Recently I was talking with a businessman on the Square about the groups of young people hanging out. He has noticed their presence increasing for the past nine months. How did he refer to them? "The punks."
Is this what we want on our Square? In our town? (click on the photo to enlarge it.) Do we want our sidewalks crowded with kids loitering and blocking the sidewalk with their bodies and their bicycles?
Now, Woodstock is not a "club." All are welcome. And we are going to expect the kids to act with manners and good sense, and not to block the sidewalk and drive away tourists and customers of stores or businesses.
When you walk on the sidewalk, you are entitled to your half of the sidewalk. Just because a gang of kids is walking toward you, you do not need to step aside. Let them move back over on their half of the sidewalk.
I did hear a few "choice" words on Main Street this evening from the gangs of kids gathered on the movie theater side of the street. They could be heard across the street.
What can you do? Contact the police department by telephone and in writing (policedept@woodstockil.gov) and register your concerns. And, every bit as importantly, go to City Council meetings and address the Council during the Public Comment portion of the meeting.
Here is an invitation to Mayor Sager, to each City Councilperson and to the heads of all City Departments.
Come to the Square in the evening. Pick an evening; any evening. Bring your family. Walk up and down the streets that branch off the Square itself. Go into the Square around 8:00-10:00PM and decide for yourself.
Do you feel safe? secure? comfortable?
No? Well, what are you, our elected representatives and hired personnel, going to do about it?
© 2008 GUS PHILPOTT
5 comments:
Gee Gus - You're showing your age ... when I was in Chicago at the "Taste", me and Robby M. saw a bunch of poeple just like the ones in your picture ... they were hanging out under the Bean and drinking mocha lattes. Now that was scary: 18 years old and drink light coffee! What are those benches in the Square for ... what's the sidewalk for ... its a public place. If some one feels intimidated by surly and inconsiderate youths, that's there problem. I may someones be offended by the homeless dude who spends time at Susquecentennial Park and washes himself with the soap-on-a-rope, but I know its not illegal and I'm certainly not going to waste a policeman's time on such irrelevance.
I didn't spend 2 and 1/2 years hunting charlie in the rice paddies to let some teen age "punks" or even obnoxious "holier-than-thou" adults infouence how I feel. I see that guy who used to work at Knoth's Sporting Goods standing on the corner at Starbuck's every morning having a conversation AND blocking people from walking across the street at the same time ... is he a punk? Should I call the police? Being insecure, old, and out of shape (that's me too!) is no justification for calling the cops. Gus, you da' man ... so carry them with some authority ... and now I drive 40 mph on Lake Avenue.
Hey Gus -
Your very suggestion for all concerned to visit The Square for themselves in the evening hours is appropriate. However, if folks want to make a difference, they need to visit it and OCCUPY it on a regular basis.
In the suburb where I lived previously, we had a neighborhood park situated within an area comprised of townhouses and apartment buildings. Since this was "affordable" housing, all sorts of "disadvantaged" people lived there. While many included single-parent "families" with woefully unsupervised "children", this area contained many residents that were part of young families and senior citizens as well.
The mix of people congregating at this park eventually turned in favor of unsupervised "children", and it quickly turned downhill. Finally, shots began being fired there on a regular basis, and no one wanted to be there anymore. Families that bordered that park were actually in fear of their lives and those of their children at that point.
Enter an organized group of residents in that complex. What they did was to get all like-minded citizens together, and to occupy that park enmasse each and every night for a whole summer, bringing all family members and their children, everyone barbecuing, children playing on the playground equipment, and everyone just hanging out and visiting.
This activity ended up displacing the gang-bangers and wannabe's, ensuring once again a park that was well-utilized and safe for everyone.
And hey - I was an adolescent once myself. We "hung out" all over the place, to the consternation of many neighbors. However, back then, neighbors reported back, and our parents were often strolling or driving through the neighborhoods back then, saw who we were with, saw what we were doing, and took action accordingly.
No longer is this the case. Nor has been for some time. As evidenced by your many postings here, all too many people now have an "FU" sort of mentality - "I'm special", "don't mess with me", "*I* and more important than you", and all that nonsense.
