Sharla Valeski, is opening a gallery near Hemming Park.
She and her business partner, Jennifer Woodall Grant are members of the city's long time arts community, both painters.
She is watching as the numbers of the homeless are suddenly swelling in Hemming park, and the photos are a little alarming.
The city still has no comprehensive policy to deal with this issue, and over the next 9 months it is only going to intensify as it did in the last recession.
Sharla is sendin photos over so that people can see the numbers
I am dreading these photos. Ignorance is bliss.
Is this the gallery in the Greenleaf & Crosby building?
Speaking of homeless, Sunday after the jags game I was walking back and there must have been scores of homeless hanging out near the baseball grounds and the fairgrounds......I guess they were tailgating!
If there was a requirement that the Mayor, his top administrators and the City Council was required to eat lunch in Hemming Park once a week, I bet this "problem" would get some sort of solution.
You Betcha!
Indeed, my girlfriend and I went to MOCA to see the UNF show the other night and I was approached by several in the span of a block with many, many more hanging out in the park.
I let one bum a smoke off of me, he obviously had Tourette syndrome and was very, very kind in asking.. But the minute I handed him a smoke he turned around, did a nazi salute and started slapping himself in the head for about 5 minutes cussing at the air. I felt kinda bad for him. But I did what I could.
The numbers were surprising. I'm used to the numbers we have here in 5-points, but there must have been some 20-odd homeless people in the park. With social services getting cut by the city even more, it's no surprise that they may as well just go hang out in the park.
Can't save everyone, I suppose. But what is the city going to do about it?
Quote from: fsujax on September 22, 2009, 01:59:18 PM
Speaking of homeless, Sunday after the jags game I was walking back and there must have been scores of homeless hanging out near the baseball grounds and the fairgrounds......I guess they were tailgating!
Give them tickets to the game, that will fill the stadium up.
Maybe the fact that the homeless numbers are increasing, and the economy and financial situation is declining and near crash status, maybe the Man Upstairs is trying to tell us something...that we are not spending our money or finances on the right thing.
Heights Unknown
Quote from: stephendare on September 22, 2009, 12:58:39 PM
I believe so!
Do you happen to know if Jacksonville and the surrounding area is a subject of their artwork?
Quote from: heights unknown on September 22, 2009, 03:59:17 PM
Maybe the fact that the homeless numbers are increasing, and the economy and financial situation is declining and near crash status, maybe the Man Upstairs is trying to tell us something...that we are not spending our money or finances on the right thing.
Heights Unknown
Which Man?
God. ???
Money, Sex, Drugs rule the world you can put those in any order you like and it wont make a difference. You think the government is worried about the homeless or the average resident who's trying to keep from becomming homeless themsevels. Its getting tougher and tougher to make ends meet now a days. Doubt the city will do anything and if they could what? Many of these people dont want to work and just want a hand out.
Maybe Jax needs to look to the past NYC Giuliani administration and how it handled the homeless issue in NYC.
Many of the homeless live in downtown during the summer and out at the beach, in the dunes during the winter. Sad, but true. Once GA/FL is over, I suspect you will see fewer downtown, but be careful at the beach.
Perhaps insuring 13 million americans to the tune of almost 1 trillion dollars is not the best use of our resources?
Lets ship em to New Jersy
Take it easy on NJ.
Quote from: heights unknown on September 22, 2009, 03:59:17 PM
Maybe the fact that the homeless numbers are increasing, and the economy and financial situation is declining and near crash status, maybe the Man Upstairs is trying to tell us something...that we are not spending our money or finances on the right thing.
Heights Unknown
Possibly. The only people that can and will WASTE money are people with enough of it to do so.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/hawkrolla/homeless-man-goes-wireless.jpg)
Hmmm seeing Tom's signature gave me a great idea.
Arm the homeless and set them free on an isolated island and video take the whole thing.
Awesome pic, Tom.
Quote
Arm the homeless and set them free on an isolated island and video take the whole thing.
They would be safer there --than here. Got an island handy?
Cuba sound good?
