Defending his decision to shut down the Castro Halloween party this year, Mayor Gavin Newsom said last week that he fears allowing the event to continue could lead to the death of a partygoer.

"We made the decision so we don't have something tragic happen. It is almost predictable that somebody would get killed this year. We have already had everything else happen," Newsom told Castro residents and merchants following a meeting held Thursday, August 16 with business owners in the city's gay neighborhood. "This thing is just huge and it is held in a very small area. I am just scared someone is going to get killed."

Newsom acknowledged that the city cannot prevent everyone from showing up in the Castro come Halloween night. But he said the city can try to persuade as many people as possible not to show up.

"No. We can't shut it down this year. People are going to come down here," said Newsom. "The idea here is to mitigate the crowds and send a message that the Castro is not open."

Newsom arrived at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center as the meeting had just ended. He spoke on the steps to the building surrounded by critics who have complained about the lack of a public process in planning for this year's Halloween, as well as merchants equally upset with City Hall due to the way civic leaders have handled preparations for this year's holiday.

Newsom attacked those who "want to politicize" the debate over Halloween, though he conceded "everyone has a right to be upset about this."

Event planner Gary Virginia told the mayor that to use one incident "to scapegoat a whole event is pretty lame." He instead pointed to "poor city management" as to blame for the problems associated with Halloween.

Halloween has turned into a planning nightmare this year for both the mayor and Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who represents the Castro District. The two announced last November that they would convene a community task force to plan for this year's Halloween after a shooting marred last year's street party and left 10 people injured.

Yet no such task force was ever convened. It wasn't until seven months prior to this year's Halloween, at a meeting in late May, that city officials discussed their plans to shut down the Castro event and move the street party to the city's waterfront.

Then, earlier this month, city leaders announced those plans had collapsed after the producer had to back out for personal reasons. Without a producer, city leaders announced they were dropping their plans to have a city-sanctioned event this October 31 and would be asking Castro businesses to close down that night.

Dufty defended the city's actions, saying, "Halloween is a train wreck." During the meeting he told the nearly 100 people in attendance that the annual party had to be canceled because "the city can not guarantee people's safety" in the Castro on Halloween night.

But the lack of public input into the city's decisions has not only angered the mayor's critics, but also business leaders who have supported Newsom. With Halloween only two months away, and city officials, until this week, unable to articulate what their plans are to control whatever crowds do show up in the Castro that night, anxiety levels remain high among store owners. [See "City officials detail Halloween plans".]

"I am scared for all of the store owners here. Who is going to protect our stores? Who is going to protect our windows?" asked KardZone owner Brad Villers during the meeting.

Residents at last week's meeting also voiced concerns over how police in particular plan to keep their streets and property safe come Halloween.

"If people still show up how are you going to close the streets?" asked Curt Holzinger, who lives on Henry Street.  

Carlton Paul, an organizer of the Castro Community on Patrol, said his group will not be able to assist police that night.

"We talked about it with our volunteers. Nobody wants to be out on the streets," he said.

Police Chief Heather Fong said the police department intends to have more officers out on the streets this year than last year. While the department does not intend to restrict parking in the Castro or close down the streets as in years past, she did say police will be prepared to shut down the streets if the crowds become overwhelming.

"We know this is a difficult event to police. But please do not leave here saying we are ready to throw in the towel. We will be out there," said Fong. "We will work our hardest working with the community to make sure it is a safe non-event."

One tactic Dufty has advocated is having Castro businesses close for the night. The proposal has both support and disapproval, based on the opinions voiced during last week's meeting. The owners of Escape from New York pizza on Castro Street said not only do they intend to remain open that night, but also they are thinking of renting portable toilets to put outside their eatery.

"We make money two days of the year on Halloween and Pink Saturday. The rest of the year we break even. To take the other two away hurts us," said co-owner Paul Geffner. "You are creating a riot-like situation if you don't have Port-o-Potties."

Speaking on behalf of Badlands bar owner Les Natali, Jack Davis said the popular 18th Street bar would remain open.

"Badlands has no intention of closing down on Halloween. We feel our clients are not the problem," said Davis.

Other business owners said they had had enough of the unruly crowds on Halloween and would be closing their doors.

"After last year I am done. I have had it," said Ellen Sinaiko, owner of La Mediterranee on Noe Street at Market. "Certainly it is a profitable night for us but it is unsafe. It's a zoo."

Fong asked that any merchants who do stay open restrict their alcohol sales so that there are no beverages consumed on the streets.

"We need your help to make it as safe as possible," she said.

To help those merchants who do close that night make up their lost profits, the city's visitor and conventions bureau has offered its assistance in marketing those businesses during the month of October. As of last week bureau CEO Joe D'Alessandro said he had yet to be approached by any storeowners.

During last week's meeting D'Alessandro, who lives in the Castro with his partner and their children, said his family would likely not spend Halloween at home, nor will they allow their 17-year-old son to be out on the streets.

"It is not safe," he said.