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As City Weighs Ban, Teens Find A Safe Party
by Allan Appel | Feb 8, 2010 8:49 am
(13) Comments | Commenting has expired | E-mail the Author
“Less drama, bigger space, no shootings, no violence.”
That’s the way 19-year-old Lovette Short (pictured) described the booze-free and smoke-free dance party that she and 60 other teens enjoyed at Noche Mia on Grand Avenue in Fair Haven Friday night.
As Lovette donned her complimentary neon glow stick necklace and started to gyrate to DJ Rico Blendz’s pump-up-the-volume selections, she joined a crowd of kids who’d been dropped off by parents to dance away in the darkened ballroom. The parents would return to pick them up when the strictly supervised party concluded around midnight.
The party may have offered one response to the concerns raised last week when Hill Alderwoman Jackie James-Evans introduced an ordinance to ban under-21 events at clubs with liquor licenses.
James-Evans gave voice to worries about violence involving unsupervised teens drawn to such events. Meanwhile, some people—including commenters in a passionate thread to a news article about the proposal—asked where teens can find a supervised, trouble-free night out.
Noche Mia owner Angelo Reyes began holding the biweekly teen events two months ago. He said he wants to provide an arena for good kids to dance and to vent for three hours without their parents being around. “Neutral territory,” he called it.
Absent such an outlet, he said, people host unsupervised house parties, the liquor flows, and shootings can follow. That happened recently nearby on Grand Avenue.
Reyes has held six parties thus far for 13 to 19-year olds, with no problems.
“At 13 or 14 you shouldn’t be looking toward the downtown club life,” he said. “Downtown is a different element. Here is more family-oriented. By the end of the year I want to know everyone who comes up my stairs; who’s having trouble staying in school; who’s the prom queen; who’s joining the military.”
It might be family, but on a particular Friday night, six bouncers were in evidence checking everyone and weeding out prospective partygoers with gang colors, alcohol on their breath, or cigarette smoke.
“Even bubblegum,” said Reyes, can be a telltale sign that covers up the odors of verboten substances.
“I’ve got zero tolerance.”
There were rules on the dance floor too. No piling of groups in corners. No opening of windows to interact with stuff going on in the street below. Bouncers intervened if people started arguing. If you left the ballroom, you couldn’t return.
The teens were clearly having a good time in that awkward, vaguely out of control teenage sort of way. Hadiya Foster, a lithe dancer from Hillhouse High, said that at the downtown clubs it gets too crowded to move around. At Noche Mia she could physically express herself. Reyes’ ballroom space can hold 200; it was perhaps a third full.
Lovette Short – a Hillhouse grad and current Gateway student who also works at the Milford Mall – was at Noche Mia for the second time. She brought ten people to party with her.
She said she also wants to continue to have a downtown nightlife option. She said she disagrees with Alderwoman James-Evans’ proposal.
As long as the younger kids keep to one side of the clubs and the alcohol-drinking post-21 crowd to the other side at downtown clubs with all-ages events, she said, that’s fine with her. She did say she was downtown the night someone was killed at Sinergy.
1,000 Signatures of Protest
Jonnrique Mullings Rivera came bounding up the steps at 10:30 to show Reyes the Independent’s article on the James-Evans proposal. It irked him so much he kept it on his cell phone.
Rivera promotes teen and other parties downtown. Reyes had asked him to promote the Noche Mia events as well.
“I’m going to bring a thousand signatures to that hearing” when the Board of Aldermen consider James-Evans’ proposal, Rivera said.
“Where do people 18 to 21 go? You take our parties away, then what are the schools doing? We’re going to hang around in front of stores? And now you’re trespassing. Laundromats?”
Not laundromats, Reyes parried. Reyes owns the Peoples Laundromat kitty corner from Noche Mia on Grand, among other properties in the area.
Rivera (at right in photo, beside Reyes) promotes events through his ICT (Inner City Teens) organization. He wants to alter stereotypes of teens as wild dangerous creatures, he said. A recent party he did with Ronald Huggins involved discounts on admission if the teens brought coats for the homeless. (That party went smoothly. Later that night teens rampaged downtown; James-Evans witnessed the rampage and decided to introduce her bill.)
Reyes expected to take in $600 Friday night. He said he plans to contribute a third of it to Haiti relief, specifically for Fair Haven resident Gerde Genece, who lost relatives in the earthquake. That $600 covers only the DJ and the bouncers’ salaries, Reyes said. Actual cost is closer to $800 per party. Reyes said he eats the difference. It’s worth it to him.
He hopes to build support in the community for the the smokeless, alcohol-free parties as they continue. He plans to continue hosting them biweekly.
The dances are a “lure” to get to know local kids, Reyes said. “All these kids are in school, getting good grades.” He said he wants to work with the Board of Ed to find some way perhaps to scan kids as they come in. He’s open even to the idea of rewarding kids with discounts or free admission if, say, they’re excelling at school. He hopes also to work with area not-to-profits to direct kids to them if he finds they need help.
“Angelo wants to have a different environment [here],” Rivera said as more kids arrived, lined up on the steps and submitted to the obligatory search.
“I want to eliminate the violence [downtown],” he added. But he maintained that James-Evans’ proposal goes too far. “Instead of judging and criticizing us, [make some suggestions]. You’re stopping the kids from having somewhere to go.”
