Donald Dungan Library To Close Temporarily
STRUCTURAL REPAIRS NEEDED
The Donald Dungan Branch Library at Lions Park will close from April 1, 2013 to July 1, 2013 to repair significant structural damage to the building. According to the City of Costa Mesa announcement, HERE, the Mesa Verde Branch will still be available to those needing library services, as will the Technology Branch following it's relocation mid April.
WHAT NOW?
However, this does mean that the homeless folks who have inhabited Lions Park and infested the library for the past few years are going to have to find a new place to perform their toilette and to just hang out. This adds further inconvenience now that the dining pavilion was demolished and Historical Society building has been fenced-off for fear that one of them may burn the place to the ground.
HOMELESS POPULATION INCREASING?
While I make light of this situation, it is a VERY serious problem in our community. As I drive around our town it seems that the number of homeless folks dragging their purloined shopping carts full of all their earthly possessions has increased over the past several months. Perhaps this is due to our climate being much more agreeable for homeless people that regions further east and north. And, of course, there are the so-called "attractants" - free food and medical care provided by several charities located in our city. They are wonderful people with hearts of gold who saw a need and filled it. Still...
THE "PROBLEM" REMAINS
I know our Homeless Task Force did a great job of defining the issues and identifying "Costa Mesa Homeless People", but nobody has yet defined how to manage those folks who are homeless in our city, but don't meet the definition for a "Costa Mesa Homeless Person". They remain...
PERHAPS THE NEWPORT BEACH LIBRARY?
Perhaps the unfortunate closure of the library will provide a new opportunity to further refine the services and treatment of the homeless folks in Costa Mesa. I guess we'll see. In the meantime, Newport Beach is just finishing a lovely renovation of their Main Library, adjacent to their brand, spanking new City Hall. Perhaps some of "our" homeless folks would like to go a little more upscale and haul their, er, stuff across the Back Bay Bridge and up the hill to that venue. They'd have a lovely view, too. Just thinkin'...
The Donald Dungan Branch Library at Lions Park will close from April 1, 2013 to July 1, 2013 to repair significant structural damage to the building. According to the City of Costa Mesa announcement, HERE, the Mesa Verde Branch will still be available to those needing library services, as will the Technology Branch following it's relocation mid April.WHAT NOW?
However, this does mean that the homeless folks who have inhabited Lions Park and infested the library for the past few years are going to have to find a new place to perform their toilette and to just hang out. This adds further inconvenience now that the dining pavilion was demolished and Historical Society building has been fenced-off for fear that one of them may burn the place to the ground.HOMELESS POPULATION INCREASING?
THE "PROBLEM" REMAINS
PERHAPS THE NEWPORT BEACH LIBRARY?
Perhaps the unfortunate closure of the library will provide a new opportunity to further refine the services and treatment of the homeless folks in Costa Mesa. I guess we'll see. In the meantime, Newport Beach is just finishing a lovely renovation of their Main Library, adjacent to their brand, spanking new City Hall. Perhaps some of "our" homeless folks would like to go a little more upscale and haul their, er, stuff across the Back Bay Bridge and up the hill to that venue. They'd have a lovely view, too. Just thinkin'...Labels: Costa Mesa Homeless, Donald Dungan Library, Homeless Task Force, Newport Beach Main Library
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 2/14/2013 01:37:00 AM
30 Comments:
Actually Geoff,
I seem to see more and more homeless people with their supermarket karts load with their valuables over on 17th St. and Irvine... maybe they will make their way up Irvine Ave to your area.
The Westside residence folks would love to share our problem with the rest of the city to reduce the daily negative impact on our lives. Perhaps, we could open a soup kitchen in your area, just to share the pain?
We could augment it with a distribution center at the Adobe in Mesa Verde. It would be easier for many of the supporters of these help centers to provide their support of both the SOS and Soup Kitchen. The supports could just walk over to provide their help each day.
