Cinco De Mayo

At Knott's Berry Farm's Cinco de Mayo debacle promoted by KIIS-FM DJ Rick Dees, the rowdy youths were mainly outside the park--those who didn't get in on the 5-cent admission. But a similar promotion at Disneyland for Halloween in 1994 produced not only horrifying gridlock, brawls and frustrated customers outside the Magic Kingdom but a crime wave inside. "It was a nightmare," recalled Deena Ipolito, a sales clerk at the Emporium on Main Street that day.

Knott's Berry Farm will receive a $13,000 bill next week from Buena Park police officials, who have tallied up their tab for quelling thousands of rowdy teenagers who skipped school for a Cinco de Mayo promotion at the park. The amount covers the cost of 69 officers who were sent to the near-riot on the morning of May 5, as well as overtime for the half-dozen officers who had to be called in to help, Buena Park Police Chief Richard M. Tefank said Tuesday.

Knott's Berry Farm, under fire for a Cinco de Mayo celebration that required about 200 riot officers to calm rowdy youths, agreed Thursday to reimburse police for their efforts. But officials at school districts in Los Angeles and Orange counties remained critical of the theme park, saying the event caused high absentee rates Wednesday that will cost them tens of thousands of dollars in lost state funding.

Shirley Avenue Elementary School celebrated Cinco de Mayo Wednesday with a big, festive event that included lots of music, dancing and food. Nearly 600 students, teachers and parents participated in the afternoon fiesta commemorating the Mexican army's victory against French forces in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. Some kids giggled and clapped, while others tapped their feet to the music blaring from large speakers. "This is really fun," said second-grader Ronald Renderos.

As part of Cinco de Mayo celebrations on Wednesday, the Mexican Office of Foreign Affairs honored Prof. David Maciel, head of Chicano Studies at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Maciel is the author of books on Mexican cinema and immigration, which have helped give readers greater understanding about modern-day issues, said Jose Angel Pescador, Mexico's consul general in Los Angeles.

Drawn in part by television and radio promotions, tens of thousands of youths converged on Knott's Berry Farm for a Cinco de Mayo celebration Wednesday, disrupting traffic and commerce and sparking scattered violence. When more than 200 officers in riot gear arrived at the scene just before noon, they faced a hail of rocks and bottles. Some teens began fighting with each other and stopped traffic on nearby streets.

Drawn in part by television and radio promotions, tens of thousands of youths converged on Knott's Berry Farm on Wednesday for a Cinco de Mayo celebration, disrupting traffic and commerce and sparking scattered violence until hundreds of riot police restored order. The event's 5-cent admission price was heavily publicized on KIIS-FM, a music station popular among teens, and also promoted on Spanish-language station KMEX-TV.

Schoolchildren from across Los Angeles got a living lesson Tuesday in the final days of Mexico's Aztec empire. Montezuma, portrayed by Fabian Gregory Cordova of Canoga Park, wore a beaded breastplate, loincloth and an elaborate feathered headdress. Cordova has performed educational presentations as Montezuma for 10 years.

Schoolchildren from across Los Angeles got a living lesson Tuesday in the final days of Mexico's Aztec empire. The empire's last leader, Montezuma, portrayed by Fabian Gregory Cordova of Canoga Park, wore a beaded breastplate, loincloth and an elaborate feathered headdress. Cordova has performed educational presentations as Montezuma for 10 years.

In a marketing move that might ease the load on crowded Southern California-area classrooms Wednesday, Knott's Berry Farm says it will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a special 5-cent admission price for park-goers who arrive between 6 and 10 a.m. The park, which normally opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. on weekdays, not only is opening four hours early; it is adding two hours to the end of the day with a special closing time of 8 p.m.