Is the City Losing the Fight Against Graffiti?

[Charlie Page]

Two words:City Manager

BTW, didn't 5 Guys get a 50k loan...not a 500k gift?

[Jim O'Bryan]

BTW, didn't 5 Guys get a 50k loan...not a 500k gift?.

Correct.

On City Manager, why not try it. It would be interesting to see what a professional can do
with the best suburb in the county, and one of the 10 coolest places in America.

Thanks for the correction.



.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I do not believe it was a loan. I believe it was a business development grant, and that it was actually
$300K I am going back and checking this one out. I know it really angered nearly every business in
DowntowN. I am not sure $50,000 would have done that.

But I will check.


.

[marklingm]

There are times I feel like we are in high school!

Frankly, I liked Mayor Tom George.

Tom didn’t care whether you were a Republican, Independent, Democrat, Lifetime Lakewood Resident, Lakewood High School Graduate – Class of 1972 (or otherwise), St. ______ High School Graduate, Lakewood Alumni Foundation Trustee or Hall of Fame Member, Lakewood Hospital Board of Trustee, LakewoodAlive/DowntowN/ ____________ 501(c)(3) Board Member, or Clifton Club member. Tom didn’t care whether you lived north or south of Detroit Avenue … or east or west of Belle Avenue.

Tom simply cared about whether you lived in Lakewood. Of course, Tom preferred that you also love Lakewood!

Let’s work under the assumption that we all respect each other and focus on the issues facing the City of Lakewood today.

I started this thread by encouraging citizens to report graffiti to the proper authorities, immediately. I then shared the results of my personal experience reporting graffiti.

It is what it is.

[Stephanie Toole]

There are times I feel like we are in high school!

Let’s work under the assumption that we all respect each other and focus on the issues facing the City of Lakewood today.

I started this thread by encouraging citizens to report graffiti to the proper authorities, immediately. I then shared the results of my personal experience reporting graffiti.

It is what it is.

Last summer while coaching my 10 year old sons Rec. baseball team, I reported graffiti on the door to the storage closet in one of the dugouts at the Stonehouse Field in Lakewood Park. Game after game, week after week, the graffiti remained, despite many many calls to report it by myself and countless other parents.

We went the entire summer baseball season before those offensive, inappropriate, and down right gross words were removed.

Last spring the playground at Hayes was vandalized by graffiti. Disgusting words my 6 year old son came home and repeated to me. He knew they were bad. He was so hesitant to tell me what they were. After he spelled the first few, I had him stop. I called the school office immediately. I was told they were aware of the graffiti and that they had thought it had been cleaned off. The school secretary apologized and assured me it would be removed immediately. Had I not called, how long would those words and pictures remained? They were not in plain sight, but rather under the equipment. Those horrendous words took entirely too long to be removed.

I think we can stop blaming the basketball players on the graffiti, crime, drug sales, etc. as NONE of that has gone down since the removal of each and every single basketball court and hoop in the City of Lakewood.

I would venture to say that the graffiti on the playground at Kauffman is occurring after dusk when the hoops are locked up. Fewer and fewer older kids congregate down by the swings and on the playground while there is a supervisor at the basketball hoops.

I have been taking my children to the playgrounds around the City of Lakewood since we moved here in 1990. Slowly but surely they have fallen in disrepair.

My observations and experience is that this all began under the George administration and when Tony Beno headed up the Pubic Works Dept. I called so many times to report graffiti and broken unsafe playground equipment. Each and every time I was told, "There is no money."

The playground at Lakewood Park has had that awesome tire swing broken for more years than I can remember. How in the world was it ever voted, "The best playground' in Cleveland area? What a shame as it is a shell of what it once was when first built.

For many years I gave up taking my kids to any playground in Lakewood. We discovered Linden Park in Rocky River. The older kids could play basketball while the younger kids could play on a well built and safely maintained playground.

Finally, when the new playground at Madison Park was built, we started going there. Clean and safe. My kids love it there.

Matt,

I will continue to call. I will continue to advocate for the youth of our city.

Sadly though, I feel no one is really listening.....

[Bill Call]

We went the entire summer baseball season before those offensive, inappropriate, and down right gross words were removed.

Two years ago or so there was a similar concern over graffiti and the condition of the parks. I actually bought a one gallon container of Elephant Snot and offered it to the Parks Department. I emailed several City departments and got no response. At that time I knew a guy who worked in the parks department and I asked him who I should offer it to. He said to me, "They told me they didn't want your F.... Elephant Snot.

I donated it to Lakewood Library.

If this were an election year this would be a potent political issue, if we had any candidates. I guess in a one party town apathy wins.

