There is a small 4 acre park in the heart of downtown Corpus Christi. I used to frequent it a lot, but stopped going there because of the heavy influx of homeless people camping out and creating a huge MESS. Well, enough of us citizens complained to the city [the land was donated to the city for one purpose; to keep it pristine and an oasis for migrant birds]. Finally, this last month, the city council put the hipper dipper to the homeless with a slap on the wrist!!! An ordinance now is a law!! No one can eat, sleep, camp, smoke in the park. Last weekend a clean-up crew of 70+ showed up...got rid of the debris left behind...blankets that were rotted, trash, human feces, backpacks, clothes, etc. etc. etc. The homeless are now banned if seen here after dark...ticketed for loitering. Of course, there are die-hards, and some refuse to obey the law....claiming discrimination. Good Lord...if they would've cleaned up after themselves, they would still be there with their security blankets and more [I'm not condemning them being homeless]. But, no, they are paying for their mistakes; literally. A $300 fine [their welfare checks?] and or jail time. Also, a proposed fence will go up on the main thoroughfare, and bridge repair work will eventually be done. Reseeding of grass in worn areas, and new trees are being planted. In the past, no curfew, now the city has set an 8PM park curfew. A lot more that I can't recall off hand. So, as I walked around to inspect the park -every nook and cranny...that's why so many photos; I saw that MOST [90%] had been cleaned. The morning light was filtering through the trees, the late blooming flowers were here and there, the paths were raked, the trash gone, and a few birds flew by me. It will be once again a beautiful, quiet, heavily wooded, park to visit:
I just hope it'll work out for us all....find a shelter for those in need, and keep the park clean and pretty.
It looks like a beautiful park. Glad to hear it was cleaned up. Being homeless is no excuse for being disrespectful of a public area.
ReplyDeleteHomeless-disrespectful...you nailed it Ann!
DeleteMakes me wonder where they all went from there...Sad.
ReplyDeleteI don't think "sad" tho. They brought this up on their own accord by not keeping it clean. Some probably went to North Beach & will eventually make that area a shambles. As Ann mentioned, disrespecting public property that is there for EVERYONE to enjoy doesn't do them any good by leaving garbage & rotting clothes & bedding everywhere. It's a civic health hazard.
Deletethe photos are beautiful, I can see both sides, the problem is they have no where to go. the birds have many places to go, just like wildlife, where can they go. maybe and answer would be to enforce pushing them to clean up the spaces.. here they have done the same thing, all the wooded areas they are not allowed in, now they are wandering the streets where houses are. preserve nature but preserve people also. they have no bathrooms to use. it is a real problem in most cities. I wish I knew the answer. they have beautified the preserves here and now the wildlife has no where to live, so they come into the home areas and people want to kill them because they are there. if they left the wild parks wild they would stay there.
ReplyDeleteThe city tried that. Didn't work. Instead of cleaning up after themselves they vanish only to return at night and litter/and worse. The thing listed that was found in the debris was unmentionable & atrocious.
DeleteYes, they should have cleaned up after themselves! I hope they all find a nearby shelter. And now you have a new place to walk, meaning maybe different birds too!
ReplyDeleteI've been there in the past, but it got to be a garbage heap, so I stopped going there.
DeleteJust because a person is homeless is no reason to leave trash behind. Maybe the fact that some of these people are too lazy to pick up after themselves is why they are homeless. This looks like a beautiful nature park.
ReplyDeleteYou made a good point being lazy & disrespectful of a public park.
DeleteWish there was an answer for both the wildlife and the homeless.
ReplyDeleteI think the city has every right to do what they did...the original donation of land for a nature park is on the books for decades (nearly a century).
DeleteFotografie molto belle.
ReplyDeleteBuona serata.
You have certainly captured the beauty of this lovely park. And, with care and time, it will become even more beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI hope so.
DeleteHopefully the people find a shelter and now the park can recover. Nice to hear that it was cleaned well.
ReplyDeleteI hope it remains clean.
DeleteThe park is beautiful! It's sad that people were so disrespectful of it. It's sad that they are homeless but that is no reason to leave a mess. I'm glad they've set up some rules to prevent this.
ReplyDeleteAgree to all your thoughts, except I just can't feel sad for the fact they brought this drastic measure upon themselves.
DeleteThanks Agnes
ReplyDeleteBeautifully framed, snapped and I know thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the C. C. park
ReplyDeleteThank you Anni I did add my today's post to your bird post.
Hugs Cecilia
Great! I'm glad you did.
DeleteIf it had been donated for a preserve/birds migrating, then it should stay that. I do not understand why people do not want to take care of places. Here, too often bathrooms out at parks are trashed so bad they are kept locked. I will not mention what people do....I asked Roger who in their right mind would do the things that are done. Or they will try to set fire to them on the inside. It is madness. And people throwing trash has ticked me off since I was a young girl...
ReplyDelete