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.