Quote from: Tom Joad on March 09, 2010, 04:31:39 PM
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/hawkrolla/homeless-man-goes-wireless.jpg)
Funny, I had a laptop just like that stolen a few years ago. I wonder if it has a stormtrooper stencil on the bottom....
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/hawkrolla/homelessqq.jpg)
Once while visiting Montreal I got into a conversation with a local that told me all homeless people there keep dogs during the winter time... I replied "THEY EAT THEM?!" I was drunk.
Quote from: Tom Joad on March 10, 2010, 12:53:19 PM
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/hawkrolla/homelessqq.jpg)
Clean shaven face
Clean finger nails
Boots by the soles do not look very worn in.
I call shenanigans on that being a real homeless.
I think that clean shaven face belongs to a woman.
Quote from: Sportmotor on March 10, 2010, 04:18:36 PM
Quote from: Tom Joad on March 10, 2010, 12:53:19 PM
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/hawkrolla/homelessqq.jpg)
Clean shaven face
Clean finger nails
Boots by the soles do not look very worn in.
I call shenanigans on that being a real homeless.
Naaah; it's a guy. Nose too big, face too broad, hands too big, and feet are too much of a worker.
If I'm wrong it could be a transvestite or pre-op transgender (learned this from TV).
"HU"
geez.
heartless, much?
Quote from: Sportmotor on March 10, 2010, 04:18:36 PM
Clean shaven face
Clean finger nails
Boots by the soles do not look very worn in.
I call shenanigans on that being a real homeless.
It's a female . As far as the hygiene go's just because one is homeless does not mean they have hygiene issues. The most important thing to know should you ever find yourself homeless is to TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET if your feet get screwed up you are dead in the water. Hence the decent pair of boots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqnMrynpq9U (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqnMrynpq9U)
The nails actually look manicured.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/hawkrolla/l_12ce9779c01e9f0e47ea38cbb776bff5.jpg)"Our homeless become even more apparent because there is so little street life, they really don't blend in..."mayor John Peyton responding to a caller on First Coast Connect WJCT 89.9
Just got run out of hemming plaza. As i was doing what i do on a regular basis when in not at WORK.Sitting at a table having a smoke before going in the library.Apparently the city has seen fit to hire Bernard P. Fife security inc. to walk around and police up the jazz fest. I was informed the "park is closed to get ready for the concert" i looked around and there were plenty of happy shiny people sitting and enjoying the park. While the regulars who are there day in and day out were no were to be seen.Being as i have mutiple tattoos and a book bag (with my MACbook in it) i can only assume i was profiled.One can only hope enought out of towners get profiled and rousted so the word can be spread far and wide that Mayberry is a bustling metropolis compared to this sorry ass joke of a city.
There has been a rumor floating around downtown for weeks now that sometime shortly after the Jazz Festival, police are going to start keeping the "regulars" out of the park between 11am and 2pm, unless they are eating lunch, thereby saving the tables for folks who work downtown to have a place to sit during lunch time. I have no idea whether this is true or not but I have heard it from multiple sources.
Don't shoot me. I'm just the messenger.
Not sure where in Hemming Plaza you were but I just came back from lunch and the regulars were all over the place! Had a hard time finding a seat. And if you don't like our sorry ass town I-95 goes north and I-10 goes west.
Quote from: jbroadglide on May 28, 2010, 01:24:38 PM
Not sure where in Hemming Plaza you were but I just came back from lunch and the regulars were all over the place! Had a hard time finding a seat. And if you don't like our sorry ass town I-95 goes north and I-10 goes west.
HA, I almost choked on my spit when I read this!!!
Quote from: Tom Joad on May 28, 2010, 12:08:56 PM
Just got run out of hemming plaza. As i was doing what i do on a regular basis when in not at WORK.Sitting at a table having a smoke before going in the library.Apparently the city has seen fit to hire Bernard P. Fife security inc. to walk around and police up the jazz fest. I was informed the "park is closed to get ready for the concert" i looked around and there were plenty of happy shiny people sitting and enjoying the park. While the regulars who are there day in and day out were no were to be seen.Being as i have mutiple tattoos and a book bag (with my MACbook in it) i can only assume i was profiled.One can only hope enought out of towners get profiled and rousted so the word can be spread far and wide that Mayberry is a bustling metropolis compared to this sorry ass joke of a city.