I heard a second hand story from someone who quoted an elected official as saying "section 8 hoursing and poverty can be good for a City because the City then becomes elligible for more Federal money". If that attitude exists how would that attitude affect the behavior of elected officials and City employees?

We cannot afford apathy and we cannot afford to lose the taxpaying middle class. In some circles that statement counts as radicalism.

[marklingm]

Last spring the playground at Hayes was vandalized by graffiti. Disgusting words my 6 year old son came home and repeated to me. He knew they were bad. He was so hesitant to tell me what they were. After he spelled the first few, I had him stop. I called the school office immediately. I was told they were aware of the graffiti and that they had thought it had been cleaned off. The school secretary apologized and assured me it would be removed immediately. Had I not called, how long would those words and pictures remained? They were not in plain sight, but rather under the equipment. Those horrendous words took entirely too long to be removed.

Stephanie,

No excuses. The Lakewood City Schools has a zero tolerance for graffiti. Superintendent Jeff Patterson and his Administration, as well as Board Members Betsy Shaughnessy, Linda Beebe, Ed Favre, John Kamkutis, and I, do not tolerate any graffiti on school property. Again, you will hear no excuses from the Lakewood City Schools. I apologize that it took so long to fix the prior report(s), and we will do better.

If you see graffiti on Lakewood City Schools property, contact the school immediately through any of the contact information listed at http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/content_page2.aspx?cid=466 or simply call the building principal directly.

Please also contact the Lakewood Police Department and make a report as graffiti is a crime. As Ed said so well:

Graffiti is not art, it's vandalism, regardless of the potential talent of the vandal. Much of it is trash talk. It is defacing our public property at our public expense or defacing an individual's private property at the individual property owner's expense.

...

Vandals should be caught, prosecuted and required to clean up their mess.

I will continue to call. I will continue to advocate for the youth of our city.

Sadly though, I feel no one is really listening.....

The Lakewood City Schools is listening. You are valuable asset to our Community, Stephanie.

Keep advocating for our Youth, City, and Schools.

Keep holding our public and civic leaders accountable.

Matt

[Stephanie Toole]

The Lakewood City Schools is listening. You are valuable asset to our Community, Stephanie.

Keep advocating for our Youth, City, and Schools.

Keep holding our public and civic leaders accountable.

Matt

Thanks Matt!

On my run yesterday with a couple of the girls from the LHS Cross Country team we came upon a group of high school boys. When they saw us they stopped and started clapping. As we ran past them they cheered, " Go get em coach!" I asked them where they were headed and they collectively shouted, 'the courts!"

So for every frustration I encounter, it is kids like those young men, who make it all worth while.

I consider myself blessed to have the opportunity to coach so many amazing teenagers and to be an advocate for them in many different ways.

[Scott Meeson]

Scott


Scott. I am curious. Do you agree with everything all of your friends think? Do you support
them blindly even if you do not agree? Ever have heated conversations with friends?
.

Jim,

Thanks for your response!

To answer your questions: Do you agree with everything all of your friends think? No. Do you support
them blindly even if you do not agree? No. Ever have heated conversations with friends? No heated conversations(as an adult),respectful discussion making my points and listening to their points. I attempt to show respect for my friends!

Just one question: Did you ever make a call to Mayor Summers to inquire about the letter Mr. Markling received from the city... how the contents of the letter aren't supported by your findings?

Scott Meeson

[Jim O'Bryan]

Just one question: Did you ever make a call to Mayor Summers to inquire about the letter Mr. Markling received from the city... how the contents of the letter aren't supported by your findings?
Scott Meeson

Scott

I was there as an Observer, no pun intended, well maybe, and to take pictures. Which does seem
pointless as I never publish graffiti photos. But when a public official ask me to come and observe
and or take photos I generally do it. I have done it for Mike, Ed, Kevin, Linda, Mary Louise, Tom
George, Tom Bullock, David Anderson, Michael Dever, etc.

I believe Matt, is now, in that conversation.

To be honest, I have been swamped at work this week. The second time I was taken back,
the names were removed, and some cleaning had been done. Not sure by who. But the fabulous
slide was in all of its glory.

As for the heated discussions. I want people to bring it. If I am screwing up, let me know. If there
is something I am missing, or another way, tell me until I get it or try. I am a strong advocate for
what I believe, and I appreciate the same in others.

FWIW


.

[Edward Favre]

As a point of information based on Stephanie's post, I double checked that the school building custodians are supposed to check the building grounds daily. They should catch problems, graffiiti or otherwise. In the case of what Stephanie found last spring, it was not in a very obvious place, so maybe it should have been found, maybe not.

If you are a parent or visitor during school hours, the shortest line of comunication would be reporting graffiti or other problems on building grounds to the bullding principal or secretary. They should get it passed on and therefore addressed in relatively short order.

