthony Fish.
Still, police shut down one party at 15 Oak St.
I think the reason why our house got shut down was because of a noise violation and too many people around our yard said Jeremiah Lawson, a junior studying exercise physiology and a resident of 15 Oak St.
Residents Tommy Brown and Keenan Chapman of 16 Oak St. attributed most of the chaos from previous years and other fests to out-of-towners.
We got rid of everything that could potentially be lit on fire and end the fest Chapman, a senior studying education, said. We're trying to keep it as safe and calm as possible this year
and we're taking precautions to do so.
Brown, a senior studying industrial technology, talked about preparing for the street fest.
We're just trying to keep this at a fair and fun level and not let it get out of hand
he said.
Police officers walked up and down Oak Street every 10 minutes in order to keep students and residents under control and alleviate problems. The number of arrests and the number of parties that were shut down were not available at press time.
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Alyse Lorber
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An undercover liquor agent at Oak Fest Friday inspects identification at a house party. This year, Oak Fest passed by without anything being lit fire. (Matt Hatcher | FOR THE POST)