Or, maybe make better use of the park next to our Costa Mesa city hall to centralize the distribution of food and supplies by the churches and charity organizations that are magnets for this problem. We could use this park until the funds are raised to create the proposed library there.
Hey, I do think the fine, chartable people in Newport Beach that are in favor of providing support to the homeless, might find it in their hearts to open a support center, or two, in their city, to help with this problem. I can imagine a SOS in Newport Beach proper and also one in Corona del Mar – I keep reading in the Pilot about their enthusiasm to support these poor people that are down on their luck.
DWG,
I DO understand your angst. The homeless folks have become a festering wound on our city, a wound that just won't heal. Yes, those of you who live on the Westside have suffered disproportionately, but I don't have a solution and, apparently, neither does anyone else. When the recent cold snap hit we bussed 4 up to the armory in Fullerton - and bussed 13 back! Another good idea gone bad. Do you have a solution?
I have a solution - encourage SOS, Lighthouse, etc. to relocate to Newport Beach or Irvine. I'm sure that the new Civic Center site in NEwport has room, plus they have a regional transportation hub and a big park right there, with no residential immediately adjacent.
The reality is - as unpleasant as it is to swallow - these service providers are regional in nature and DO concentrate homeless on our Westside. They exist to provide these services, and the more homeless they serve, the better for them (and the homeless). They do provide a valuable service and should be commended for that aspect.
But it is irresponsible and harmful to Costa Mesa to function in this manner, without any consideration for what happens after the client receives their meal or other service.
The Eastside neighbors rose up against a Starbucks, perhaps we need to mobilize them on this issue. Let's put a soup kitchen into a vacant space on 17th.
In the past two month we've had 2 incidents involving the issue around lions park.
My sister had her purse stolen out of her cart at Bevmo, confronted the lions park type guys outside the store, while the mall cop shrugged his shoulders refusing to even call the police. The dirt bags had her phone. She was intimidated to chase them down one of the cooridoors towards the park where they headed.
My wife had to be escorted by the manager out of Fresh and easy after being sexually harassed by a park type lurker who would not leave her alone in the store.
I really don't have any need to go up there, and my family certainly will not go up there without me.
They might already be, but the mall landlords need to be part of any solution.
Geoff,
What did CEO Hatch's report reveal regarding the various CM charities that cater to this growing "CM homeless population" from former Mayor Bever's formal request from last October? So what is it? Can the City actually close the "public nuisance" businesses down, or not?
This comment has been removed by the author.
I have been here Westside for 18 years.
From taking my kids to swim & story time at the library 12, maybe 14 years ago, waiting for the brand new pool & gym /youth program area build, fixing the baseball field, flying kite with my kids ….. to some homeless (OK, a group of them) nearby gym entrance while I picking up my 6 years old from classes; to the odd smell around the park; to their bikes and packages surrounded by the front door of the library. (Yes, there are times, we can't feel comfortable to park my car there in and out the place anymore, and I will not allow my teenagers walk around there at night.
Later I’ve learned, because people in Westside Costa Mesa have great heart! We work hard, we share, we help, we donate, we feed them, shelter them, by bus, by private party, by church, by all kinds of volunteers. We are full of loves, we TOLERATE them, and we made news,….. Now, we got abused. .
I’ve learned, homeless, unless they have shelter with clear mind…. They don’t usually sleep at night-it’s too cold-so they walk to keep themselves warm , picking up your recyclable from your trash can….waiting for the food to be served, picking up their donations (ex.food,giftcard,coupons..) from all these good people, and sell those stolen recyclable to get liquor, getting drunk and sleeping by the sunny park, by the senior center, by library, by your front lawn or driveway or your backyard if you have not cleaned up your old shed for a while…. (But of course, now these days are different kind of person are stealing recyclable, watch out for the couple with dark suv.) .