I find your experience troubling bit I am more curious about the relevance of your "MACbook" in your backpack. Should you not have been asked to leave simply because you have one? Should the homeless now start purchasing them so they can use them as a pass to chill in Hemming? I just dont get it.
Seriously though, Jacksonville is what YOU make of it, and if it sucks in your estimation, you are partly to blame, don't forget that.
Quote from: stephendare on May 28, 2010, 12:14:24 PM
Who told you that you had to leave, Tom?
one of The temp security team members they have strolling around to augment the massive police presence. Guess there expecting a riot. Do jazz shows have mosh pit's?
Quote from: Tom Joad on May 28, 2010, 02:41:48 PM
Quote from: stephendare on May 28, 2010, 12:14:24 PM
Who told you that you had to leave, Tom?
one of The temp security team members they have strolling around to augment the massive police presence. Guess there expecting a riot. Do jazz shows have mosh pit's?
You might should have challenged their authority and gotten the police involved. I have on many occasions had private security officers attempt to over step their bounds only to get the police involved and set them straight.
Quote from: JC on May 28, 2010, 01:30:24 PM
Should the homeless now start purchasing them so they can use them as a pass to chill in Hemming? I just dont get it.
Seriously though, Jacksonville is what YOU make of it, and if it sucks in your estimation, you are partly to blame, don't forget that.
Well id much rather be homeless with a MAC than a P.C. that much i know! The only way jacksonville will suck less is for people to report when they feel they are being singled out based on the fact that they are homeless or suffer from mental illness. Have a great weekend.
Quote from: JC on May 28, 2010, 02:43:39 PM
Quote from: Tom Joad on May 28, 2010, 02:41:48 PM
Quote from: stephendare on May 28, 2010, 12:14:24 PM
Who told you that you had to leave, Tom?
one of The temp security team members they have strolling around to augment the massive police presence. Guess there expecting a riot. Do jazz shows have mosh pit's?
You might should have challenged their authority and gotten the police involved. I have on many occasions had private security officers attempt to over step their bounds only to get the police involved and set them straight.
good point . i suppose im just happy to be able to come here and vent then get on with my day.
Quote from: jbroadglide on May 28, 2010, 01:24:38 PM
Not sure where in Hemming Plaza you were but I just came back from lunch and the regulars were all over the place! Had a hard time finding a seat. And if you don't like our sorry ass town I-95 goes north and I-10 goes west.
your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Someone needs to help the numbers... little 5's & 7's with no where to live. Obviously they have medical condition... they're swollen!
Quote from: jbroadglide on May 28, 2010, 12:20:51 PM
There has been a rumor floating around downtown for weeks now that sometime shortly after the Jazz Festival, police are going to start keeping the "regulars" out of the park between 11am and 2pm, unless they are eating lunch, thereby saving the tables for folks who work downtown to have a place to sit during lunch time. I have no idea whether this is true or not but I have heard it from multiple sources.
Don't shoot me. I'm just the messenger.
Thats peachy " uh excuse me sir but you are not eating i must ask you to vacate the park. Fell free to return when you have food"
Was down there myself around noon and walked through the park a couple of times to feed the !@#$ parking meter. Commented on the much smaller number of the usual layabouts in there myself.
Nice to see all the preparations for the Festival and all of the new people around.
Take a look at the additions to the fountain for the Festival if you get a chance. Really creative! Water spouting pianos.
QuoteWas down there myself around noon and walked through the park a couple of times to feed the !@#$ parking meter.
Don't feed the parking meter. If you exceed the specified time on the meter, you will still get a ticket even if the meter is paid up. For instance, if the meter says "One Hour Limit", that means you can only park there for one hour, no matter how much time is left on the meter.
