Thanks Sharon!
I have a feeling that proper lighting would solve the problem in Library Square
Park in a
hurry. It's not so much that it's overrun with drug users, but there is
definitely something
bad going on there on almost a nightly basis now. The main reason I'm aware of
it is
because I walk my dog there virtually every morning, and every morning the
fountain area
has new empty drug bags and new empty liquor bottles, and now people are using
the
damaged fountain as a garbage dump. I hate it, and I'm sick of it. The park is
for
everybody. But nobody wants to walk around in a mess, and children should not
be
exposed to what goes on there. I can imagine a little kid picking up one of
those drug
bags and wondering "what's this?"
The problem isn't just partial to the fountain area, it's also in the
surrounding shubbery
and trees. I've seen used condoms, condom wrappers, human excrement. I've seen
people
peeing there after dark too. And the litter problem just makes me want to cry.
I will never
be able to understand the mentality of people who think the world is their
garbage can.
Another thing I've been noticing increasingly is that people seem to think that
the fountain
is their ashtray as well. It disgusts me.
For contrast, I like to walk my dog in the park in Ocean Grove on the other
side of the
footbridge. There's a very similar fountain there that has been transformed
into a beautiful
garden display. It's well lit at night, and that park is always much cleaner.
One thing that bothers me is that the PD either knows that the park is dark at
night and is
dragging their feet about it, or they are unaware of the problem, which would
shock me
because I know people call in when they spot trouble.
There seems to be some kind of disconnect in our city about where the PD is
patrolling at
night. I've mentioned this before concerning The Met Hotel porch. If you were
to take a
look there right now, you'd see lot's of empty beer cases, beer cans, cloths
etc. Obviously
somebody has been partying there at night.
I've also been in touch with the Asbury Park Historical Society, and they are
trying to get
somebody from JCPL to fix the lights, and somehow that's taking a long time as
well.
And let's not forget, the APHS got donations to fix the fountain, install
sprinkers etc.
Wouldn't it be a good idea for the city to have done something to protect that
investment
of peoples donation money? Unfortunately, nothing was done, the fountain is a
mess, and
the vandalism continues, as recently as last week.
I also think that the destruction of the 3 globes on the top of the fountain
may have been
done by kids who were told to do so by local drug dealers. It's to the drug
dealers benefit
to have the park dark at night. And it light of recent arrests that showed that
west side
heroin dealers were using young children to sell drugs, it's pretty obvious
that this is
entirely possible.
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "2fine4u" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> -I wish you'd run for office! We could use someone with your
> thoughtful awareness. You have great ideas and solutions to "simple"
> problems, but by the time this city gets to them, they become costly.
> You were the first poster to suggest surveillance. As a libertarian,
> I wasn't so much for it, until you suggested where! I believe certain
> common areas should ALWAYS be surveilled, such as the park, Cookman
> Ave., certain streets and corners, where crime often occurs, such as
> the Sheffield Grocery and Ridge and Bangs Ave. It's a sad way to
> live, but if the park is overun with drug users, the authorities
> should "set 'em up"! Where's the UEZ money? This is a quality of
> life issue where residents, should feel safe and are not! Even the
> lobby of City Hall, where a woman went up to the closed offices and
> lay down on a couch and went to sleep. Remember that? Stay with us;
> we need you!
>
> -- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "Hinge" <hinge98@> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks Sharon and Mario.
> > I'm going to find a way to focus on the things about AP that I am
> most passionate about,
> > such as making the park a safer, cleaner place, and continuing to
> push the issue of
> > surveillence cameras. I really care about public perception (from
> outsiders) about this city.
> > I may still go ahead with creating a more efficient city message
> board as i've previously
> > discussed, with it's own domain name. Obviously, there are some
> people here which will
> > have absolutely no interest in checking it out because they think it
> will be restrictive. I'd
> > just like it to be a cordial place. A good example is the political
> group I created. There has
> > been no need for moderation there at all, and there's been some
> great, heated
> > discussions. The difference between that group and this one is that
> people make an effort
> > to keep it a functional place to hold discussions without making
> ugly, personal attacks.
> > Yesterday, somebody wrote that the posters here are ambassadors for
> the city. I agree
> > with that completely. The last two days corrupt that ideal and hurt
> our effectiveness.
> >
>
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