I’ve learned I’m not able to be nice to them anymore; especially they are the same people from past 10 years. Spoke to my friends from Newport Beach, yes, sure they have seen and heard from newspaper but never from me till couple years ago I had brought it up…Their reaction? “We Are Feeding Pigeons” I didn’t get it, then, boy! I told her “Yes,You DID, now we have to clean up the xxxx” .(I do remember there are time that I stop reading Daily Pilot, nothing but bunch of lies, always one sided story….now these days, I read so I could tell which part they are incorrect.
Solutions: Relocate the food sources.
To City: It’s time to provide a suitable area for all those good people with donation. Locations such as SOS it’s a good example , close to industrial area but not by residential area or too close to school or the worse one- Liquor Store? There are people in need, but the numbers are growing. For one: soup kitchen: is it safe for senior, young children or mom with babies there while mixing with those mentally ill or drunk homeless together?. The other one: Light House: is it too close to the park and library?
To all good people not from Westside Costa Mesa: PLEASE help us-the hard working ones- Give the park back to the children! Protect and Get the library back to our children! I’m not sure if they still have the church donation on Wednesday by the park, if it is, don’t leave your xxxx behind. They eat and sleep there, will you take your children to the park here? Hate to say that, but YOU ARE THE ONES ENCOURAGING AND CREATING ISSUES. Please Do the Right Thing.
”
To all Westside Parents: Stay strong; we have good heart. It’s time to Put our act together, protect our children, stay away from drug and alcohol. Give them a healthy living environment, not bagging…. Yes, I’ve heard you – if you have money, you will be out of here…..You know what, we are here, 2 mins to the beach, great grocery stores, city of the Art…..much cheaper living than Newport Beach, Santa Monica Be Happy, you might just reduce a chance to be one of those mentally illness ones on the street. After all it is a lost for city and our school district; they could have had as much property tax from Westside as from Eastside or Newport Beach. Be Positive!
Ground Zero Skid Row Costa Mesa (please use "GZSkR-cm" if you are replying, as i can't keep track of them all - the ground zero's that is.)
First, I'll observe the usual thread vitriol is missing on this topic or is muted. (Where's the rage? Bever sure caught it for 'bringing it up' in the visage of Shannon's Someone Cares Soup Kitchen)
Next, could it be that both sides of the aisle are now in agreement that the blighted west side (no caps intended) is ... blighted? If only at least quietly - at least with regards to the name calling. i.e. perhaps it is now "P.C" or politically correct, to call a spade a spade, and not necessarily a loony right wing repub that is anti-Messican or some such, vs the liberals Katrina and Wendy. ( welcome back Sandy, I understand you were part of the regime that landed the Soup Kitchen it is' environs. See what time has wrought?)
If only the numbers would do the math.
According to Tom Hatch, he has it all covered, according to one of the town hall meetings. He said they were monitoring those that have ties to Costa Mesa, and moving those that didn't. So...what happened? Was that more of city hall rhetoric?
Ground Zero Skid Row Costa Mesa
a) This post Geoff, made yesterday comes on the two year anniversary of the Garcia garbage operation moving on. Yup, Valentine's Day, the westside got a gift! That vote by the way was a city council vote, and then councilwoman Katrina Foley voted to keep the garbage operation in the Smart and Final lot. Anyone visited that store lately? Can you imagine what Smart and Final would be like now with 4 and a half million pounds of garbage going thru there?
b) "blah blah...Another good idea gone bad. Do you have a solution?" This is a trite question... The interfaith council's utter failure is evidenced by two cold-attributed deaths. (And by the way, the 'task force' was the interfaith council - just look at the makeup.) A candidate for the mayor of LA has vowed to conquer the problem. LA's got 50 something thousand homeless. Anyone have high hopes for that campaign vow? Why challenge the reader when what arises from this forum in the form of an answer to that question is at best, an oxymoron or something. (Hatch, according to the CMPD, btw, is a churchie, and the city's role is biased in this way and colors their approach. imho.) (And another btw, check the deaths from the homeless population from Skid Row Costa Mesa for the last ten years, and one has to wonder why another 'two' raised such a ruckus?)
