Homecoming antics frustrate police

By Meg Heaton

Hudson Police Chief Dick Trende voiced frustration over the number of calls and amount of overtime his department experienced because of Homecoming weekend.

On Monday, Trende said he wished he could bill the townships around the city for some of that overtime. "A lot of the kids we deal with are from the towns who come into Hudson and cause the trouble. I wish they would step up and offer to help, but I don't think that will happen," said Trende.

The chief said the type of calls were pretty typical of homecomings past, including vandalism and property damage, "egging" and disorderly conduct incidents.

One police report contained a laundry list of items confiscated by one officer in four separate traffic stops. The list included eggs, rolls of duct tape, silly string, a bottle of red wine vinegar, drug paraphernalia, cigarettes and cans of shaving cream. The officer indicated that due to the lack of manpower and the number of calls, the subjects were released.

The most serious incident happened early in the week. A student refused to give up a "senior hit list," a list that allegedly had the names of students targeted for harassment later in the week. The student was approached on Tuesday in a classroom by Assistant Principal Ed Lucas who requested the list. The student refused and became abusive and threatening. School Liaison Officer Ed Rankin stepped in to assist Lucas and received the same treatment. Rankin then attempted to take the student into custody but the student fought back. Eventually several other teachers stepped in to help and the student was handcuffed and taken to St. Croix County Jail.

He was cited for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, battery to a police officer and battery to a school official.

School response

Beth Lanning, senior high principal, said that she didn't have details about activities taking place off school property, but that it was a wonderful Homecoming week on-site. "I'm just proud of my kids," she said.

The school activities connected with Homecoming were well-coordinated and took place on schedule, Lanning said, and the presence of adult chaperones left them well-supervised. She pointed in particular to the pep fest and ice cream social.

Students responded to the request from the administration and did not wear class colors to school, she said.

There was the incident where a greased pig was let loose in the school, but it was scared and stayed at one end of the hall, rather than running about, thereby ruining the effect that was hoped for by those who released it, Lanning said.

It was not a wise idea for the pig to be painted with class colors, since paint contains toxins potentially damaging to the animal, Lanning said. The pig was released to representatives for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Steve Keller, a member of the Board of Education, said he was disappointed in the actions of students.

Keller added that once students are off school property, there is nothing anyone connected with the district can do. "I would put the blame on the parents," he said, speculating that some of them may be getting vicarious thrills through the behavior of their children.

Homecoming has become a license to misbehave, he lamented. Keller questioned why parents would not step in and take action if they saw their children leaving the house wearing something like blaze orange, or if their children are not home by after midnight. Keller said that behavior probably would not be tolerated on any other weekend of the year.

Jerry McAllister, board president, said he doesn't know what can be done to make things better, at least off school property. "I'm stumped," he said. "Apparently (Homecoming) is an excuse to misbehave." He pointed out that the powderpuff game had good behavior and that class colors were not worn to school.