Photos around 2 Parks

[Chris P]

Here are some pictures I took Yesterday 10-1-07

Brookside Park

PIC-1 Abandoned chair in park
PIC-2 Overgrown shrubbery along brook
PIC-3 Abandone shopping cark in park
PIC-4 Trash and glass and graffiti at Broad Street entrance

No basketball courts, no water pond, no maintanence shed all gone. The Bridges were crumbling all that was positive were the grass was mowed and Benetts service station was still open. No Alfredo's Pizza though.

Sorry about the quality as the Forumn only allows 39 KB pics. I didnt make backups when converting. Id'e like to post nature pics also but the quality would do injustice to them. I did get a red tail hawk taking off a Guiffrida.

[Chris P]

Guiffrida Park 10-1-07

PIC-1 Drug Baggies you can find while strolling thry the park
PIC-2 Druggie Hangout (path near high tension wires to the left as you go in park) not to say they don't hangout on the wilderness trails.
The halfway rest station half way up the Blure Trail has also been set to fire and is getting torn apart by vandals (no pic yet).
I'm afraid to hike here and carry pepper spray now.

Any one catch the news about the fatal stabbing along the wilderness trail in E Granby ?

10-2-07
A 20-year-old man was arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a teen in East Granby.
Chris Jensen, 18, of Enfield was killed during a fight Saturday on the Metacomet Trail.
State police said Paul Berube of East Windsor was arrested at a home in Enfield Monday night and charged with murder.
He is being held on $1 million bond and was arraigned Tuesday morning.

WE NEED TO MAKE THE PARKS AND WILDERNESS TRAILS DRUG FREE ZONES AND HAD OUT MORE SEVERE PENALTIES JUST AS WE DO OUR NEAR SCHOOLS. OUR OPEN GETAWAY SPACE IS OUR LAST NICE RESOURCE AND SHOULD BE TREASURED.

[Chris P]

Dumping of Human Wast along Westfield Rd pics 10-1-07

This was taken just outside Guiffrida Park goind towards the quarry. It stunk like you'de never believe. I called the health department and the lady who answered the phone hung up on me before I could offer to meet somoen down there or tell her the location of the waste. The drums are still here after I called 3 months ago.

[Tino3]

Thanks for the pictures. It sure makes you think. Did you send these to councilors? How sad.

[Chris P]

Actually no. But it does raise a concern that more needs doing to make Meriden a better place. Pictures tell a thousand words. Meriden has so much potential.

[collie]

I hope you do send these "public service announcements" to the Meriden City Council. Cynic that I am from past attempts don't be surprised if: #1. they don't reply or #2. they accuse you of grandstanding to gain attention. Guiffridda Park is a breathtakingly beautiful spot that should not be filled with drug paraphenalia and what a shame that easy chair, trash and overgrown shrubs in Brookside Park are! Has anyone noticed the trash in the Hubbard Park pond that collects in a nasty, murky scum at the corner of the pond near the tennis courts? It's like that all the time. The cleanest "park" I've been to for a walk lately is the Red Bridge Trail. Found two baby turtles on the path one morning; moved them to the river side so they wouldn't get run over by a bike. At any rate, these pictures should be ideally brought to the attention of Councilman "You're all a bunch of whiners" Rohde and Councilwoman "You pigs pick up your garbage" Lynes. Rohde is chair of parks and rec. and Lyons on a cleanup spree this past year, it's one of her campaign slate issues. I'd love to hear if they would respond and do something about it. And those barrels dumped on the roadside are the responsibility of the Health Dept. Who knows what was originally in them? They could easily figure out who the property owner is, etc.

[Tino3]

I am sure that Lynes did NOT call people names. You have to give her credit for trying. Every community has people who lack respect for other people and their surroundings. However the vast majority of people--and that includes Meriden--do respect others and care for their surroundings. I know that Mike Rhode has worked extremely hard over the years to help the less fortunate (I've had many volunteer jobs in connection with his organizations), so don't blame him for becoming frustrated when people complain but don't do anything to help the situation. While the pictures were upsetting and something should be done about it, it would me more helpful to offer suggestions than to insinuate that our officials don't care. You all sound intelligent and as if you care about the community. How about some positive ideas to improve it?

[Chris P]

We need a warden to patrol the parks. Fines alone may pay some of his or her wages. Trash discarding, dog doo, in park after dark, alcohol, illegal swimming, all finable but ignored.