For the one that thinks he is Truth (hurts) all these sarcastic "send them to (Fashion) islands or (South Coast) plazas or (Newport Laguna Huntington) beaches ---- ouch. We all know these aren't going to happen.
Geoff ==
It's just a request.
This issue that you have blogged about DEMANDS that it remain - guess what -- as high a priority as you deem your opinions on the fractious groups in play now, like the 3M'ers vs the "ladies" etc.
It is very disquieting when we don't see the usual posters in numbers, than when it comes to either union bashing or Fitzy baiting or carpetbagging Riggy. All you words Geoff.
In your post you recognize the issue as 'VERY serious'... but it seems you touch this issue only once every 60 or ninety entries or so. Are the carpetbaggers in town a bigger issue than a whole sector of the city called the "West Side"?
Ask your readership and constant commenters that question. With homeless people that die in the cold, it appears the bulk of your readership would rather union-slam, troll-accuse, carpet-bag label, or simply duck the fact that this "VERY serious" problem exists. Where are all the name callers' opinions on this issue?
Their muteness fascinates. It is just like that single block of poor sucker landowners adjacent to the purple hair religious operation called Trinity, across the 405 from the revenue rich South Coast Plaza. Yeah right. South Coast Plaza can't outshine their lights! If I'm not them, who cares! Who supports this single block against that moneyed behemoth?
The anser is -- very few. But at least, at times, they had the rule of law -- with them. And they went vocal at council.
Back to Ground Zero Skid Row == Geoff - this blog has the readership of the so-called movers and shakers in this town. I challenge you, if you really think this is a 'VERY serious' problem as you wrote, that you keep it very high on the blogroll.
This is a problem that is not a every 60-90 day or post problem.
Your shirking readership is able to hide this problem from themselves. Selfish @@#@$, they care only for themselves and their generous pubic pensions or their desired political slights, angles or ambitions.
all Angles in your posts.
With the pull (political) readership this blog reaches, the issue you raise, this potentially politically incorrect issue, and the lack of outcry, response or even empathy, speaks volumes.
I can sympathise.
Pt 2
Who wants to get Beverized?
I think Geoff, you are immune to Beverization. I challenge you to give this issue even half what you give to diatribe-baits of Riggy/Mensy/Monny vs the Ladies or the Unions and innuendo with Fitzy or those god-awful attys that abound about them.
Geoff are you able to keep this homeless Sup Kitchen with a Beacon known as the lighthouse, front and center on your blog to at least half or even a third of your posts? What do you mean a "VERY serious" problem? Why do Fitzy posts or Riggy posts get 30 comments and everyone hides from this one?
Perhaps a permanent link to this as a "festering' problem? Maybe you could keep these these "festering" problems at least as front and center as your carpet-bag-labeling, etc, with the use of some simple web page call?
Just Saying. You give plenty of time to what you perceive as problems, and then once a quarter blurt out a real problem, like a whole side of a city festering into what follows after blight?
So, are the union sympathizers just a one-issue pony? is there no nexus with the treatment of the West Side, they just have no opinion? WTF, are they eating at the Soup Kitchen and we just don't know? Besides getting thier cash?
And equally, are the pro-3m'ers just a bunch of swamp drainers, that have not the balls to tackle, or even comment on this issue? Fer fear of Beverization?
If either is the case, your readership is a sham.
Your constant commenters have been remarkably absent from this issue, that you present as a 'VERY serious' issue.
Is your blog a venue for one-issue posers, or a real instrument to get public opinion - one of which is yurs Geoff - to get thing really done?
This issue of the West Side sliding into ignomity as Skid Row says, needs far more light than any thus far.
Keep it on the front page, and challenge your usual posters to weigh in and not shirk. They all claim to hold the best interests of the city at heart, but the track record here, when it comes to a real life and death, dollars, quality of life, what this city actually can be, is remarkably absent.
