[RP TownTalk] Calvert Park cont...

Tue Nov 28 19:13:26 UTC 2006

I would like to come up with some practical things that could be done to deal with the visible and underlying problems with the Calvert Park issue.  I am grateful that so many residents already have made efforts to clean up areas, but unless their is more contributors and/or more concern and/or a better idea how to deal with these wounds in the Riversdale community I am guessing they will keep on festering, particularly with the changing demographics of this whole community and the continued significant amount of residents that live below poverty.

  I suspect that the people who contribute to the proliferation of condoms and relationally illegal substances and/or over-consumption of spirits are likely covering up some of their reality because it was, or is bleak at the best, probably produced from impoverished war broken countries, severed families, shattered hopes...did I say poverty, generations from neighborhoods with a proliferation of substance abuse and crime reflected in angry degrading graffiti, parks strewn with trash, and tools of the trade discarded like used condoms...not so distant in likeness to the park in question. 

  My fear is that the children enrolled in Riverdale and/or reside in this community will grow up seeing this as an acceptable standard and/or learn to ignore what is not in their back yard or worse become participants in the degredation of themselves, people and nature around them.

  So...letters to park and planning would be a start, but I would have no idea who to address to incite some action...also more policing in the nocturnal hours would help if their was the man-power and initiative/reward from superiors in helping to dissuade residents from using parks and curbsides for their hedonistic, likely illegal stuff...

  I was thinking maybe taking some of the activities from the town center or Riverdale mansion and having them by the apartments to include all the community, inspire interest in becoming a resident not just a tenant which could double as an effort to keep the area cleaner and happier.  I am all for having the town centers growth and development and being utilized but their are other areas that also could use some attention and utilization which could help pull the community together, increase economic growth, keep our parks cleaner with purposefull utilization, children safer in an environment that is whole rather than broken literally with glass.

  Thanks for all the responses and genuine concerns, hopefully we can come up with some practical things to work on the Calvert Park issues and other related problems while strengthening the community of Riversdale.

  KMB

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Today's Topics:

1. Town Parks (Sue Collins)
2. Re: Town Parks (Andrew Farrington)
3. Condoms (OurDollMom at aol.com)
4. Re: Condoms (mariannethrift at comcast.net)
5. Re: Condoms (Karen Smyth)
6. Children's Holiday Party and Festival of Lights - Volunteers
Needed! (Anissa Sunday)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 04:11:48 -0800 (PST)
From: Sue Collins 
Subject: [RP TownTalk] Town Parks
To: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID: <101495.41411.qm at web31509.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

It IS a shame to see any of our parks so dirty and
pathetic looking. I can't think of any easy solution,
especially if you're talking people who go there for
sex, drugs, etc. It's not like people like that are
gonna care one way or the other. A shame, too,
because we DO have so many parks in town! We also get
people who apparently don't live at our apt. building
dumping their garbage on the ground around our
dumpster, I guess there's a lot of people out there
who just don't care... On a happier note, has anyone
else seen the big groundhog in the park by the school?
Believe it or not, I have actually seen the groundhog
sitting ON the bench at the picnic tables with his
front feet on the table, for all the world looking
like he was waiting for a snack! And I saw this more
than once, so I know I'm not hallucinating! :) (very
early in the a.m.) 

That "Graffiti Off" stuff looked interesting; do you
just spray it on anything that is covered with
graffiti, or just metal, plastic, etc? 

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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 07:59:28 -0500 (EST)
From: Andrew Farrington 
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Town Parks
To: Sue Collins 
Cc: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID: <20061128074112.R46454 at svcs.dvnt.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

I have a strong issue with language of the flavor of "people like that." 
Having once been a teenager, I can say for myself at any rate that I for 
one preferred to indulge in such activities in as clean and attractive 
places as possible without Mom finding me. ;) I think Alice's point 
about us being downstream of Laurel, Beltsville, College Park and 
Greenbelt holds a lot of water. Haha, a lot of water.

Not that I don't get a metric donkey-load of cans, bottles and assorted 
food wrappers out of my bushes a couple of times a week - and they aren't 
coming from the creek! This in spite of the copious public trash cans 
peppering my street. Alas.

