[RP TownTalk] keeping our parks lovely, was: street sweeping,

[Sarah Wayland]

> Not to mention the ear
> splitting music.  I can hear it at my house and I wonder how the people who
> live on the border of the park stand it.  I thought there were bands playing
> down there, but it seems like the people just line up their cars and blast
> their stereos.  Maybe the park police don't work on weekends?

No, they do, and our police are in communication with them. Whenever I
hear that music (and I can sometimes hear it from my house next to the
RR tracks!) I call our police department at 301-927-4343 and tell them
about it. It's my understanding that they call the park police who
then come over and deal with the issue. It clearly violates any
reasonable noise ordinance.

Our police need us to help be their eyes and ears because they can't
be everywhere. If you tell them what you see, they can do something
about it.

 A truck playing music in a park that is 4 blocks from my house is
just insanity (this is the park that's north of E-W highway, and west
of the NW branch of the Anacostia River.)

> Maybe our
> town needs to form some type of relationship with P&P to keep the area
> clean?  Is there anyone at the town office who could look into this and
> guide us to a solution?

I know that when I ride my scooter through the park on Monday
mornings, there are usually a host of MNCPPC (Maryland National
Capital Parks and Planning Commission) employees cleaning up the mess.

And you are right, the mess is UNBELIEVABLE. I think we should start
by educating people who are playing in the park about littering.

Perhaps "No Littering" signs, MORE trashcans, and enforcement are all
important components of returning our parks to a state that I want to
go to them with my kids. (Currently I don't because it's just too
loud, and too messy.)

I know that it would have to be MNCPPC that implements these changes,
so our town would have to figure out how to coordinate with them. It's
been my impression that in the past they have been willing to work
with us to address other issues in our parks (e.g., the fields off
Tanglewood Drive, and Oglethorpe, on the west side of the NW branch of
the Anacostia.)

-Sarah