Rachel Snively | For The Post
Police shut down two parties at an otherwise calm Mill Fest Saturday.
Two parties were shut down and 37 people were arrested over the course of the evening by officers from Athens Police Department, Ohio University Police Department and mounted officers from other agencies, according to an APD news release. Last year, police arrested nine people at the block party, which stretched from North College Street to North McKinley Avenue and spilled onto several side streets.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety has not announced how many people it cited during the party. During this year's Palmerfest bash, police arrested 31 people, and liquor control agents cited 51 more.
The number of Mill Fest arrests is not final and will be updated later in the week, according to the release.
A party at 123 B Mill St. was shut down at about 4 p.m. when a partygoer on the balcony threw a bottle at a mounted police officer.
Members of the party were cooperative when the party was shut down and no arrests were made, APD Capt. Tom Pyle said.
A three-house party was shut down at about 11 p.m. after officers recorded more than four violations, including underage drinking and public urination, according to the release. The release did not specify the nature of the violations, and officers were unavailable to comment.
Despite the two parties that were shut down, Mill Fest remained calm throughout the evening.
Everyone is pretty good and know they need to be polite
Mayor Paul Wiehl said.
Residents of Mill Street took precautions to prevent their parties from being dispersed and to keep Mill Fest under control.
A resident of 151 Mill St., Jessica Rykalla, a junior studying exercise physiology, said she was doing everything she could to avoid a noise violation.
The party had a quiet hour during mass at Christ the King, a microphone to keep the partiers under control, a porta-potty to prevent outdoor urination and a fence to contain the party, she said.
Natalie Mescher, a resident of 78 Mill St., said she did not allow any strangers to party at her house.
It upsets us (that we're) getting a bad reputation for other people being stupid said Mescher, who graduated Winter Quarter.
Several students remarked on the calm atmosphere of the fest compared to the fires at Palmerfest and High Fest this year.
It's pretty tame said Max Fram, a sophomore studying biology. There's nothing going on tonight. Mill is really chill.
1
News
Alex Stuckey
31786b.jpg
DJ Kevin 100% Certified Rigby scratches music for partygoers at Mill Fest Saturday. (Greg Roberts | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Students, guests keep their cool on Mill Street after two previous fests end in flames
