tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post4618680557642038237..comments2024-02-14T06:26:09.116-05:00Comments on Frozen Tropics: Addressing Issues at Joe Cole ParkUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-82705095337118740952012-09-24T17:29:53.276-04:002012-09-24T17:29:53.276-04:00I wrote the original email and am happy to brief a...I wrote the original email and am happy to brief all on the response we have received so far from Chief Groomes (there has been progress) and to work together on the work to come. <br /><br />There is also an informal group that gets together every Thursday from 6:30ish - 8ish. It is informal so just bring a bag and get to work. <br /><br />vrunoroberts@gmail.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-43310441194256663662012-09-24T11:29:12.382-04:002012-09-24T11:29:12.382-04:00As to the park at the starburst intersection: I a...As to the park at the starburst intersection: I agree that "hanging out" or "loitering" is precisely what it is supposed to be used for, however, it seems to me that the amount of trash that results and is left is beyond the pale. This is partly a story of the "tragedy of the commons", but the entire neighborhood would be better of if EVERYONE claimed responsibility for keeping it clean and safe. Cleanliness and safety are not racial issues; they are people issues.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-56495865006889241082012-09-20T10:16:52.367-04:002012-09-20T10:16:52.367-04:00To return to the ostensible topic of this post, ha...To return to the ostensible topic of this post, has there been any response to the letter to the cops on Joe Cole park? And what else can those of us who are in agreement with it do?theloniousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-10125395255573310342012-09-20T08:15:28.439-04:002012-09-20T08:15:28.439-04:00and i do maintain the public space on my block, pl...and i do maintain the public space on my block, plant and garden in the sidewalk green space, pick up the trash left by careless jerks each and every day, bring flowers to my elderly neighbors, watch out for my neighbors kids as they cross the street on their way to school. it is not about us doing more for our community. it is about seeing others piss on that which you love with such little regard and with often almost a gleeful desire to destroy. i am not sure how to rid our neighborhood of these awful, awful people but it will be a glorious day when they are gone. if that is percieved as gentrification or whatever, so be it. i think that taking a shithole and making it beautful is a good thing regardless of the skin color of the person doing it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-38129512278123822672012-09-19T22:01:57.559-04:002012-09-19T22:01:57.559-04:00Anon 9/19 6:04, you must have been reading my mind...Anon 9/19 6:04, you must have been reading my mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-58097298315951578672012-09-19T18:04:37.245-04:002012-09-19T18:04:37.245-04:00i am becoming more, not less, classist and racist ...i am becoming more, not less, classist and racist the longer i live in this neighborhood. that said, i love my neighborhood and my neighbors regardless of their $ status or skin hue. its all of the other ahole scumbags that make parts of our community look like a shithole. there is a pervasive disregard for our neighborhood by some. i dont get the filth, the lack of any degree of pride in one's neighborhood, the ease with which people throw trash at their feet as they walk down the street cause they are too damn lazy to carry it the five steps to a trashcan. i was raised poor. but i was raised to take pride in what little i had. and to respect my neighborhood, not trash it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-61424440852705743422012-09-19T16:10:23.937-04:002012-09-19T16:10:23.937-04:00i want public spaces to be in pristine, wonderful ...i want public spaces to be in pristine, wonderful condition too, and i'd <i>love</i> it if i didn't have to raise a finger to make it so, but that's not how things work.<br /><br />sometimes, you need to put in a little elbow grease and "be the change you seek."<br /><br />don't like the weeds in the treeboxes in the starburst? pull them out then.<br /><br />if someone gives you a stink-eye, just smile back and keep going.IMGophhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10389077782536090328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-39336933075951596322012-09-19T13:42:14.031-04:002012-09-19T13:42:14.031-04:00Agree 100% with Anon 11:52.
If you think wanting ...Agree 100% with Anon 11:52.<br /><br />If you think wanting to have a well-kept, safe public space is racist...well then you're the one who needs to get a grip.<br /><br />Also, for anyone who says that loitering isn't a problem if the people are "just sitting there", you're obviously not a female. As a female I have been harassed multiple times on a daily basis by men just "sitting there." Sure, no one has ever physically harmed me, but it is still very very unnerving to have to walk through a group of men "just sitting there" who proceed to make extremely rude and intimidating comments. I have taken to avoiding certain areas because it just doesn't feel safe. Why should I, or any other woman have to put up with that crap? It's absolutely ridiculous...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-28981598882930214632012-09-19T12:03:01.346-04:002012-09-19T12:03:01.346-04:00The Starburst is a travesty.
