i’ve been doing this on twitter for awhile now and thought i would share here.  it is very sad.  dismaying.  disgusting and enraging.  for YEARS people here, myself included, have been very vocal in supporting and demanding more shelter space.  there is a huge lack of mental health help as well.  we have one hospital with inpatient and outpatient services.  getting someone admitted as an inpatient is very challenging – and even at that – what is needed are those hospital’s we once had that began being closed starting in the 70’s.

i have deep compassion for those who suffer such mental illness.  i have the same compassion for those who are homeless and addicts.  but i also have compassion for locals who respect their neighbors and their community. when the safety of ANY people is threatened by those engaged in ANY sort of power-over – mentally ill, high or sober (in this case – harassing, assaulting, threatening the people, relieving themselves in public, camping on bike ways and walking paths and dumping their trash anywhere they want including the local rivers) then something drastic needs to be done. isolation from society so the rest of the community can enjoy their city SAFELY.  if they want help – this needs to be provided.  if they refuse – then the isolation continues until they choose to be good community members.

these “trash dumps” are all over the place now.  and once people pick up the trash, those doing the dumping do it all over again.  local elected officials have more compassion for those engaging in this behavior.  why they are letting this filth continue – well only they can answer to that.  i saw where our downtown area now has a port-a-potty to give them another place to do their business (aside from the public restroom’s along the waterfront).  this weekend is a big football game at the big university.  i wonder how many out-of-towner’s will drive through downtown and get the visual appeal the local’s are privy to each day…

NOTE:  these are not my photos but those taken by others in a private local social media page i belong to that is addressing this issue and tagging city officials and putting the pressure on them to do what they are paid to do.  

this first photo was taken right next to a local creek today…….i am told it has since been cleaned up (for now)….

“NO PARKING” – but hey dump your trash here whenever you want.  the police won’t do anything about it.  they have been told to stand down and go light on these people…..(and when locals do pick up an area – another area of trash pops up)

and this is our (once beautiful) downtown….just read where earlier this evening there was an assault down by the post office….the homeless who live down there were involved…..early this week one of these mentally ill folks head-butted a man downtown – just because….such occurrences also happen by the once-considered-a-skatepark-for-kids-now-taken-over-by-the homeless addicts….

just feet from this first picture is a wonderful fountain that used to be safe for children and families to visit and play……we used to take our girl there often during the summer months…..fewer families are visiting there now……one local mama said earlier this week she was meeting another mama there for a play-date when one of the better known around town mentally ill homeless women approach this mama and began verbally accosting her – accusing her of “stealing” her clothing……just another day in paradise….

and this is what greets people as they enter our town from the north….

see this guy?  he decided he wanted a solar panel from the roof of a local business so he climbed up and took it.  he was later arrested – and released.  that happens a lot as well.  some of these folks, when arrested, often have warrants (outstanding) from other areas.  and some of them fail to show up for assigned court cases.

bikes disappear a LOT around here…….

graffiti – something one usually sees in big inner cities – is seen throughout our city now – the nearest “tag” about 5 blocks from here….