Prove your readership isn't a one trick pony. Make a difference Geoff. Keep this issue on top and challenge your constant commenters to weigh in.
Their abscence is very telling.
Time to push 3 M' and 2 ladies send the bills to sup kitchen & the purple hair guy ...got it
Pull this out from internet Homeless Task Force ASSESSMENT & IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY "DRAFT"
Impacts communicated by County staff working at Donald Duggan Library and the Costa Mesa
Historical Society:
• Librarian has been forced to hire security guard for 25 hours per week which reduces the
available resources for basic library services to the public. This cost of approximately $16,000
per year funded evenly between the County and the Friends of the Library.
• Librarian has ordered homeless to leave when they are unwashed and unsanitary and/or
intoxicated and gives them flyer telling where they can get food and showers.
• Restrooms are soiled due to bathing activities that create general unsanitary conditions. Due to on-going problems with the bathrooms, they are now locked.
• Human waste and other dangerous material are discarded in foliage near buildings.
• Upholstery has been ruined, requiring regular replacement and repair due to unsanitary
conditions.
• Chronic alcoholics and mentally ill homeless gravitate to the library which deters both volunteers and Costa Mesa residents from frequenting the downtown branch.
• Homeless individuals have been camping in areas in Lions Park after operating hours.
• The negative impacts of smoking, such as health concerns and associated litter/waste, are
occurring more heavily near the entrances to civic/institutional buildings on-site.
Really? With all those brains put it together, they can't figure out the problem wasn't HOMELESS but who's feeding them and leave them here.
Tom Hatch, at a recent town hall meeting, indicated that homeless had been "dumped" here by other cities. Also indicated that City of Costa Mesa was in the process of interviewing homeless folks to determine who really had a link to Costa Mesa at all. His figures pointed to approx 125 individuals that were actually homeless and from Costa Mesa, or had been homeowners, graduates, etc.
Hatch also indicated that they were working with other cities to stop this practice of "dumping". So far, I don't believe that has happened. Its been months. How long does it take to stop them from putting homeless on busses and sending them here? I'd think one day...but...thats another issue.
The council does not listen to the residents, especially those who aren't kissing their asses, so its pointless on an individual basis to evey try to go before council with a problem that they already know they are inept to handle.
Certainly, we don't want to see people dead from cold, or starving, however, if they would enforce the issue that Hatch spoke of, identifying the people from C.M., perhaps with ID badges, and supplying them with only essentials, perhaps the others would go to their own cities.
We have/had a task force that couldn't even make things better on any level really, so what can one person do? I ask you...YOU. If you are not able to do anything individually, why do you ask others?
Maybe we need to march on city hall? A rally against the lack of a job that needs to be done?
Again, we don't want to see people hurt, hungry or dead, but we also don't want this to continue, and it IS GETTING WORSE. The double talk that came from the city just doesn't cut it. So ... do we force them? How? Its easy to criticize others for not taking steps, but really, who is taking steps?
If you have ideas, I'm sure the City of C.M. would love to hear them.
to the one called just wondering... and all else that might be just wondering also ----
As the blogger has stated, "Yes, those of you who live on the Westside have suffered disproportionately."
Property owners and business owners on the West Side have all made individual sacrifices. Most involuntarily.
Are you all asking us on the West Side to do MORE than we already have?
Get real. We have provided a wonderful bullet-proof home for Someone Cares Soup Kitchen. We have sacrificed our quality of life for others' feel-good efforts.
Oh my gosh don't get me started. There is no end of the litany of oppression when living in the blight path. And as a previous writer has noted, the high-society funded Soup Kitchen is not a target that is politically correct. Look what happened to former Mayor Bever. He was castigated for pointing out the obvious.
It is time for the Soup Kitchen to solicit funding for a move to someplace where it's negative impacts are controlled.
