Hobo Park Becoming Lucas Park Again

After a 3rd Saturday of work in the park I think it is finally becoming a place where all will feel welcomed. Sorta.

One homeless man told me it is like having someone come into your living room and rearrange the furniture without consulting you. I can see that. This park, known to many as hobo park, is home to many. Now they feel like we are taking it away. Others see it like one of those decorating shows where someone comes into your home and gives it a much needed makeover.

I have no desire to make Lucas Park a homeless-free zone. However, I don’t want it such that it is used only by the homeless. Just like the housing projects where the concentration of poverty can be hard to overcome for those in it, the same is true for hobo park.

One of the biggest problems is the continual delivery of food to the park by well meaning church groups. Last night I headed past the park on the way to the store. A church from Fairview Heights Illinois was there passing out food from a church van. We simply cannot have our small urban park be the dumping ground for the region’s food donations.

Some say these groups need to open shelters & soup kitchens in their own backyard. Perhaps, but I do think a downtown is the best place to serve the needs of the homeless. This is not to say that all services must be in a downtown, just most. We do need to have services outside of downtown.

This can also help the homeless. For many this becomes a lifestyle that is hard to break free of. With transitional housing near a bus line away from downtown it can be easier for some to get & keep a job. The park/shelter model is just not conducive to getting beyond being homeless.

The trick will be is to figure out how to focus the many people who want to help by bringing vans of food to Lucas Park. Can we get them to work in conjunction with established places for feeding the homeless? One of the reasons the homeless congregate in Lucas Park is they want to be nearby when the groups bring food. This is not a good pattern.

The city has been trying to crack down on this by insisting any food be packaged food so they know how it was prepared. I’m not sure of the best solution to still have groups from all over the region contribute to the solution. Right now I feel like many are just contributing to the problem.

On Saturday we had a BBQ for those of us that worked in the park. We had one homeless guy help for several hours so we were glad to share with him. As we were eating another guy came up and asked what we were giving out. “Sorry, the food is only for those that helped clean up the park, ” we said. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

Work remains. We are taking a needed break this coming Saturday with work resuming on Oct 11th & 25th.  A lot of the work involves changing perceptions on the part of residents, the homeless and those seeking to help the homeless.

I asked one neighbor if she ever brings her dog to the park.  She indicated no because she didn’t want her dog bit by a rat.  I’ve never seen even a field mouse in the park.  I have seen a few squirrels but that is it, no rats!

To see photos from all three Saturdays click here.

Driver Parks in ADA Loading Zone at Mobil Station

Most people are generally nice to me when they see me walking slowly with a cane. However yesterday I had words with a woman that parked in the loading zone next to my car in the disabled space.

I was at the Mobil Station at Delmar & Jefferson — the same one where a woman had visited and was later killed as she was using her wheelchair in the street due to poor sidewalks and missing curb ramps (see post from Dec 2007). After getting gas I parked in the disabled space so I could go into the store. A non-disabled woman was parked in the space while I was getting gas. The station at this time had 3-4 of their regular spaces blocked off while they washed the concrete. As I come out of the store and head to my car a vehicle pulls into the loading space to the left of the disabled space. The driver gets out and starts walking toward me heading to the entrance.

In my friendliest manner possible I said something like, “Excuse me, that space is marked no parking for a reason.” Her reply as she walked passed me, “Yeah I know.” My best response at the time was to call her a bitch. “Did you just call me a bitch? “, she replied. I confirmed, she laughed and continued into the store. I was so furious! A “normally I would never park there but they’ve got these spaces blocked” would have been nice. I don’t think she cared. When I got to our vehicles, with my cane in my right hand, I wondered how much damage I could cause with the cane. Of course I didn’t do anything but it was sweet thinking about it. Instead I got out my other weapon, my camera.

My regular camera was in the car so I used my phone to get a couple of quick shots:

Before getting in my car I stepped to the back to get a shot of the license plate.

