Posted on 03/14/2003 10:19:20 PM PST by RonDog
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Oscar Security Working Overtime
by Josh Grossberg
Mar 14, 2003, 2:00 PM PT
Fear not, Oscar fans, your favorite little golden guy has got plenty of protection this year.
Due to concerns over an impending U.S. war with Iraq and a heightened terrorist threat, security has been stepped up tremendously this year for the 75th Anniversary Academy Awards, set for March 23 at Hollywood's Kodak Theater.
And like last year's post 9-11 shindig, those lucky enough to attend should expect even more street closures, metal detectors, bodyguards and a beefed up security force that will even include an FBI contingent to get everybody in a partyin' mood."We had a large contingency of officers there last year, and we're gonna have an even larger contingency this year," says L.A.P.D. Seargent John Pasquariello.(There's no truth, however, to the rumor that Attorney General John Ashcroft will present an award for Best Video Surveillance.)
Aside from more than 700 private guards, the Los Angeles police plan to bring out its big guns, stationing a SWAT team and officers from the department's newly formed Homeland Security Bureau on the premises as well as the areas nearby.
The police will also be in charge of organizing reps from the local fire department, California Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation, who will no doubt have to redirect all the heavy traffic such street closures will inevitably cause. The FAA will shut down air traffic over Hollywood, too.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Feds will also be red-carpet fixtures, with an undisclosed number of agents keeping an eye out for anything suspicious (do Björk swan dresses count?).
"Have we always had a presence [at the Oscars]? No," FBI spokeswoman Laura Bosley tells the Reporter. "It's routine now. Though not historically. We'll maintain a presence for intelligence purposes. There's just not much more we can say."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the folks behind the Oscars, has gone the distance in terms of securing entry to the Kodak, hiring Napco Security Systems to install high-tech Trilogy access-control locks that limit access. To go anywhere in the venue, people must have a secure PIN code with different PINs assigned to different doors. Those numbers are also easily erasable and new ones can be rapidly issued should there be a security violation.
Speaking of security, the shipment of 44 Oscar statuettes arrived under guard Friday in Los Angeles. The little guys will have their own personal security team until Oscar night.
As for those bleacher creatures who used to camp out for days in hopes of spotting their favorite celebs walk by, the times they have a-changed.
According to Academy spokesman John Pavlik, fans had to mail in their application for a bleacher seat on February 11 and then pray that, after a random drawing, they were one of the 500 lucky winners (there were 4,000 entries this year). And unlike years past, they won't be allowed on the bleachers until the morning of the ceremonies--and that's not until they clear a security background check.
But hey, that's not so bad considering what the diamond-studded nominees and their guests have to deal with. Note to attendees: Better leave your pocket change at home--there will be dozens of metal detectors scattered around the inside and outside of the theater.
Once they're in, Hollywood's glamourous can sit back, stretch out and hope this year's affair ends in time to hit all the major parties. Last year's Oscarcast clocked in at four hours and 16 minutes--the longest Oscar show ever, and the lowest rated. Producer Gil Cates has vowed to bring the show in at three and a half hours, so it should wrap by midnight ET.
Cates also says he won't censor winners' acceptance speeches, as long as they bring them in under 45 seconds.
But no matter. The evening will feature plenty of lively entertainment to keep the likes of Danny DeVito from dozing off, including wisecracks from host Steve Martin, as well as performances by U2 (whose Gangs of New York ballad "The Hands that Built America" is up for Best Song) and Paul Simon (he's up for "Father and Daughter" from The Wild Thornberrys Movie).
One notable absentee, however, will be Eminem who is "on vacation" and will be unable to rap his nominated "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile.
Meanwhile, Harrison Ford, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, John Travolta, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Connelly, Will Smith, Renée Zellwegger, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are among those celebs tapped as presenters.
And if a war in Iraq does get underway, the Academy has said the show will go on (under heavy guard) as scheduled. Cates says he and ABC have hashed out several contingency plans, but he hasn't been specific, saying only it would likely involve a combination of news bulletins and a ticker actross the bottom of the screen.
ABC's live coverage begins March 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT., preceded by a 30-minute arrival show at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET.
E! begins its all-day coverage at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT, with Joan Rivers and Melissa Rivers on the red carpet beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
...to PLAN and EXECUTE a "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" - "Rally For America" event at this year's Academy Awards ceremony.
