The Observation Deck

Congratulations to Giant Eagle on Detroit Ave. Thank you Dennis Dunn.

Doug

Lucky them! I like the Rebel! graffiti on the box on Clifton. I guess everyone is thrilled to have these boxes. Wonder how often they are going to be vandalized and become even more of an eyesore.

You know Lakewood home owners and businesses have 24 hours after graffiti appears on their property to have it off - cleaned off - or repainted. I hope the city is as strict with AT&T as it is with us.

I think everybody gets a little more time if the graffiti appears to be gang related.

Actually it was explained to me that the speed is needed when it is gang related. If gangs see that their graffiti isn't left up, they go somewhere else to post it.

The law was put into place precisely to reduce this. The first day we moved into our building we were hit by this and instead of unpacking, or hooking up our phones, we had to go out and remove the graffiti - luckily for us, the theory worked. I guess they decided we wouldn't tolerate it and they didn't disturb us again. And it has been 10 years. We have also helped some senior citizens in the neigborhood - who really couldn't get out and cover it up within 24 hours.

Danielle Masters wrote:Lucky them! I like the Rebel! graffiti on the box on Clifton. I guess everyone is thrilled to have these boxes. Wonder how often they are going to be vandalized and become even more of an eyesore.

This was addressed at the council meeting. Lakewood was assured that the boxes would not be covered in graffiti, and that they would be properly maintained as not to be a problem. Of course this was the same meeting where Michael Dever asked them to put the boxes underground, or at least more of them underground.

This is just the underline for a bad night. We have one company that goes above and beyond the contract, by as much as $500 million a year. And another company that is much wealthier, trying to cut every corner and get things done so fast the city cannot keep up. The difference in business plans should be so obvious it makes one wonder.


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Lynn Farris wrote:Actually it was explained to me that the speed is needed when it is gang related. If gangs see that their graffiti isn't left up, they go somewhere else to post it.

The law was put into place precisely to reduce this. The first day we moved into our building we were hit by this and instead of unpacking, or hooking up our phones, we had to go out and remove the graffiti - luckily for us, the theory worked. I guess they decided we wouldn't tolerate it and they didn't disturb us again. And it has been 10 years. We have also helped some senior citizens in the neigborhood - who really couldn't get out and cover it up within 24 hours.

I wasn't clear about the gang related graffiti. The police may want to come out and photograph it. This is why there may be a little more time involved.

are they going to maintain the boxes as well as they maintain the small parks around lakewood?

Ivor Karabatkovic wrote:are they going to maintain the boxes as well as they maintain the small parks around lakewood?

Ivor

I had dinner with a Lakewood family that said they would be happy to have a Lightspeed Box in their backyard, hidden away, 24 hour access. Price $250,000, or yearly payments of $30,000.

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I had dinner with a Lakewood family that said they would be happy to have a Lightspeed Box in their backyard, hidden away, 24 hour access. Price $250,000, or yearly payments of $30,000.

Was this something that was ever discussed? Or did the city just give tree lawns away. It would make a lot of sense to have them in backyards for some compensation. There wouldn't be the negativity towards them and the city would still maintain its character.

Update on the Brockley/Clifton box....it now has more graffiti and the original graffiti is still there. This is really pathetic if this is how they are going to maintain these boxes. Get them painted ASAP!

It's been over a week now and the graffiti is still on the Clifton/Brockley box. So who do I call on Monday? Do I call AT&T? Or do I call the city? I just can't believe we have new boxes that are already defaced and the city is allowing them to stay like that.

Danielle



Is this the box?

I think you are a little tough on AT&T. After all, it has only been a couple weeks since it was tagged and called in. AT&T is very big company and have many things to do. When they said "maintained" they didn't mean maintained like you thought. They meant like maintained.

To show what great neighbors AT&T has been, I have a couple other examples of the quick attnetion to maintenance.



On Bunts, they send someone by to cross out graffiti every couple months it is believed. Though not as attractive as painting over, it is good enough for this major intersection.



On Clifton, AT&T has adopted the "antique look." Many of us see this as a gateway to Lakewood's Antique District, and serves as a message to all driving through Lakewood, "We respect history."



This realistic "stressing," would cost some cities $250,000 a year or more for this quality of detail and service.



Even the latches look real! How do they do it?


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Jim, the one on Bunts is the one that started this thread (Giant Eagle). That one is going to be very tough to keep graffiti free, as that area is a high pedestrian traffic area for riff raff, due to its proximity to the high school, the 326 bus stop, and other reasons. Even the last time I was at that Giant Eagle the other day, there were 7 Lakewood police cars plus a CHIPS-esque motorcycle. I am told by employees that there was a fist fight between two customers over a handicapped parking spot. On a related note, I notice that Moe of Moe's Hookups left behind one of his shirts in the window.

Jim, maybe you could get with AT&T and the city to see if they would let you paint some of the devices with the Lakewood Observer logo and/or url...kind of like the old MailPouch Tobacco signs on barns. Also, maybe you can have a poker run by foot, bicycle, segway, car, whatever, where you have to stop at each of the lightspeed boxes along the way. Maybe have a relay race.

Doug

DougHuntingdon wrote: That one is going to be very tough to keep graffiti free, as that area is a high pedestrian traffic area for riff raff, due to its proximity to the high school

Riff raff?

Are telling us that these high school "riff raff"/students are carrying paint cans in their bookbags so they can tag the AT&T box on their way to and from school?

Please, somebody call Homeland Security.