I was at the farmers market in Hemming Plaza just last October (2009) and went to feed the meter and was informed by the meter enforcement that I could not continue to do that. I would need to move my car and start on another meter. Nice.
Since when have the cops around here followed the laws? LOL
Quote
this is untrue. The meters can be fed for up to three hours. This was part of the change in the ordinance that the mayor signed into law in my lobby at boomtown.
Stephen, Been to parking enforcement court recently? I have. A woman showed up with a lawyer and still got burned for overtime parking. She is an agent for the Guardian ad Litem program She parked for a while, went inside, punched the time clock, punched out before the meter was up, and left to do some case work and have lunch. When she returned, she somehow got the same parking space, and put more money in the meter. Parking Enforcement ticketed her. She presented her time clock data, but the judge stated that the clock may not be accurate. Parking Enforcement presented photos. The car had obviously moved between the first and second photo, but that was attributed to an optical illusion The offender was an older black lady, and the lawyer, who obviously worked with her, stated that she was completely honest. Just reporting what In court.
It's possible the period of time between her first instance of parking, and her subsequent return and issue of the citation, was longer than 3 hours.
QuoteThere was reasonable doubt that the woman had broken the ordinance
I was shocked by the outcome. Every person in that courtroom was found guilty. The audible grumble throughout the room every time "guilty" was affirmed was "I'm not going back downtown again unless I
have to!
Is there any evidence of a reduced number of loafers in the park since the Jazz Festival?
I was shocked by the outcome. Every person in that courtroom was found guilty. The audible grumble throughout the room every time "guilty" was affirmed was "I'm not going back downtown again unless I have to!
[/quote]
And Jerry, what violation were you found guilty of that day? I know we are all curious.
Somehow I suddenly have a vision of Jerry with a pipe cutter taking the tops off all the parking meters on Laura Street and the judge saying to him, "What we have here is a failure to communicate."
Go Jerry!
And I mean ^^that in terms of an impoverished spirit, not epidermal melanin content.
Quote from: Tom Joad on March 13, 2010, 11:48:59 AM
"Our homeless become even more apparent because there is so little street life, they really don't blend in..."mayor John Peyton responding to a caller on First Coast Connect WJCT 89.9
LMAO! I was that "caller", and I thought his response a mealy mouthed non-answer.
That crap is what I abhor about politicians.
An acceptable answer for me would have been, "We have decided instead of making wrought-iron arches over Laura street, and a round-about in front of the Landing; we will fund programs like the culinary school at Clara White (ect) to effectively deal with the problem."
But I had a snowball's chance in hell of getting that answer anyway :))).
I was there today. I got asked for change, as usual. Saw a lot of police and a lot of vagrants. Felt safe. Just glad my pockets weren't jingling or I'd be a gonner.
Quote"Our homeless become even more apparent because there is so little street life, they really don't blend in..."mayor John Peyton responding to a caller on First Coast Connect WJCT 89.9
Actually, this is the gospel truth, IMO. Washington DC has a ton of homeless but they are outnumbered such that they do not seem to be the majority of people there. As such, the 'threat' they pose, be it perception or reality , is much less.
I agree with vicupstate. When I visited San Diego last year, I noticed quite a few homeless people. They did not stand out as much because the public places were well traveled by tourists, conventioneers and others. Downtown Jacksonville lacks the density in its public places, giving more prominence to our homeless. This creates a vicious cycle because suburbanites don't want to go downtown if they are only going to encounter homeless people.
The real question for Mayor Peyton would be, "What is your vision for downtown?"
I think that if more money and energy were put in to fighting suburban sprawl and special interests, instead of hopping into bed with developers and putting lipstick on the pig, there would BE more people downtown.
Example:
This is the only large city in which the Louis Vuitton is not in the downtown, nor any of the other "luxury brand" stores.
Instead they BUILT an entire destination for those who can afford these labels, to blow their pocket contents in a pre-engineered environment.
LAME.
But back to topic.
Had they used the available retail space downtown (and I know WHY they didn't, and I know whose fault that is, so I'm not tying to go THERE) we would have our "Downtown Vision" already.