Since there is widespread talk of the real estate market maybe turning around, they should move quickly and buy something while things are still cheap, and quit cheapening the West Side.
Westside Mom,
Please re-submit your last comment. I inadvertently deleted it when trying to post it from my phone... Grrrrr.
Also Disgusted: I think you need to read my post again.
Its directed at somone posting before me, Scathing and R U Real.
They seem to be taking their frustration out on the wrong people.
to just wondering
Scathing here. as well as R You Real.
ditto what Also Disgusted said.
The innuendo level on this blog is self evident. 95 plus percent of the time, it is devoted to bashing of one faction or another, with the issues primarily political.
As said before, the lack of the usual union bashers, or 3m bashers, or Shreck bashers and golf cart observers, come on peeps. You chant to usual refuse and refuse to see the West Side blight as a political issue?
Besides get real, grow up. There's big money keeping the problem here. Stop Ducking.
Don't you think there's a reason there's a lot of quiet on this issue from the posters likely to be accused to be Fitzy or frogs or other gibberish? Likewise, where are all the Wendy sycophants, or city employee or union sympathizers, that whined away when she doesn't get what they think she wants?
And just what makes you think that I have not done what you ask, individually?
How many of you can actually say you took a homeless in? How about more than one? Or more than once? We DID.
You mistake frustration for some pretty straight forward talk on a subject that is big time taboo. Talk to some of the movers and shakers in private and they will all agree in private what can't be said in public.
That is why there is such quiet here on this blog from the usual commenters. Which I will submit, are a lot of the same commenters at Public Comments at Council.
The Soup Kitchen fosters blight. They engender the very thing they desire to serve. The city should investigate, as the former Mayor Bever said, just what blight impact they have. The Also Disgusted idea that a moving fundraiser should be held is proper. The Soup Kitchen needs to be a good citizen, and feeding several hundred at the expense of the thousands on the West Side is not right.
Ooops, Newbie here and typing between cooking pasta...., I did not save my words :( I do remember the beginning.
To Just Wondering and the frustrated ones(which included me) :
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habit.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” Quote by Lao Tse
Let's gather facts & turn all those wonders,frustration into action. Make sure our Public Servants do the right thing and get our library, park back to the children.
The real hard part is "What IS Right Thing?" That's one reason we are here, isn't it? I had to say it's much more fun than reading DP. Thanks to Pot Stirrer. Keep Stirring....
Now I remembered the rest of it :)
Move the Food Source
The Fact is according to Soup Kitchen's website:"....The need for our services has tremendously grown over the last twenty-five years. Soup Kitchen served a total of 118,625 meals in 2003. It has tripled since then, and we estimate that over 300,000 meals will be served by the end of this year.....
The Fact is Westside residential had pointed it out the speedy growing on Soup Kitchen to city 10 years ago . Here are the docs from city:
council/minutes/2002-11-18
council/minutes/2002-12-02
The disgusted part is Garcia recycling tried to point finger on Soup Kitchen two years ago.
Here is my two cents :this link is forCosta Mesa Zoning Map. Take a look on the purple with dots ones and pinkish ones; those are Planned Development Industrial & General Industrial area. Won't these area are more suitable for Soup Kitchen or light house,or food donation events? After all these are away from residential area, not next door to a liquor store. If still not good for Soup Kitchen, they should find somewhere inland.
Public Servants quit abusing Westside.
Now I'm wondering who brought in Soup Kitchen years ago, are they regretting yet for causing attracting homeless and trashing our Lion Park, Library, building fence for History site.... Westside had enough! I hope YOU will stand up and clean up you mess. We are not appreciated you are using our tax dollars to pay for extra security, clean up the soil for the library, and the funding for Homeless Task Force. Boy, I should stop now. Thanks for reading! Stay Strong!
We are all saying the same thing. Kudos for taking a homeless person in. That is a lofty practice. But it doesn't"t solve the problem.
