Graffiti

[Gary Rice]

Dad and I walked down to where the beautiful walkway ramp goes down to the water at Lakewood Park yesterday. Brown and black squirrels played and begged for food. The walking/jogging/biking trail was clean and well used.

Unfortunately there was a problem with a board missing from one of the overlook swings, and the other swing had a wooden replaced seat board, but it was functional, if a bit squeaky.

Picnic tables that we saw looked pretty good.

The Women's Pavilion looked clean, although we did not have the opportunity to scout out whether that infamous running urinal in the men's room still was running.

Obviously, it is early in the season, so there's work to be done, but I know the guys at City Hall, and I know how much they care. That does not mean that things are, or will be perfect, but I'd rather call City Hall, than Columbus or Washington, with my park concerns.

On the other hand, I think the state generally did do a good job with Edgewater on the whole, but I'd still rather we kept our own parks here in Lakewood.

As for clean up? Who could we get to teach "wax-on, wax-off" to?

Of course, to be on the safe side, volunteer helpers should check with the city, before starting any work, or bringing any cleaning materials to a park.

Still, some coordination should be possible.

April 22nd is, after all, Earth day.

As I seem to remember my granddad saying- Those that can, do. Those that won't, criticize.

[Suzanne Metelko]

I appreciate the sentiments of both sides but I wonder, at what point does someone's well intentioned cleaning of a piece of public property become destruction of public property?

Does Public Works really want citizens running around with their own special concoctions of cleaning solvents trying them out on brass, granite, or sandstone?

I would be very careful to advocate for citizen cleaners. Better we acknowledge graffiti for what it is and adopt a clear policy that has a built in enforcement piece.

Graffiti on a public property: PW priority - goes up/comes down immediately upon report.

Graffiti on private property: Must be down within 24 hours of notification or citation and fine.

We need to understand Graffiti for what it is:

"Decline: Graffiti is often the first element in a spiral of decline. If graffiti is allowed to stay, others will feel free to add to it. Undesirable types - drunks, addicts, criminals - will believe they can act with impunity. This leads to a climate of fear." (From the British Transport Police) This is repeated by police departments all over the world.

[Bill Call]

- Trash/litter is supposed to be picked-up on a daily basis.

The graffiti at Lakewood Park entrance is still there. I got an interesting response from a City employee about this. If I decide to share the conversation I'll put up a separate post.

The graffiti that is at the park entrance has worked its way into the stone and is difficult to remove.

Maybe they should try elephant snot:

http://www.graffitisolutions.com/graffi ... t_snot.htm

[c. dawson]

so where are the mayor and the mayoral candidates? They're quick to use this forum when they want to pat themselves on the back or to announce what interest group is supporting them ... but here's a real concrete issue ... here's something we're all concerned about, and something that could get worse and worse, bringing down the quality of life in our community.

So where are our elected leaders?

I wish they'd quit arguing petty politics amongst themselves, or take credit for what others do, and just roll up their shirt sleeves and DO SOMETHING.

Because if they don't, the vandals or the people that toss trash everywhere or otherwise wreck things will bring this city down, and Lakewood will turn into a "stereotypical" inner-ring city in fast decline, instead of a proud city that was once known for its services and being family-friendly. Hey, I lived for years in Euclid. My dad grew up there, and would be the first to tell you how wonderful a place it was when he was a kid. Believe me, it wasn't that way when I lived there, because it was in steady decline. And council and the mayor squabbled endlessly, rather than actually do something. Rome burned, and Nero fiddled.

Is there a tune-up of the violin happening here in Lakewood while someone smells smoke??

Mr. Mayor? Members of Council? We're asking you to do some work ... how about it? How about LEADING by example instead of talking?

I used to study military history when I was a youngin', and one of the more intriguing characters was George Patton (pay no mind to the 1970 movie, which took way too much dramatic license). For all his faults (and there were many), he did have a grasp of what leadership really is. One of his favorite sayings was that a leader must lead from the front, that "you cannot push a piece of string, you must pull it."

Lakewood needs some leaders who get out in front and pull the string. I'm not even sure our so-called leaders are even pushing the string ...