I've only ever used graffiti remover on metal, myself, but that has 
included painted metal inside public bathrooms, and the directions say it 
can be used on most anything, including wood and fabric. The directions 
also say, as most cleaners do, to test in an inconspicous place first. 
(Such as a public park after dark?? ;)

-Andrew Farrington
4605 Queensbury Road

On Tue, 28 Nov 2006, Sue Collins wrote:

> It IS a shame to see any of our parks so dirty and pathetic looking. I 
> can't think of any easy solution, especially if you're talking people 
> who go there for sex, drugs, etc. It's not like people like that are 
> gonna care one way or the other. A shame, too, because we DO have so 
> many parks in town! We also get people who apparently don't live at our 
> apt. building dumping their garbage on the ground around our dumpster, I 
> guess there's a lot of people out there who just don't care... On a 
> happier note, has anyone else seen the big groundhog in the park by the 
> school? Believe it or not, I have actually seen the groundhog sitting ON 
> the bench at the picnic tables with his front feet on the table, for all 
> the world looking like he was waiting for a snack! And I saw this more 
> than once, so I know I'm not hallucinating! :) (very early in the a.m.)
>
> That "Graffiti Off" stuff looked interesting; do you just spray it on 
> anything that is covered with graffiti, or just metal, plastic, etc?
>

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:08:09 EST
From: OurDollMom at aol.com
Subject: [RP TownTalk] Condoms
To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

My husband carries a bucket while
walking the dog every morning picking
up trash & condoms are a big item. I am
sure he is just teasing but he always 
says "Yes, we need to do some DNA
testing & see who these belong to &
"fine" them for littering....have a
public listing of their names.

emily
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:02:23 +0000
From: mariannethrift at comcast.net
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Condoms
To: OurDollMom at aol.com, towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID:
<112820061502.17886.456C4F7F000A1136000045DE22070208539B00079D089B0A02020E079D0E03 at comcast.net>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Gee, we should consider running this in the Town crier and see if that would deter this type of litering. Which is disgusting! The particular culprits probably don't read the publications anyway. Too bad dna testing is so expensive!

The path behind the 47th Avenue by Greg's Towing is a favorite "hang-out" causing the greg's dog(s) and my neighbor's dogs to bark all night long.
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 07:47:13 -0800 (PST)
From: Karen Smyth 
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Condoms
To: mariannethrift at comcast.net, OurDollMom at aol.com,
towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID: <20061128154713.67584.qmail at web35310.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The discussion is a perfect example of why we need more police and police patrols. Gets back to our earlier postings about the car breakins too! I have found used condoms and needles both in the little playground - yes PLAYGROUND - in our little RP neighborhood, and on that path Marianne talks about by Greg's towing. And empty beer bottles, etc. As a parent of small children, I have been upset about this for some time and have expressed it to the councilpersons over the years... and then when the cars on our road kept getting broken into! I know these are not "serious" crimes, but tell me one of the most important compenents of the town's budget shouldn't be police and police patrols??? That would cut down on clean up, on dead chickens on the tracks, and on a number of other annoyances expressed in these online discussions. Has there been any effort to beef up the local police?

Karen

----- Original Message ----
From: "mariannethrift at comcast.net" 
To: OurDollMom at aol.com; towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 10:02:23 AM
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Condoms

Gee, we should consider running this in the Town crier and see if that would deter this type of litering. Which is disgusting! The particular culprits probably don't read the publications anyway. Too bad dna testing is so expensive!

The path behind the 47th Avenue by Greg's Towing is a favorite "hang-out" causing the greg's dog(s) and my neighbor's dogs to bark all night long.
My husband carries a bucket while
walking the dog every morning picking
up trash & condoms are a big item. I am
sure he is just teasing but he always 
says "Yes, we need to do some DNA
testing & see who these belong to &
"fine" them for littering....have a
public listing of their names.

emily
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:03:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Anissa Sunday 
Subject: [RP TownTalk] Children's Holiday Party and Festival of Lights
- Volunteers Needed!
To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Message-ID: <20061128160320.99653.qmail at web50713.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Hello Everyone,

The holidays are approaching as are the Riverdale Park
Children's Holiday Party and Festival of Lights. 

The Recreation Board can really use some help during
these two events.

We are looking for 6 volunteers for the Children's
Party (Dec 9th - 3:45 - 5:15), and several more for
the Festival of Lights (Dec 9th 5:30-8:30 pm).

The duties are pretty light - helping with crafts at
the Party and riding Trollies during the Festival of
Lights. Both will be great fun and your help would be
greatly appreciated!

If you are interested, or having any questions, please
contact me via email or phone. Thank you!

Anissa Sunday
301.277.2458

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End of TownTalk Digest, Vol 4, Issue 21
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