There is more about last weekend's community meeting about Halloween preparations, or lack thereof, in this week's Bay Area Reporter. San Francisco Sherif and Fire Department officials were on hand, but the SF Police Department wasn't and has yet to release plans for handling the tens of thousands of people likely to show up despite the event having been officially cancelled.

Because Halloween has drawn hundred thousand plus crowds in years past, I wanted to know what the plan was for the DPT (Dept. of Parking and Traffic) and Muni (our transit agency) service and put it on the agenda for my MTA planning and marketing committee. No one at the MTA, which operates both Muni and the DPT, couldn't answer that question though. They are in the same position as the Fire and Sherifs Departments who can't make any arrangements until the SFPD releases a plan for them to work with.

With just a month to go, time is getting short for all these agencies to prepare.

Meanwhile, many businesses have agreed to close early on Halloween, despite the huge loss of revenue they'll be taking, to reinforce the official cancellation. Several of the major bars and cafes will be closing early including the Cafe, Cafe Flore, the Edge, the Mix while a few other including 440 (formerly Daddy's) and Moby Dick's will not be closing, but will be holding private, ticked parties instead.