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500 show up for VIBES' problem-free opening night party By Dani Dodge of the Mail Tribune About 500 young people descended on Medford's newest underage hot spot Friday night for the opening of Main 1, alias VIBES. "We had a problem-free evening except for a few toilets that backed up," said Tom Cole, executive director of Kids Unlimited, which opened the nightclub. "We had kids from Northern California, the coast, Grants Pass, Ashland and Medford. There was a lot of diversity and ethnicity. "It was really fun." Located at 1 E. Main St., Medford, the former Wells Fargo Bank has been remodeled to accommodate up to 1,000 young people. The club is limited to those under 21. The opening marks the long-awaited return of the club that formerly existed at two other sites, most recently in late 1998. Jackson County, the city of Medford and the Carpenter Foundation all contributed to the project. But fund raising isn't finished for the group that is still raising money so it can do an earthquake retrofit of the building. But if Friday's opening was any indication, Cole expects smooth sailing for the attraction. Kids danced and had a blast Friday night, he said. He expected Saturday night to be even busier when a popular deejay named Gemini was picking the tunes. Cole said the club organizers paid extra attention to security Friday to make sure the evening was a safe one. Metal detectors were installed at the doors. A private security firm was on scene. Additionally, 20 staff members were on hand for the event. (Many are people like coaches or counselors who work with kids in different ways.) Medford police toured the facility at least twice opening night. "We beefed up security to ... be a whole lot more preventative," Cole said. He noted that there weren't even problems with graffiti or broken glass outside the facility Saturday after the opening night party. Cole said while the kids had a tremendous amount of fun, several ended up learning lessons. "We are nonsmoking and a couple kids learned the hard way if they left for a cigarette, they couldn't get back in (for free)," he said. "There's a readmission fee policy." Only half-joking, Cole added: "We are trying to cut their nicotine habit for them." The successful opening propels the group toward their final goal. "Once everyone is coming our goal is to launch some meaningful programs to mobilize the teen community," he said. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA