Blue Ribbon Committee starts

Modesto's Blue Ribbon Committee on homelessness issues begins tonight. I just want to wish the committee good luck and give hope that this issue can be tackled effectively with care and good thought. This blog chronicled the issues at Enslen Park with the homeless but has sort of transitioned to that of vagrancy. The problems started with the homeless and their issues and again as time has passed I have learned that most of the "residents" take care of issues in-house but are left to deal with the more dangerous vagrants that feel these city parks are theirs to mess up. I am only knowledgable on what happens at Enslen park, and not the others like Tower and Ralston Parks from what I read. Maybe it is more of a homeless issue at those and other city parks. Whatever the case, I hope fair solutions can be accomplished.

Woops

So one of three things happened here to this light pole at Elk Park.

1) A big storm came and knocked it over

2) The pole just fell due to old age and being weathered

3) A Meth attic needed the copper wiring.

I those #3.

Carmen, a little "off base"

Thanks Carmen for your blog show and discussing this blog. I believe it was from January 22nd show. I was not put into good graces by you and your guest, Emerson? I was one of "those homeless hater guys" to paraphrase. That's fine, label me as you choose. It is your forum. Just wanted to let you know the real truth, is that I am not a "hater", just disgusted by what I see everyday across the street at Enslen Park. Of course you and your cohort would not know because you live in your little enclave somewhere away from the parks. You have not bothered to discuss the other issues, arrests, stabbings, fights, drugs, and drunkenness that goes on in these parks that I blog about. I have come along way since 2008 in the homeless plight realizing that most of the issues are that of vagrants and not really of the homeless. My issue with the "Do-Gooders" is that they should organize their efforts in feeding the homeless (and also stick around to clean up the messes) and I think that is what is behind Muratore's committee. I am not wanting to be on this committee, and this Blog has nothing to do with Murratore or Moridian, it just mine. I am not into politics, but you have now in doctored me into them I guess. My little effort is being a part of the College Area Neighborhood Alliance on the Homeless/Transient committee and reporting the issues at the parks. Anybody who does not believe that there are issues, come spend a summer at my house.

Hotel Enslen: College Area Neighborhood Association

Hotel Enslen: College Area Neighborhood Association

College Area Neighborhood Association

So there has been the development of the College Area Neighborhood Alliance (or Association) which among the different committees has the Transient/homeless committee. What to do with the abundance of homeless people in the college area parks and streets is the focus. It is a huge issue and there is no "fix it" answer for now. At least there is an awareness of the situation. Hopefully as CANA progresses I can chronicle what is happening. The first thing I want to point out, is that half of the problems in the parks with the homeless are not the homeless folks causing them. Homeless breeds vagrancy. So there are two components here: Homeless and Vagrancy. The majority of the problems are the vagrants who cause the drama and issues. What I mean by vagrants are the wanderers or folks looking to cause trouble and mischief who have no gumption to abide by the laws. These vagrants just try to enclave themselves into the homeless population and then point at the homeless when it comes to crimes. So my initial thought as I move forward in the Homeless committee is to stress that it is the vagrancy that is the main problem and that is what needs to be rid of first.

http://www.modbee.com/opinion/national/story/1054467.html?story_link=email_msg

http://www.modbee.com/opinion/national/story/1054467.html?story_link=email_msg

Modesto police arrest homeless man in Enslen Park stabbing - Local - Modbee.com

It was only a matter of time......Modesto police arrest homeless man in Enslen Park stabbing - Local - Modbee.com

Tower Park Closure

Well, it's been awhile since I have last posted. The fact of the matter is that recently, the "residents" have moved more to Graceada and Elk Parks during the summer time out of my view of Enslen Park. They move around in groups to wherever they feel comfortable. Lately however, the "residents" have seem to have moved back to Enslen. I have noticed a whole new "clientele".

As reported in the Bee today, Tower Park, which is a homeless haven, will be closing within the year. These folks will be moving to other parks, and the closest parks are Graceada and Enslen. This is going to be a nightmare. The crime and filth will now be in our neighborhoods like we have never seen before.

Nothing really came of the bathroom closures (I think the city actually kept them open). So what could have been "doom and gloom" never really materialized. Now we have the Tower Park watch to be concerned with possibly.

A note from a "visitor" to the parks

This was an email from back in August sent to me by a visitor to the park....

