HistoricOmaha

Omaha World Herald
Published Monday June 19, 2006

BY KATIE BACKMAN

Memorial Park still has its green-grassy hills instead of the feared landfill or mud pit.

About 15,000 Bright Eyes concertgoers sang and danced Saturday night in the rain at the park. Then, on Sunday, about three and a half hours were dedicated to cleaning up the park, said Steve Scarpello, Omaha Parks and Recreation Department acting director.

Cleaning crews started picking up litter at 6 a.m. After about 150 full trash bags, the park was back to normal.

“I’m feeling pretty good about the cleanup,” he said. “There was a little more litter than other concerts, but everything went smoothly.”

Before and during the show, he said, crews monitored the weather and mainly looked for lightning, heavy rainfall or severe weather. If meteorologists had predicted heavy rainfall, the concert may have been cut short, he said. Muddy conditions would have made it more difficult to remove the equipment from the park.

An Omaha Police Department spokesman said officers didn’t arrest anyone, and the crowd behaved well considering the number of people.

Scarpello said the crowd’s conduct was much like Omaha’s 150th birthday celebration with a free performance by 311, another native Nebraska rock band.

“It was a tremendous success. About 15,000 people had a great time dancing in the rain at the park,” Scarpello said.

Omaha.com: Memorial Park weathers onslaught of Oberst