I would like to use this thread to generate some GENERAL ideas about how we should best execute an effective consumation of the HUNDREDS of "Rally for America" events - all across the USA - currently scheduled to be held on "Liberty Weekend" (3/22-23).
To FIND an existing "Rally for America" event near you,I would also like to use this thread to recruit volunteers to be a part of the hard-core ADVANCE TEAM who will arrive VERY EARLY at this event.
or to plan and promote a NEW one,
please go to: www.Freeper.org
MUCH of our exact strategy and tactics for this event must remain PRIVATE, to prevent the "bad guys" from knowing what we will be doing.Please only communicate sensitive information via PRIVATE channels.
If you send me a FReep-mail (by clicking on Private Reply at the end of this post) - or send me an e-mail at RonSmith@quixnet.net, I will include you in our PRIVATE strategy sessions - OFF this public forum.We can and should, however, post some GENERAL guidelines here, and establish our OVERALL goals for this event. IMHO, we need to define PRECISELY what we intend to accomplish with this very important rally, and focus our energy of achieving those SPECIFIC goals.
Note: I intend to send a link to this thread to conservative activists all across California, so please be nice. :o)
Gee .. all this protection for a bunch of Hollywood Nit Wits that can't stand our government
I guess they like out Government now huh??
BTW .. Have a great Freep!
The security folks have been VERY tight-lipped about their EXACT plans for this year; i.e. exactly WHERE the limos will arrrive, but it APPEARS that the stars will enter the red carpet area from the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue (as they appear to have done last year) - through the white tent, at the top right of this picture.
Sunday, March 23, 20031. Hollywood Blvd. will be closed from La Brea Ave. to Cahuenga Blvd. when determined to be necessary by the LADOT.2. South sidewalk of Hollywood Blvd will be closed from Highland Ave. to 200 feet east of Highland Ave. from 12:01 AM to 06:00 AM Monday March 24 except for an 8-foot pedestrian access.
3. Highland Ave. will be closed from Sunset Blvd. to Franklin Ave. when determined to be necessary by the LADOT.
4. West sidewalk of Highland Ave. will be closed from Hollywood Blvd. south to Hawthorn Blvd., from 12:01 AM to 06:00 AM Monday March 24 except for 8-foot pedestrian access.
5. North sidewalk of Hollywood Blvd. will be completely closed from Highland Ave. to 75 feet east of Highland Ave. in front of closed businesses from 12:01 AM to 12:01 AM Monday, March 24.
6. North sidewalk of Hollywood Blvd. will be closed from 75 feet east of Highland Ave. to 200 feet east of Highland Ave. from 12:01 AM to 06:00 AM Monday March 24, except for an 8-foot pedestrian access.
7. East sidewalk of Highland Ave.. will be closed from Yucca Street south to the Alley from 12:01 A.M. to
6:00 A.M. March 24 except for 8-foot pedestrian access.8. Yucca Street will be closed from Wilcox Ave. to Highland. Wilcox will be closed from Sunset to Cahuenga.
9. 101 South Highland Exit will be closed when determined to be necessary by Caltrans.
= closures |
"Not in OSCAR's Name!"
FReeper help needed to promote our pro-USA rally at the Academy Awards (3/23)
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS - "March Against Terrorism" at the L.A. Marathon - SUNDAY (3/2) - 10 am to noon ^ | March 1, 2003 | RonDog
Posted on 03/01/2003 2:11 AM PST by RonDog
-- snip --To: AnnaZ; Mercuria; feinswinesuksass; DoughtyOne; Cinnamon Girl; Tony in Hawaii; Bob J; diotima; ...
Here is the general concept.
We do NOT attack the Academy, we attack the "anti-stars" who are not WORTHY of it.See for instance how a TRUE star responds when his country needs him, from http://www.top40-charts.com/features/50s_ElvisInArmy.php:
ELVIS JOINS THE US ARMY
By the end of 1957, Elvis Presley was the unchallenged King of Rock'n'Roll. With nine US chart-topping hits behind him achieved in less than two years, he was the hottest item on any menu, but that very fact may have strongly influenced the US Government in their insistence that Presley should be drafted for national service in the US Army...CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread
Ted has agreed to "camp out" at the corner of Hollywood and Highland - starting at noon the day before (SATURDAY, March 22) - to insure that our message will be heard on Oscar Day.