Reyes suggested a simple solution: clubowners themselves should get together and provide even more security; Reyes’ party was erring on the side of security.
Here now was a smiling Molly Ruth eagerly arriving up the steps with friends. As she was being patted down, she said she’d heard about the party from Facebook. “There ain’t nothin’ to do in New Haven,” she said.
Downtown, she added, has too much traffic, too much rowdiness. She put on her glow stick and eagerly went in through double doors to dance.
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Comments
posted by: notty on February 8, 2010 9:50am
Ok Angelo, I am not with you on this one. You have kids coming from all over the city and remember the Hill does not get along with the Tre, the Ville does not get along with the Hill or the Tre, and on, and on, and on, so now you put all of these kids in a building in Fair Haven where you have robbery, assaults and the list goes on and on and you expect this to be a success. The problem is not the alcohol, PEOPLE ITS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CLUB LETS OUT. WHO IS GOING TO BE WILLING TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE OF THOSE TEENAGERS GET OUT OF FAIR HAVEN AND BACK TO THEIR HOMES SAFELY. We all know parents are not going to pick those kids up. Get a roller skating rink in New Haven, or Support Pastor Todds Teen center at Church on the ROCK, but to promote partying as a means to give kids something to do is terrible.
posted by: JP on February 8, 2010 10:02am
and in other news Toads was busted for underage drinking again on Saturday night at a 19 and up night.
posted by: anthony on February 8, 2010 10:10am
What a positive opportunity for the teens in New Haven. Thank you for setting up a safe place for people to hang out that’s drug/alcohol free.
This is a great contribution to our community and I look forward to watching it develop.
Thanks!
~anthony
posted by: JP on February 8, 2010 12:17pm
a dave and buster would be great as well
http://www.daveandbusters.com/
posted by: City Hall Watch on February 8, 2010 12:23pm
Excellent effort and outcome. I hope more young teens come there so you break even and maybe make some money. This is a great example of a private citizen stepping up with a solution, a vision and a challenge for young people, without another government program. Well done.
Rivera:
I’m generally not in favor of too much government, but clearly, there is a problem. I’m not sure an all out ban is the answer, but it’s time for you to lead the charge if it’s not. Petitions are fine, but what’s the answer and how will you get the clubs to comply? Maybe by not holding one of your events there?
posted by: The Professor on February 8, 2010 3:39pm
The author writes: “(That party went smoothly. Later that night teens rampaged downtown; James-Evans witnessed the rampage and decided to introduce her bill.)”
Funny thing is, I have yet to see a single story about this alleged “rampage.” This article basically assumes, with absolutely no evidence to support the assumption, that such a rampage actually took place. Nobody has produced a shred of evidence supporting the conclusion that what happened downtown that night was a “rampage.”
I understand that this news outlet seems to have a problem calling alders who oppose the administration out when there are gaping holes in their stories, but come on, this one was fairly obvious. As I recall, the NHI even ran a story that had some positive things to say about the New Year’s Eve revelers!
posted by: ms.mary on February 8, 2010 5:15pm
Angelo, that’s what I’m talking about!! A place for the kids to just be teens. Good one if you need any help let me know.
posted by: K on February 8, 2010 6:20pm
Why would anyone not at kids to have a safe, alcohol-free place to hang out? Kids want to socialize and dance and have a good time - you don’t need to teach them to do that, and just having the venue doesn’t make them want to go out. That’s what they want to do anyway; it’s in their nature. I went to underage nights every week when I was a teenager, and I turned out more than just fine. I can understand concerns about after the place lets out - how about the club proving a free shuttle bus that leaves promptly when the club ends and shuttles kids safely to a few stops - Downtown, the Hill, etc… It would behoove the club to do so as well anyway - makes it an easier sell for parents whose kids are heading over to FH. The drug and gang situation in this city will get worse and affect us all unless we continue to do things to keep the kids away from bad influences. This sounds like a “cool” and fun thing, not a boring and “lame” event manufactured to get kids away from drugs and underage drinking. This could be a way in to make other good behaviors seen as “cool” as well, like sending $ to Haiti, for example. What about open mike nights and teen music acts, as well? These people’s hearts seem to be in the right place. Let them have a good time.
posted by: streever on February 8, 2010 10:39pm
Nice job as always, Reyes. I am perpetually impressed by your work.
posted by: former nhres on February 8, 2010 11:14pm
although i am all for the positive atmosphere angelo is trying to promote i don’t think noche mia is the venue for it….too much stuff happens on in fair haven at night. lets be realistic not everyone is being picked up by their parents. this is trouble waiting to happen
posted by: Stuart Kramer on February 9, 2010 2:39am
Allan,
I liked the story. It offered a positive slant for kids 18 to 21 years old, instead of railing against what they are always doing. The guy who is promoting should deserve a thousand accolades.
sincerely, Stuart
posted by: Chuck on February 9, 2010 11:58am
Stuart, these parties are not marketed to the 18 - 21 crowd. These are all ages parties where the age range is in the 13 - 19 year old range.
Note:
“Reyes has held six parties thus far for 13 to 19-year olds, with no problems.
“At 13 or 14 you shouldn’t be looking toward the downtown club life,” he said.”