[Bill Call]

Lakewood needs some leaders who get out in front and pull the string. I'm not even sure our so-called leaders are even pushing the string ...

I am over my quota but I just couldn't resist saying, "Well said!"

Truly great leadership is very rare. Drift is not leadership. Managing the status quo is not leadership.

[Joe Ott]

I noticed the day before yesterday it was still there. That's a shame. I also noticed while walking the dogs the other night it looks as though the jerks that did the graffiti at the park entrance also did the fencing on Rose Lane. Probably at the same time. Idiots.

Bill, I hope you share that conversation.

[Bret Callentine]

From what I've seen so far, I think our local government subscribes to the theory: You can't push a string, but if you tie it up in enough knots, it just might roll.

[Danielle Masters]

I noticed the day before yesterday it was still there. That's a shame. I also noticed while walking the dogs the other night it looks as though the jerks that did the graffiti at the park entrance also did the fencing on Rose Lane. Probably at the same time. Idiots.

Well I was there today for soccer and sure enough its still very visible. My emails to the Mayor have gone unanswered. A letter written by my son was somewhat answered, though not followed through on. I guess the graffiti and overall condition of the parks are a non-issue for Mayor which is a shame.

[Danielle Masters]

The same graffiti was sprayed on the high school according to the Sun Post and I noticed it also on the back of the Masonic Temple. I hope the police find the culprits soon, graffiti like that is not a positive sign for the city.

[Joe Ott]

I hope the police find the culprits soon,

I doubt they're looking.

Like I said, it's just a shame. A shame the city hasn't been able to get it cleaned up and a shame some (presumably) kids did it. Kids do dumb things sometimes. Like a lot of kids, my friends and I did dumb things. But, I never never never did damage to others property and never littered.

My parents taught me to respect other peoples property. I don't think parents teach a lot of that anymore...

Bill Call said "The graffiti at Lakewood Park entrance is still there. I got an interesting response from a City employee about this. If I decide to share the conversation I'll put up a separate post. "
Are you going to share or not Bill?


Joe

[Danielle Masters]

Kids do dumb things sometimes. Like a lot of kids, my friends and I did dumb things. But, I never never never did damage to others property and never littered.

My parents taught me to respect other peoples property. I don't think parents teach a lot of that anymore...

I know kids do dumb things, last year some kids for fun slashed tires on my parents street. When we were kids we did "stupid" things like toilet papering yards. I don't mind harmless pranks, but vandalism is a crime and should be treated as so. As for parents not teaching respect, I think that really is the root of a lot of society's problems today. I do my part in teaching my children and I know a lot of other parents that do also, but not as many as should.

[Bill Call]

Are you going to share or not Bill?
Joe

Yes, next week.

[Jeff Endress]

Joe Ott wrote:
Are you going to share or not Bill?
Joe


Yes, next week.

The suspense is killing me!!

Jeff

[Joe Ott]

As for parents not teaching respect, I think that really is the root of a lot of society's problems today.

Bingo.

[Jeff Endress]

Joe, Danielle,

Although I certainly agree, I think it goes beyond mere respect. It's a societal attitude of not accepting responsibility......The parent who refuses to accept that it is their responsibility to teach that respect (or go over homework, or monitor activities or fill-in-the-blank) and then blames the school, city, society.

Somewhat off the thread, but still indicative:

Yesterday on Dr. Phil, Painesville Muni Court Judge Michael Cicconetti appeared to discuss his creative punishments. You probably remember the couple that had to parade around the town square with a donkey and placard declaring "Our act was a jackass stunt", or the lady who was sentenced to spend the night in the cold after abandoning a litter of kittens.
One of his guests, Carole McKindley-Alvarez, who thought some of the punishments to be counter productive, stated;

"Just because someone is a criminal doesn’t mean we have to treat them in a humiliating way. That in itself re-victimizes the person".

How bizarre is that......the criminal, is a VICTIM (of society, no doubt) and by being punished is re-victimized.

And so, it's all someone else's fault. Not my responsibility. Societal failure. Until and unless there is some re-education about acceptance of personal responsibility, there's no recognition of the requirement to teach respect.

Jeff