It was supposed to b...The Starburst is a travesty.<br /><br />It was supposed to be an attractive <br /><br />The only way to get action is to take photos and edmail them to Councilmembers and to heads of DDOT / DPR or whoever is responsible.Hillmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-56711287213789852062012-09-19T11:52:12.077-04:002012-09-19T11:52:12.077-04:00This happens every time--someone comments that the...This happens every time--someone comments that they wish our neighbors would have common manners and respect for public locations (i.e. throw trash in the bin, not the sidewalk) and are told they are racist or classist. The first poster mentioning the intersection, from what I read, mentioned that he/she understood the purpose was to be a hang out area, but not for illicit activities. Illicit: disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons.<br /><br />Throwing trash on the ground, being publicly drunk, trampling vegetation, and sitting inside tree boxes all fall under that, as well as the obvious selling of drugs and pan-handling. The playing of chess, waiting for a bus, or visiting with your friends no matter what I think of their fashion sense does not. <br /><br />Being clean and respectful is not a matter of race, religion, financial means, or education. Those may contribute to one's understanding of the varying required degrees of publicly cleanliness and behavior, but a brand new park and/or brand new public space should not be allowed to be rebranded and acquired for the sole purpose of vagrancy, drug use, and intoxication leading to claims of racism for those who have manners and respect for everyone's right to use the space.<br /><br />The loitering laws in DC are problematic and poverty plays a role, but part of giving people hope is giving them a decent place for their children and themselves to socialize, exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and feel a sense of community. This desire to have nice things is not racist, its universal, unless of course you prefer a degrading, depressing atmosphere in which to carry out your degrading, depressing, and unsavory behavior. Nobody wants that except the criminals.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-241811164975572952012-09-19T11:45:48.581-04:002012-09-19T11:45:48.581-04:00When I was visiting the spray park with my 5 year ...When I was visiting the spray park with my 5 year old granddaughter we had to leave way too soon as the kids were shooting pop bottle rockets at us and others in the park. While those are very illegal shooting them into the air, they are even more dangerous when directed at folks sitting on the bench. These young tweens and teens don't seem to care and run wild and loose all over the place. <br />I did not call 911 from the park, but did when I left as they could definitely harm someone.Diane on Inoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-91149409600883379852012-09-19T11:33:29.391-04:002012-09-19T11:33:29.391-04:00Nate Dogg lives!Nate Dogg lives!Daznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-83532952329237392622012-09-19T10:35:05.541-04:002012-09-19T10:35:05.541-04:00I agree that weed should not be smoked on a kid...I agree that weed should not be smoked on a kid's playground. <br /><br />It should be smoked inside the comforts of your home. Every day Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-24938069484586698752012-09-19T10:06:13.894-04:002012-09-19T10:06:13.894-04:00"As far as the trolling comment about "l..."As far as the trolling comment about "looking inward" to check for "racist" or "classist[sic]" innuendos, I'm not sure openly complaining about flagrant disregard for common decency is racist or classist."<br /><br />Hey, moron. I'm not talking about people involved in things that are illegal. I was talking about the previous comment where the poster was upset that people were "loitering" at Starburst intersection -- NOT committing any sort of crime. If they are just sitting there (NOT lighting fireworks or whatever) and you have a problem with that - then you have a problem. We are talking about two entirely different things. <br /><br />And I am not a troll. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-57283704548085473322012-09-19T09:33:34.874-04:002012-09-19T09:33:34.874-04:00Seriously, if you haven't seen it lately, the ...Seriously, if you haven't seen it lately, the Starburst intersection plaza is looking pretty haggard these days. Completely overgrown with weeds, trash everywhere (despite 3-4 trash cans and a recycling bin installed in the plaza), etc. In all seriousness, a friend visiting the city about a month ago commented as we passed by the plaza, "Sheesh, they really need to clean this place up." When I told her that it actually was only about a year or two old, her mouth just dropped.