We were walking by Graceada Park yesterday. There are a group of young ladies who regularly practice cheerleading on the southwest corner of the park. They look to be about 9-12 years and are supervised by some adult ladies. As we entered the park from the southeast corner, a strong blast of marijuana smoke hit us. There was a small group of scruffy looking characters with bicycles, smoking marijuana and drinking beer. These were not kids; they were 25-40 year olds. They shot us hostile, defiant looks. We ignored them and kept on walking. When we got to the southwest corner, an argument broke out among these people. An extremely loud stream of the most vulgar obscenities erupted from them. A fat man and a skinny lady squared off, with both of them screaming obscene epithets at each other, at top volume. The children stopped their activities, turned around and started staring. The ladies in charge gathered the children up, herding them to the southwest end of the park. The ladies looked very distressed; the children had saucer eyes.

A very wide strong man was sitting in his car near the children. He got out of the car with an unhappy look on his face. He started walking across the park, towards the arguers. When he got about half way across the park, the arguers and their friends took notice of him. The obscenities stopped instantly. The wide man continued on towards them, turning his hat backwards. The fat man got on his bicycle and furiously pedaled away. A few other bicyclists followed him. The rest of the group headed for the amphitheater. There were more scruffy looking characters in the amphitheater. The wide man directed his attention towards the amphitheater. All of the scruffy people started exiting the amphitheater using the north exits. They exited with purpose, sort of like when a show ends. They then tried to blend in with the people in the playground area. Calm returned to the park. The children returned to their activities. I wish there were more people like the wide fellow

   so my question is, what do the maintenance workers do?  I mean, the graffiti seen here on the left has been there for some time.  The Enslen pillars have been tagged for awhile.  I appreciate what the maintenance workers doing cleaning the park, but do they NOT report graffiti?  Are they blind to it?  Maybe they just wait for a pissed off resident to finally call and say, "Hey".  The graffiti on the Boy Scouts Building has been there only for a few days according to one of the "residents".

Bathroom Closures; Uh Oh!

So the city has to shut down park bathrooms.  It is inevitable.  The money needs to be cut somewhere.  They will have to ADD police officers for what will take place when the bathrooms are closed.  The homeless will be deficating in our alleys.  

So what if we get a volunteer group that will ensure that the bathrooms are kept up and the park clean?  Here is the problem with that.  Apparently, only Beyer, Davis, Downey, and Tuolomne Park's restrooms will remain open 24/7.  Then we get the community to take care of Enslen and Graceada parks.  If other communities do not step up to keep their community park clean, then that leaves only a few parks with their restrooms clean.  Now EVERY Tom, Dick, and Harry will be at our parks (the one with the open restrooms) which means more trash, more cleaning, more issues (drug deals and illegal activity) all because our community has chosen, and assured the city, that we will clean Enslen and Graceada parks.  

How about the sports teams?  How are you going to hold a soccer or baseball practice at Enslen Park now that the bathrooms will be closed?  In case you have not noticed, Modesto does not have enough facilities for practices.  It is already overcrowded.  Where are these teams going to go?

Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Park

These past years in my documentation of the homeless issue I have never at any point approached any of the "residents" at Enslen Park. I usually let my "informant" do my talking. They are all aware of my blog and I am "That guy that writes about us". The other night, the boy scouts were having their weekly get together at the, well, boy scout building at Enslen. They were outdoors doing their activities and I noticed a young fellow who made the universal "gotta go pee" gesture by holding his, uh, "area." I saw the Head Scout guy point to the bathrooms. The little guy shook his head, uh, no. Then he darted in the boy scout building where I am sure there are restrooms in there. I know why he said "No" as there were two guys laying asleep wrapped up in their sleeping bags, right next to the bathroom entrance. So, I ventured over there for the first time and awoke the guys and simply asked why they had to sleep right there as opposed to under some tree away from the activity. Man, I opened Pandora's Box. These guys got very belligerent and rude with me as I only asked a question and did not want any confrontation. The one guy who I will call "Dude" was absolutely out of line. Maybe I was out of line for asking him, but I meant no harm. I actually had to get my "informant" (who was not far from sight) to come over so I did not go after this guy for what he said. Again, I could have been in the wrong here, but I was being threatened as he "knew where I live", and "I know what you do". My "informant" would make sure that nothing were to ever happen to me or my family for my vigilance.

The word got around to the other "residents". My "informant" said that I talked to the wrong dude, being, "Dude". He is an a** and nobody cares for him and "Dude" has kind of ostracized himself from the others. I even went back to apologize and meant no ill will, but "Dude" just told me to get out of his face. The other guy was fine. What I am finding that over time I have softened a bit on these folks plight. The reason is, is that they police the park themselves. These regulars make sure that nobody rocks the boat and if they do, they need to move on. Most of these folks, other than "Dude", "get it" that if there is activity in the park being used for it's intended purposes, then the "residents" move aside and try not to be a nuisance. These people have told my "informant" that they know I am trying to be more peaceable. It is almost like we are ONE. They were not surprised by "Dude's" outburst, and they saw my point and sided with me. "Dude" has only made life even more miserable for himself.