The reason people are quiet on this issue is because they realize they cannot do anything about it. We eant to...but we cannot. YES the problem is getting worse. I have owned a home on the Westside for nearly 40 years. Have another one close by, also Westside. My brother has one here. We know the Westside. We are putting up with all the same things you are putting up with.
So what is your solution? You complain about others being quiet because they have no solution. What is yours? I mentioned a few above,m which went ignored. Why not a march on city hall to force them to find shelter? Perhaps the city could sponsor a concert series for Raise seed money for a shelter? A huge undertaking but one that people would no doubt get behind. There is a lot of empty warehouses that could become shelters. But then how do you get them to occupy them against their will? Write them a ticket? That is useless.
Your frustration is felt! Laguna Beach and Santa Monica and almost every coastal town we can think of is grappling with the problem.
What would be some of your ideas?
Westside MOM...YES! We do need to gather thoughts and encourage our council to find places where charity is not blight. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE A COUNCIL FOR. Maybe they need a little encouragement to do something that goes along with the hearts of all the residents. I suspect their idea would be to close the soup kitchens altogether. I don't think that would be the rights thing to do ultimately. They talk about buying motels, why not a warehouse for a shelter that can try to regulate the occupants? I do believe we need to stop the practice of dumping though because if you build it they will come.
Okay, so now we are bantering some ideas. Less frustration?
Shannon is a very capable fundraiser. The media fosters it. So does the lack of opposition chiming in. Just wondering makes a lot of excuses and accusations of venting.
And we are NOT all saying the same thing.
Most of the constant commenters here are NOT saying ANYTHING.
This is simply not pursuasive to Council that this is a real issue. Instead, the primary focus is in their pet grievances.
Here goes:
1. A fundraiser should be had to move the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen. - that's a good idea.
2. Obviously a solution is a refugee camp. In southern California, the 50-75000 homeless population would be well served in a refugee camp, just like in other conflicted areas of the world. Come to think of it, the 200 million Irvine blew on their balloon Great Park could have made a major stride in addressing region-wide the problem, during the time they blew threw it (maybe and then sum if you ran it right?)
They had the money and the venue!
And, as the Soup Kitchen director Shannon has said many times, she wants MORE MOUTHS TO FEED. The Refugee Camp Soup Kitchen would suit her well.
3. It's time for the cities to act in concert. Costa Mesa needs to work with other cities. You think this library closure is the only library affected? Check the benches outside the Newport Beach Public library. As others have noted, the homeless are spilling into Newport Beach. Newport Beach should recgnize that a healthy Costa Mesa is good for Newport Beach. This goes for all the other cities as well - Fullerton, Westminster, etc. - they all have a transient homeless issue. The interfaith council (local home grown "Task Force") didn't work. Time to step up the game plan, and work in concert region wide.
4. At public comments, raise these issues, - at least every meeting. There is no shortage of browbeating at public comments. There is a shortage of keeping the issue of the BLIGHTED WEST SIDE front and center. As said above, the silence of the constant commenters on this topic is deafening. Stop defending their silence.
Just a note to you Geoff - so how about it? This Valentines Day post is about to fall off your blog roll to the unseen page.
What say you to bumping it back up? And maybe the spreadsheet analyzers can glean how much personnel costs the city bears in dealing with this problem? ehhh?
Which residents have the courage to stand up at public comments? Not I said the cat. I live way too close to the Lighthouse, where the clientele and the staff are openly intimidating to their immediate neighbors. Between the Lighthouse and the Soup Kitchen, numerous residents are at risk already. The homeless gangs already rule the streets here. What makes you think we are going to bring further danger to our front doors? by standing up in public? We have families and children, and we have no idea who these people are that are the clientele, yelling obscenties at us, and stating plainly "we know where you live." (like across the street or so.)
Does Ground Zero really live at Ground Zero? I do!
When we complain to the staffs, we get openly, brazenly, bullied and intimidated by the clientele, and sometimes the staffs too. We are already singled out and targeted, and you want me to stand up at public comments and put a target on my family?