We would not be using taxpayer dollars to widen sidewalks, wreath the streets with wrought iron, and campaign to get people to come to stare at our empty storefronts.
As I said previously, a good answer would have been proactive, instead of passive and mediocre.
I fear we have become accustomed to "mediocre", especially where city leadership/use of resources are concerned.
Maybe we only notice the homeless because they are many and we are few; but that doesn't mean we just ignore them until we can't see them anymore.
Quote from: GoldenEst82 on June 15, 2010, 11:14:18 AM
I think that if more money and energy were put in to fighting suburban sprawl and special interests, instead of hopping into bed with developers and putting lipstick on the pig, there would BE more people downtown.
Example:
This is the only large city in which the Louis Vuitton is not in the downtown, nor any of the other "luxury brand" stores.
Instead they BUILT an entire destination for those who can afford these labels, to blow their pocket contents in a pre-engineered environment.
LAME.
But back to topic.
Had they used the available retail space downtown (and I know WHY they didn't, and I know whose fault that is, so I'm not tying to go THERE) we would have our "Downtown Vision" already.
We would not be using taxpayer dollars to widen sidewalks, wreath the streets with wrought iron, and campaign to get people to come to stare at our empty storefronts.
As I said previously, a good answer would have been proactive, instead of passive and mediocre.
I fear we have become accustomed to "mediocre", especially where city leadership/use of resources are concerned.
Maybe we only notice the homeless because they are many and we are few; but that doesn't mean we just ignore them until we can't see them anymore.
Many people don't mind paying $400 for a wallet. Or at least enough to make it profitable for LV.
However, most people mind (significantly) being hassled, nickel & dimed, and forced to contribute to a government monopoly under a structure that is engineered to ensure they have no right to challenge it. Parking meters suck, and are a hassle. They will continue creating more and more of an impediment towards downtown development as the US continues its march towards being a cashless society.
JAX needs to get with the ballgame, this ship has already sailed. Virtually every other comparable (note I said "comparable" so no need to debate NYC and SF, tufsu!) downtown redevelopment effort has come to include the at least partial elimination of paid parking. In several instances, there had been a series of failed initiatives before paid parking was eliminated, after which nature took its course. In Savannah, the only way they finally got Broughton to come back to life was by eliminating paid parking.
And in the cities that choose not to eliminate it entirely, successful redevelopment efforts usually include updated electronic meters that can process credit cards. The simple fact is that many people no longer carry cash at all, let alone dimes and quarters.
Here is one store owners response to the homeless situation in San Diego...
POSTED: 6:52 pm PDT June 17, 2010
UPDATED: 8:16 pm PDT June 17, 2010
SAN DIEGO -- A sticker with the phrase, “Please don’t feed our bums†is stuck on storefronts around Ocean Beach, based on satire of The National Park Service’s “Please don’t feed the bears†sticker and bringing a serious message.
“People who live and work in the area know how it feels to be harassed by these people,†said Chaz Lomack, who works at an Ocean Beach business.
The stickers are targeting a new group of homeless, who are young aggressive panhandlers who chose not to work and ask for money instead.
“I’ve sat out on the corner asking for spare change. I’m out here for the simple fact that I’m a cancer patient. I have skull cancer…and can’t have a job,†said a homeless man who goes by the name of “Thumper.â€
Others who hang around the south seawall in Ocean Beach say they want this lifestyle.
“Everything I’ve ever had in the material world failed me miserably,†said James Taylor. “Honestly…I’ve never been happier.â€
An employee at the Ocean Beach store called The Black started carrying the stickers two weeks ago. Ken Anderson did not want to be interviewed on camera but said the stickers are meant to make the community realize the homeless population has become out of control.
“A lot of these kids have cell phones and they come from well-off families,†said Lomack.
There have even been reports of violence against people who do not give the homeless money.
“We don’t want them to do that because it is just enabling them to do their thing,†said Lomack.
But others like Taylor disagree, “Everybody is going to have a day when they lash out,†said Taylor.
Anderson said he will continue to supply the stickers as long as there is a demand for them.
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