The problem is, it appears that VERY FEW of the (HUNDREDS) folks whom we have invited to attend "from 4 pm to 6 pm on Sunday" will be able to get anywhere NEAR Ted, with the MASSIVE crowds expected to attend.And, MANY of them will be dressed in tuxedos and ball gowns - to show our respect for the TRADITIONS of the Academy...
(Bob Hope, for example, who has supported our troops through multiple USO tours to military installations all over the world, was Master of Ceremonies for the Academy Awards more times than ANYONE ELSE!)...but these fancy duds are not very practical for sleeping on the sidewalk. :o)
Looks like Highland is the place to be!Aye, but HERE's the rub, in this short exceprt from the Los Angeles Times, from last year's ceremony, at this same location:
...The tight restrictions also bruised the feelings of thousands of tourists and locals who converged on the area to see celebrities despite days of warnings from officials that television would offer the best view. That frustration was heightened by the conflicting orders given throughout the day by police and security personnel who were learning on the job how the new venue would fit the high-profile occasion.
"I have been sent in 10 different directions and yelled at," snapped Heidi Harlan, who drove in from Riverside solely for stargazing. "This is ridiculous." Harlan was among 1,500 fans who waited in long midmorning lines to pass through metal detectors on Highland Avenue and then clogged up the sidewalk next to the Kodak entrance, only to be hustled out an hour later. The grumpy crowd was told the sidewalk was only for passing customers of the stores on the street and that loitering would not be allowed...CLICK HERE for the rest of that article
This sounded so far away when I first heard about it - now the date is hurtling towards me!LOL!
I can certainly indentify with THAT observation.I will know after I meet with Ted Hayes this morning, and then continue my investigation of the Hollywood and Highland area later today.
From www.kodak.com:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 14, 2003
Contact: Ted Hayes
Founder and President
Justiceville/Homeless USA
(213) 892-9011
Email: jhusa1998@aol.com
Web site: www.fitaimact.org
1st Annual
Hollywood March Against TerrorismsmHollywood, CA (March 23, 2003) - Ted Hayes, a leading controversial Homeless activist will lead a pro-freedom/anti-terrorism cadre of demonstrators during the Academy Awards® on March 23, 2003 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at or near the intersection of Hollywood and Highland.Ted Hayes, Justiceville/ Homeless USA, and Free Republic Network, along with the Young Republicans, College Republicans and others, will be participating in the "1st Annual Hollywood March Against Terrorism" to show support for our troops.
This event is affiliated with the "Rally for America/Liberty Weekend."
Beginning at noon March 22nd, Ted Hayes and a group of supporters will be conducting a 24-hour "Freedom Vigil" to bring attention to the plight of hundreds of millions of people currently living under tyranny. As stated by Ted Hayes, "America is the only nation on earth that has the power, both militarily and morally, to liberate the oppressed throughout the world. We must do all we can to remove the dictators and free every captive they hold, especially those captives considered to be the Homeless. To do less, would be immoral."
At 4:00pm March 23rd, Ted Hayes will be joined by hundreds of Americans to "March Against Terrorism, Rally for America, and Support our Troops". As part of this gathering, the message of FIT-AIM-ACTsm will be highlighted to show how we support our troops and our national defense. Simply stated, we support a FIT (Fully Intact & Trained)sm Armed Forces able to AIM (Annihilate Incoming Missiles)sm and ACT (Attack & Crush Terrorism)sm worldwide.
In addition to supporting our troops, this event will try to remind the "Hollywood 100" anti-war celebrities that without our military, Veterans, POWs/MIAs, and KIAs, all of their prosperity, artistic success, and celebrity status (which they have abused) would only be real in their dreams. The freedom to achieve the American Dream has always been protected by our military; and the "Hollywood 100" need to wake-up to that fact, support our troops, and encourage the liberation of the oppressed. To those Hollywood celebrities who have no need of our reminder, we invite all of you to join us. Without question, your help would go far in advancing our message.
On behalf of all freedom-loving Americans, we thank you "the media" for covering this event.
This event will benefit Justiceville/ Homeless USA's Homeless Defense Fund to help Homeless Veterans,
continue the March Against Terrorism, and support American freedom through the media
Thanks for the post. Looking good.
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