Where in this entire discussion was there mention that these people are nice? or are going to be nice?
Grond Zero, okay. Since you seem to think no one else cares or can contribute, I also will keep silent on the issuee also. If the homeless issue should come up, I hope you find someone to help you. I truly do.
to just wondering - well then I guess your name says it all!
to Not I said the Cat - I am your close neighbor, btw. Though we may not agree on all things, I do agree the safety of the streets here has gone way down. The problem I have with public comment is exactly as you describe. Much of the issue here at Ground Zero Skid Row is mental health related. The tie between mental health and sudden explosions of violence is pretty well documented recently - look at all the mass shooting headlines that are associated with a mental health diagnosis.
I don't think these homeless are packing guns with high volume magazines. But that does not diminish their threat levels on Plumer, Anaheim, Center, the alley between Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and the liquor store, etc. against these Ground Zero residents and their families.
As the Cat implies, there is a threatened and intimidated group of residents, in the midst of all this. For obvious-to-us reasons, we aren't going to 'march on city hall' and stand up in public comment to draw further attention to our families. My wife just made it clear moments ago, that no way, are we going to stand up and be more targeted than already. I agreed.
At the same time, we read every post and comment on this blog, regardless of our view of those writers viewpoints. While we may or may not agree with them, we do know that speakers at public comments are also either openly commenting here, or under a pseudonym.
Our words here plainly asking others to speak our words for us, boils down to a safety issue. We have no voice. The regimes on the dais are either cowed for fear of beverization, or are like 'just wondering' who's position is that 'sure, we all know there's a problem, but why waste our breath on the topic?'
The reason is simple: The situation has evolved to a point that a class of people on the West Side have been robbed of their voice by what is described by the Cat, and the apathy of the rest.
Ground Zero...again, your reading comprehension is ZERO. I posted several ideas, tried to open a dialogue, and all that is received is your nastiness. Seriously, what can one man do?
As for all saying the same thing. YES, we are. We recognize the homeless problem, don't have answers, are asking for some as well as ideas.
Apparently you have all the answers already, as we either see things your way or no way. Not the way to get help, my friend.
To Just Wondering and all the scare, silent, frustration, voice got robbed ones,
Frustration is when my teenagers won't get up till noon or get a "B" on the grades. Frustration is what's for dinner if I'm not able to provide to my children. Should I send them to Soup Kitchen? No, I grow my own food, make my own bread, save as much as I could to provide for my kids. I've tried very hard NOT to get any government help and wast tax dollars on the others , ex. food stamp,medi care or any other whatever ....
We are way passed frustration for these subjects regarding how we taking care our environment. It's time to show our children how we change and provide the right service to help others instead of giving them rotten love, raising them like a spoiled child. WE ALLOWED OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS TO ABUSE US, AND WE STILL ARE. Today is homeless, tomorrow might be a drug & alcohol group home by the next door like Balboa Island.
No one should keep silent for being treated like this, but we all SCARE , of course! That's why we are gathering thoughts, evidences,alternatives, solutions. As I recalled,only something SAD happened to homeless and they will get on DP, sympathy from the general public. Have you heard about someone got throw into the Jail because those drunk homeless guys pick on him- the one who called our public servant to observe the area. Have you heard about the homeless sleep on someone's driveway front of their cars on purpose till police removed him. No, this was not published on DP. It is not on police file. It happened in our neighborhood. We need to continue encourage Geoff to post related subject together. Don't let this blog to get what was that word.... Beverization on this issue.
He should have done more preparation on this subjects. Yes, it's not as simple as Garcia recycling or Library anymore.
Keep Wonder! We all care. Geoff, are you? Focusing on how to improve our city, encourage our City councils to go for the right direction. They are reading your blog, you know it. At least you have better grammar than mine. Thanks.
John Gault,
When it drops off you can just scroll down the archive list and find that week. That's why I put it there.
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