Morrison bids farewell to Phish heads August 8, 1996 - Rocky Mountain News By Ricardo Baca Fans head to Wisconsin for more music after gathering overwhelms mountain town residents Phish fans began the exodus Wednesday night from Colorado to Wisconsin, the next stop on the band's summer tour. ''We wish them well,'' said Jefferson County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Parr. ''We wish them all peace, love and happiness.'' But few Morrison residents wish their return. The rock band concluded their four-night engagement at 9,500-seat Red Rocks Amphitheater on Wednesday. During their run, thousands of their fans overwhelmed nearby Morrison, a town of about 470 people. Police shut the town down late Monday after several hundred Phish fans refused to disperse after authorities tried to help a woman injured in an auto accident. About a dozen people were arrested. Officers from Morrison and neighboring jurisdictions marched through the town's streets Tuesday and Wednesday nights to force the fans out of town. Three people were arrested Tuesday night for disorderly conduct. ''Our officers that patrolled the streets all day warned the fans that they would be forced to leave at 10:30 p.m.,'' Parr said. ''At 10:30 we brought in extra forces and created a police line and made the people leave.'' The West Metro Drug Task Force also made eight drug-related arrests Tuesday night during an undercover operation at Red Rocks, Lt. Ted Mink said. ''Most of them approached our undercover officers and asked if they wanted to buy drugs,'' Mink said. ''They were not very cautious or discreet. Some even held signs.'' Some residents felt police overreacted. ''The kids were trying really hard not to create any problems,'' said Lynette Kirkham, owner of the Morrison Liquor Store. ''It's very unfair treatment to these people.'' Other residents, however, say good riddance. © 1996 Denver Publishing Company