Other than mass occupation of The Square by the regular folks, perhaps local area businesses might wish to consider "The Mosquito"? As some of you may be aware, there are now special ring-tones available for cell phones that are so high-pitched that only people under a certain age can hear them. "The Mosquito" is a device that emits a very high-frequency buzz that is piercing, annoying and is anathema to those under a certain age, driving them away from the area of this nuisance. Other business owners have used broadcasts of Bach and Mozart too, driving them away for the "lame" and uncool music.
Again, I understand their need to congregate SOMEWHERE, yet these kids are unskilled in respectful relations with the community. This is due to a breakdown in parental supervision and a total lack of parental involvement in their kids' lives and the community at large.
Just so you know where I'm coming from, while I'm not a resident of Woodstock, I spent many a summer in Wonder Lake and am now living close by. I have watched The Square and Woodstock as whole from the 60's up until now, where I currently am in Woodstock on a regular basis looking for work.
I have watched the town and The Square metamorphosise (sp?) from a ghost town with tumbleweeds into a vibrant community asset and focal point.
I have to tell ya, within the last few years, I see the town as a whole, and The Square in particular, devolving into a place where I'd rather not consider living. Not only is The Square becoming tarnished, but sadly, I also see the greater areas surround The Square going down as well and beginning to look quite shabby.
For all of the vituperation heaped upon you in terms of your postings here, what else is someone concerned for Woodstock supposed to do? The squeaky wheel gets grease, and maybe with your constant postings, you may convince the police department to take a look at what's going on and assert themselves for a change.
Also, perhaps the town may also wish to start paying more attention to housing in general. Most of the larger homes closer in to The Square were undoubtedly converted to multi-family during the Depression or the war years. That was over 60-70 years ago! Wake up! Get the zoning back to single-family!
Also, review city ordinances regarding rental properties. This is where the bulk of the trouble is occurring! Get in front of these problems for a change!
As far as I can see, and *I AM* sorry to have to say so, but Woodstock is going from quaint to crappy all too quickly.
DBTR
As SNOOZER said -
>>>> If some one feels intimidated by surly and inconsiderate youths, that's there problem.
No, Snoozer, that's your problem, your parent's problem, and your younger childrens' problem.
If allowed to slide, The Square will turn into another ugly dust-bowl. Why endanger such a civic asset and a golden goose tourism and sales-tax wise?
I admire your service to this country, and while you or I are surely not intimidated by what's happening now, many others are.
Why allow that to happen? Why allow such actions to chase away good people, families with young children and people with money to spend? If my Mom were alive today, I would not feel comfortable with her visiting The Square in the evenings anymore. Nor would she now, anyway.
Again, while you and I might not be intimidated, why allow that sort of intimidation for the more timid among us be in any way acceptable?
DON'T SQUANDER A VALUABLE COMMUNITY ASSET, nor let the lesser among us be intimidated into not enjoying the civil intercourse that is vital in maintaining a thriving community that all can be proud to call home.
DBTR
As for whether or not Gus' harping on things not right seem petty or irrelevant, I would say that in the aggregate, it all adds up! See Guliani, and the "broken windows" strategy he employed to successful effect in New York City, and of which Mayor Bloomberg has yet to abandon.
And lest you think I'm a Gus synchophant - NOT!
I think GUS is a wee bit Pollyanna-ish regarding speeding in general.
Hell, I speed. I speed everywhere! The limits are set for the lowest common denominator, not solely safety. I say, if you don't want to get where you're going in any sort of reasonable time-frame, then get the hell out of the way.
To be clear, I don't intimidate dawdlers - in fact, intimidating the meek or senior citizens behind the wheel can be dramaticaly counter-productive and tragic. I hope when I reach geezer-hood and need to drive to the store, doctor, church or pharmacy, that others will please be patient with me.
On the other hand, Gus agrees with me on this, as he has stated here before that when the right lane is available, he DOES use it and gets the hell out of my way! LOL!
Thank you, Gus! Please don't hate me 'cause I'm swift! LOL!
REFUSE TO BE AN ANTI-DESTINATION LEAGUER!
DBTR
How can I not feel safe, notice the squad car in the background of the picture!
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