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-27911580215417040502012-09-19T07:33:03.374-04:002012-09-19T07:33:03.374-04:00"No matter what folks think about marijuana i..."No matter what folks think about marijuana in general - can we agree that it does not belong on an elementary school playground?"<br /><br />Apparently, no, we cannot -- there are people here who think that's just fine, and attempting to stop it is equivalent to "trying to impose a police state."<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-84449630052864425862012-09-19T05:44:34.901-04:002012-09-19T05:44:34.901-04:00I don't know anything about Joe Cole, but the ...I don't know anything about Joe Cole, but the Starburst Intersection is a disgrace. All of the lights were broken out within a month of the plaza being completed, it's overgrown with weeds and strewn with trash, and DDOT can't seem to decide if there is a fountain there or not. Maybe it will improve with new developments like the Flats at Atlas.<br /><br />Hey, that's an idea. Flats at Atlas, why don't you offer to help maintain the Starburst? The better that intersection looks the better you will do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-84048447582538194102012-09-19T01:18:04.398-04:002012-09-19T01:18:04.398-04:00Everybody knows you're supposed to loiter and ...Everybody knows you're supposed to loiter and sell drugs at the intersection of West Virginia and Mt. Olivet where NO ONE will care. Fred Olmsteadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-25456044829885316642012-09-18T23:41:39.907-04:002012-09-18T23:41:39.907-04:00I wrote the letter. It is all fact - no exaggerat...I wrote the letter. It is all fact - no exaggeration. <br /><br />I am all for EVERYONE being able to hang out at the park. Hanging out is what a park is for. <br /><br />What I am against is my 15 month old (and the other kids at the park) not being able to play without people smoking marijuana on or right next to the playground. No matter what folks think about marijuana in general - can we agree that it does not belong on an elementary school playground? <br /><br />I am also against having to clear my kid from the ball field because someone is riding a motorcycle around on it. This happened and the rider cursed me out when I asked him not to ride his motorcycle close to the children. Can we all agree a motorcycle should be ridden in the street not on the turf field? <br /><br />Some preemptive patrols would make a big difference. I have already noticed improvements since they have stepped up patrols. <br /><br />-AAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-54772417243972801162012-09-18T21:07:32.939-04:002012-09-18T21:07:32.939-04:00There is definitely some truth to the letter but t...There is definitely some truth to the letter but there is also a lot of exaggeration. If you want to be taken seriously don't stretch the truth so much. Cause when the cops start showing up and there's no motorcycle chasing kids around the field they're going to think you're a looney. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-29598242450739610432012-09-18T19:51:11.591-04:002012-09-18T19:51:11.591-04:00Anon 5:00pm, no, I'm not exaggerating a little...Anon 5:00pm, no, I'm not exaggerating a little bit. I'm simply quoting the original letter to the police above, which reads "The smoke is so thick that it permeates the children's playground areas."<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-28017295936812697922012-09-18T17:51:30.661-04:002012-09-18T17:51:30.661-04:00Ok,pot might not exactly be high on the dangerous ...Ok,pot might not exactly be high on the dangerous drug list, but you shouldn't be smoking at a playground. I'm pretty sure we can also all agree that drug dealing, or acting like a hooligan in a public park is a bad thing.inkedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05350787243002946647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-54584883967476018752012-09-18T17:15:54.167-04:002012-09-18T17:15:54.167-04:00Not being a fan of vandalism != being an uptight w...Not being a fan of vandalism != being an uptight white guy. <br /><br />You people are unbelievable. Yeah, I mean you people. Klausnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-52898607162264679912012-09-18T17:00:34.493-04:002012-09-18T17:00:34.493-04:00"cloud of marijuana smoke hovering" aren..."cloud of marijuana smoke hovering" aren't we being a little dramatic here? exaggerating just a bit? <br /><br />and it's weed which is not particularly high on the drug enforcement agency's list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835710.post-15721308731365747272012-09-18T16:57:27.931-04:002012-09-18T16:57:27.931-04:00Asking the police to do something about the cloud ...Asking the police to do something about the cloud of marijuana smoke hovering over the children's playground = "trying to impose a police state"?<br /><br />Wow. Just . . .WOW.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com