[marklingm]

If you are a parent or visitor during school hours, the shortest line of communication would be reporting graffiti or other problems on building grounds to the building principal or secretary. They should get it passed on and therefore addressed in relatively short order.

Good points, Ed.

The sooner individuals let the school know of problems/concerns, the better.

Just one question: Did you ever make a call to Mayor Summers to inquire about the letter Mr. Markling received from the city... how the contents of the letter aren't supported by your findings?

I believe Matt, is now, in that conversation.

Scott and Jim,

Actually, it takes two parties to have a conversation.

I have again reported the graffiti at Kauffman Park Playground, as well as Cove Park Playground, via http://onelakewood.com/ReportProblem and/or email. I have heard no further response from what has already been posted.

While I try to let the chain-of-command work its way up, I did leave a message for Mike this morning but, as a general rule, I have come to expect that my emails and telephone calls to the Mayor, City Law Director, and Planning and Development Director rarely, if ever, get returned. On the other hand, Councilpersons Brian Powers and Tom Bullock have always been very responsive … I cannot think of a time when either of them has not returned my calls/emails ... regardless of the issue. I may try Brian and Tom next.

Matt

[Mike Coleman]

Perhaps one simple way to at least limit the graffiti would be to have one standardized color, preferably black, for doors on all Lakewood park buildings, city-owned properties, etc. Then if someone draws with a sharpie, it's either invisible or simply a case of quick coat of Rust Oleum to cover. This doesn't do much for slides, benches, etc., but it would take the doors out of the equation.

[marklingm]

While I try to let the chain-of-command work its way up, I did leave a message for Mike this morning .but, as a general rule, I have come to expect that my emails and telephone calls to the Mayor, City Law Director, and Planning and Development Director rarely, if ever, get returned.

UPDATE: In listening to my voice-mail, the Office of the Mayor did call this morning to let me know that Mike would be in the office about 9:00 a.m. today, and that Mike is aware of the problem. The Office of the Mayor then called again to let me know that they read my most recent post on the Deck today and wanted me to know that Mike will get my message and is aware of my concerns.

The good news is that Mike gets my messages, reads the Deck, and is aware of the concerns raised herein.

[Betsy Voinovich]

Hi all,

I wanted to post some graffiti from the park at Rosewood and Madison where my kids play all the time and the whole family (even Daddy!) played tennis two weekends ago.

I know we're not supposed to encourage this behavior.

climbamountain.jpg (126.67 KiB) Viewed 4701 times

This is written at the very top of the blue spiderweb climbing thing. It says: "If you made it here, you win. Now climb a mountain."

livefortoday.jpg (101.28 KiB) Viewed 4701 times

This one's on that thing that spins around. It says, "Live for today."

loveyourneighborhood.jpg (145.55 KiB) Viewed 4701 times

This is the most hilarious one of all. Though it's been rubbed out, if you study it closely, it appears to say, "Love your neighborhood."

There was one instance of the kind of graffiti that was on the slide at Kauffman which I would characterize as boys becoming aware of their sexual identity in very immature ways. Most other graffiti was gone, you could see where it had been scratched away.

The point I'm making is we have pretty normal kids here, even ones that are trying to send out messages of encouragement to each other! "Climb a mountain!" It's not gang graffiti and by and large it's not hate graffiti.

I support it being cleaned up, and was present at Kauffman Park when a friend with a toddler was so incensed by something written on a swing that she sat on the swing and got on her cell phone and told the city worker that she reached that she was not moving until it was gone. The City arrived in ten minutes, and erased the swing, and lots of other stuff on the jungle gym.

It's been great weather, and it's been great to be outside with the masses, all of the kids getting out of school, the tiny ones and the ones that are almost not kids anymore. Lakewood tries so hard to take care of everybody here, I mean the citizens do. People try to look after each other here. Neighbors look out for neighbors. I know we have disagreements about how, but it's really great to be somewhere where people are awake, and trying.

It seems that for awhile Kauffman was being left alone to become "blighted," when Little Links was a jungle complete with wild animals! If it was left uncared for and unpoliced, maybe it was hoped that citizens would think that it was a bad and scary place and wouldn't feel the loss as much when the City sold off the last public green space in town to Cleveland Clinic, or whoever. It seems that the level of care has improved at Kauffman-- Kauffman Park Friends, and Lakewood Outdoor Basketball are great resources. I enjoyed the Scavenger Hunt and hot chocolate party there last winter, and I'm looking forward to sledding there this winter.

I hope the graffiti thing is worked out by then. If the issue requires citizen volunteers; then that's something we can do if it means a beautiful place for our kids to play.

Betsy Voinovich