We need a police presence at the parks and show the druggies will will be watching them. Make these people uncomftable at hanging out in the parks. I noticed the activity starts around 4-6 pm with vandalism occuring after dark.

I think there should be a big cleanup effort at Brookside Park and force the home owners to clean up their back yards with rubbish falling down the embankment into the brook (pics not shown).

****If anyone wants to do so, they may be more then welcome to send my posting and pics here to the appropriate personel.***

Take back the parks and show we have pride in them and maybe people will not feel as comfy trashing them.

Also, tell the lady at the health dept. to do her job and not quickly hangup and make light of someones concerns. I wish I got her name; I do know she was also busy talking to someone else in the office as I was talking to her on the phone.

[Eastside Bill]

Doesn't someone live on-site at Giufridda Park and is paid (or lives there rent-free) in exchange for keeping an eye on things going on in the park? It would be good to know just what the job description entails. It is pretty obvious that whatever is being done is not enough. It seems that the city needs to be paying much more attention to these problems. Police presence would help (even just a drive-through) but so would a proactive Parks & Rec.

[Chris P]

Hi Bill

The only person I know who did that was Harry Vega back in th e late 70's early 80's and he did a good job IMO (but I remeber the controversy when he was evicted from the site). Today someone lives on site but doesn't appear to have any authority in the park as this year I've sat and watched as lots of violations were going on in view of the house with no one taking action.

For example

I've only seen once in 12 years someone fining people for dog violations and never have seen someone patroling the park and the trail going alog the resevoir.

Nature is my interest and these are my pet peeves as I value wilderness areas. I'm sure Meriden has other issues besides what I'm mentioning.

[collie]

To the best of my recollection, Patty Lyons did publically refer to litterers in Meriden as pigs and Mike Rhode wrote a pretty outrageous letter to the editor recently re constituents putting up or shutting up, something to that effect. He has had quite a few outraged responses in return. As a person who has devoted almost full time hours to volunteer community work in the past four or five years, I speak from experience when I say councilors do not respond to letters. Similar to legislators not answering emails, letters or returning phone calls on issues relevant to the local community, and for its betterment. Meriden has a rather peculiar way of handling public comment at city hall meetings. I once researched how every community in New Haven County handles that and Meriden is unique alright in a negative way. Public comment is not part of our meeting, only a half hour alloted before the "real meeting" starts. Andy Piatek wrote both a letter to the editor and an recent editorial on how the half hour hasn't been enough time lately due to the volume of people wishing to speak. The majority leader apparently picks who will speak and when that half hour is up, people waiting to speak are not allowed to do so. Wallingford runs its meetings as if it really were a democracy. Public comment begins after the meeting starts and is NOT, as in Meriden, limited to action agenda items only. The public is also able to speak on items on the agenda as they come up, after the discussion and before the vote is taken. People who speak at Meriden City Council meetings are labeled, in my opinion and based on my experience, as gadflys, as wanting to run for office, wanting their name in the paper, wanting to be on TV, etc.

[john12774]

Patty Lyons calls others "pigs"?

Someone hand her a mirror...and make sure places it next to her McDonalds meal.

[Eastside Bill]

If the caretaker has no authority to do anything to enforce park regulations (and the unleashed dogs are just one problem; once I was biking up the road to the parking lot and out flew a kid on an ATV) why bother having someone stay there for minimal or no rent? I don't pretend to know the arrangements, but something needs to be done but unfortunately, no one seems to be stepping up to the plate at Giuffridda.

[john12774]

Thsi extends WAYY beyond Guiffrida park... Meriden's police force is very "Reactive", rather than being "Proactive". Police will only intervene when they feel they have to for fear of citizen ridicule. Look at other towns...police are very proactive , even if you litter on the street.

[Chris P]

On a positive nite Guiffrida was quiet today at 4pm and the benches reinforced with hardwood were still intact 1 week after they have been fixed. Lets see how long they last. Its was a pleasure to have a peacful journy thru the park.

On a sad note, I took a hike out back and it appears the motor cross association (whoever runs the motorcross back there) have completly torn up the trials exposing the traprock and emulsifying the ground. Walking on the trailsbetween the swamp and the junkyard is like strolling thru thick talcum powder and bowling balls. I don't think this is City property though.

Maybe word is getting out complaints are being made.