I put my cane in the rear seat of my car and get into the driver’s seat. As I start the car she is coming out. Hopefully she saw me taking pics. I get my digital camera out, pull out of the space and start to leave. In doing this I’m right behind her vehicle as she is getting inside. I put down the passenger window to get an overview shot — again I hope she noticed.

I’d like to see these loading zone require a pole or other device to prevent someone from parking in them. Some are too narrow but most are wide enough where they are tempted to park there.

UrbanReviewSTL Honored Twice This Week

This week my blog received two honors.  First, the folks at Outside.In named UrbanReviewSTL the top blog for the St Louis area.  Check out their Blogiology 101: St Louis report.  Thank you!

And in this week’s RFT “Best Of” issue, UrbanReviewSTL was selected by the readers as the best blog.  This is the 3rd year in a row for that honor – thank you so very much!  Four years ago the editors named my blog the Best Civic Minded Blog.

The editors named one of my favorite blogs as the best blog, Angry Black Bitch.  I know Ms. Bitch and while she is black I don’t think she is all that angry or bitchy.  Except when writing, then it all comes pouring out.  Congrats Angry Black Bitch!

Thank you to all my readers, contributors of guest pieces and commenters.  Thank you to my friends for keeping the blog going following my February 1st stroke! – Steve

Lucas Park Events Being Planned

Two events are in the early planning stages – a Halloween event in October and a design charrette in November. This is basically a save the dates post.

Saturday October 25, 2008 we will have a “family friendly” event in the park with face painting, a series of costume contests (kids, adults, dogs), games and such. The event will run 4pm-8pm.

On Monday November 17, 2008 we will have a design charrette to look at the park long term with the goal being to get ideas to incorporate into an official master plan. This event will be held from 6pm-9pm
at the soon to open Crepes in the City at 500 N 14th (between Lucas Park & Washington Ave, on 14th).

A clean team crew from St Patrick’s Center has begun power washing the sidewalks and stone benches — it looks amazing! Crews have also started looking at problems with the sprinkler system. Once dark lights are working again. This park is now becoming a park for all downtown’s residents – owners, renters and homeless.

Details on the events to follow – stay tuned.  A website will be up soon to communicate upcoming events.
This Saturday September 27th we’ll have our third clean up morning.  Edging of the sidewalks will continue as will paining of the wood benches.  Stop by to help or just enjoy the park.  We start at 8am and go until noon.

A Scooter For Graduation?

One of the most disappointing results of my February 1st stroke was of course the loss of function on my left side. I was left handed. But the big disappointment was selling my Honda Metropolitan and getting a car. I love having the car but it is just not the same as riding a scooter in the open air. Granted when it is raining the car keeps me dry whereas the scooter would not. Riding a scooter, however, was far cheaper transportation. Even with the windows down and the sunroof open the feeling of enclosure in the car is much greater than I prefer.

Goal setting is an important function to move individuals and organizations forward. Throughout my recovery I’ve set goals for myself. As I achieve them I set new ones. Resuming work on my Masters degree was an important milestone. I’m now on a schedule to graduate in December 2009. I think being able to scooter by that time is a goal worth striving for. That is a little more long term than my prior goals have been. Others in the same vein would be being able to type two-handed again, write with my left hand again, and to walk without a cane. Short term goals are mostly subtle at this point — largely improving my walking speed. But riding my bikes and getting a new scooter is real motivation for me.

I’ll graduate in just over a year and hopefully I can afford a new scooter at that time. This gives me time to research the myriad of new scooters on the market and coming to market. The Honda Metropolitan was excellent transportation, providing me with 9,000 cheap & trouble-free miles of fun transportation. So a new Metropolitan is certainly at the top up my list.  New hybrid & electric scooters are hitting the market.

I’ll probably do like I did before — have both a car and scooter at the same time until I’m ready to sell the car. Once I have reliable use of my left arm/hand I’ll be able to join Enterprise’s car sharing program, WeCar, for local trips and be able to rent a car for longer trips.

But a cute scooter for the spring of 2010 sounds good for now.