Ok, it's my turn to complain.
My wife takes care of some of the flower gardens around town. One of them is at the library. She puts a lot of work into them. There's some of our own money involved too. She takes no shortcuts when it comes to plants.
Anyways, some of the skateboarder kids are messing up her work. At first they were picking a flower every now and then. That wasn't such a big deal. Now they are pulling plants out of the ground and destroying them.
How do i know its the skateboarder kids?
Well, ever since they have been using the Traveler parking lot, the flowers have been getting damaged. Pre-skateboarders it was really rare for a plant to get messed with. Since then its getting worse and worse. I saw some of them yesterday messing around over there by the library.
I know its just flowers, but there is a lot of work going into that and it is for the good of the community. Its also discouraging to her to see her work carelessly torn up.
Im also going to be carrying my camera more. Ill try to get some pictures of them. They are also defacing - carving into - the benches by the library. I know those kids have been trying to get organized and get their own park. Messing with the editor's wife's flower garden is not a good way to get media support for such an effort.
Ok, thats my rant for this morning.
The city had a very short meeting last night. Did all the stuff we said they were going to do.
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Maybe you can hide somewhere and snap some pictures of them in the process of the destruction.
Well, it just goes to show that anyone can feel a little negative when bad things happen to them, and not just to others.
You should hear the scanner. Police responding to reports of skateboarders several times an hour after school is out. From the Rec Center to the Library. Even the parks like Wilson and Ranney. There have even been fights and intentional damage done.
Is this some of the group of skateboarders that went to the city for help to build a new park? Isn't it sad that it takes only a few to ruin it for the rest? Makes a person just want to stop and shake them silly and tell them they are part of the problem, not the solution!
What about them skating down Summit on a Sunday afternoon. I mean, I saw cars having to drive around them, changing lanes, while they boarded down Summit by Graves. One boarder moved into the inside lane when a car was backing out of a parking stall. Luckily, no body was in the inside lane at the time. Accident waiting to happen. Sorry, not having a skate park is not an excuse to skate on a major street in town.
yup, i am quickly running out of sympathy for them.
yup, i am quickly running out of sympathy for them.
they didn't use the skate park before, why would they now? Besides the park is still there, just less ramps and things.
This is getting ridiculous
Sometimes I wonder if we would have crime in this city were it not for the 15-25 year olds. They are only kids, yet we can not get a handle on the situation. It's kind of pathetic, when you think about it.
Editor, can you find out what percentage of crime in Ark City is committed by this age group?
Editor, can you find out what percentage of crime in Ark City is committed by this age group?
.
I can,
i would bet it is the same as other cities, young adults, 20-30 year olds.,
but you have a good point, it does seem a bit out of hand at the moment here.
BUT
lets make it a positive by doing something about it.
:)
While you are at it, please find out the curfew laws in this town. Why are so many kids running the streets late at night?
Why are so many kids running the streets late at night?
Because, if they are doing that, they are not at home interupting their parents.
Before you get up in the air, I know that sometimes the little buggers slip out at night with out their parents knowledge. EVERY NIGHT??? I don't think so.
Ok! I have given them the out, they did know they were out.
Again, while I belive that can happen, I don't believe it happens all that often.
Parents say their kids need freedom to express themselves, and let come and go as they please, dress anyway they want to, get their tongues,and other body parts pierced, all in the name of expression.
Then when they do get caught,Oh my goodness, I can't believe my little sidewalk surfer could be involved.
Parents, wake up...take responsibility for your kids, they may not like it now, but they will someday, if it prevents them from spending quality time behind bars.
They think that the streets are a safe place to ride, but they are sadly mistaken, I would bet some some substatntial cash, as soon as one of them gets hit by a motorist, it's going to be law suit city.
Isn't it already? A kid got ran over at Washington and Summit last year. skated right out in front of a vehicle.
i agree, i think our culture has changed.
just the other day i had a call from a parent trying to keep his college aged kid's name out of the paper for some relatively minor offense.
when i was a kid and got in trouble, i was allowed to experience all of the repercussions.
and had to make restitution via my allowance.
now parents are even shielding college aged kids.
Well that is quite interesting Mr. editor. I am curious to know why some peoples names are not published in the police reports. My theory is, is that if you have the right name or lawyer, you can keep your name out of the paper.I know of some people that have gotten into trouble and it never pops up. Is it you, or is it the police covering up?
s it you, or is it the police covering up?
>>>
Ill tell you the truth.
Every name that we get we put in with the exception of rape victims and victims of domestic battery.
(sometimes accused of battery and rape are not included if it identifies the victim too much.)
But, you are right, some names never show up.
police deny they do not give them to us ... but there are time when i have been aware of something later that was not on the cop report.
someone at the police station manages to get some of them out ... though ive not found out who.
Sounds like a chance for some investigational reporting. Thankyou for the clarification on that issue. I apologize if i was rude, but I see you might be thinking on the same level as I am. I do agree that sex crime and domestic violence crimes should not be published, it could endanger the victim.
"Ill tell you the truth.
Every name that we get we put in with the exception of rape victims and victims of domestic battery.
(sometimes accused of battery and rape are not included if it identifies the victim too much.)
But, you are right, some names never show up.
police deny they do not give them to us ... but there are time when i have been aware of something later that was not on the cop report.
someone at the police station manages to get some of them out ... though ive not found out who."
Thank you for telling it like it is. 1st time I heard it put bluntly. Depends on who you are. What your last name is. Who you know. etc., etc. I understand it's not you, Mr. Editor. But, the unfairness does exist.
Fair thing to do would be to leave it out of the paper. That would fix the problem? Maybe.
We have delinquent kids, because we have delinquent parents.
Before the accusations and blaming start, there are a number of reasons for not printing a name. Maybe someone should ask an attorney for a better answer.
On the other hand, this wouldn't be Ark City unless we could spread malice and rumors on half knowledge.
All police reports are legally public record if the person is over 18.
We could publish rape victims' names legally, but choose not to.
im not meaning to blame anyone.
we don't intentionally leave anyone's name out except for the reasons i listed earlier.
I get lots of calls asking, i always say the same thing...
other than rape and domestic violence, we make no exceptions.
My intentions of asking the editor about police reports has nothing to do with malice, but everything to do with at least partial fairness. Alot of people just read the paper for the police notes, thats a good example of malice. Lets be for real and realize that there is some favortism going on about keeping the names out of police reports if you are someone special or have enough money.....bet it happens everywhere. BTW, I am not speaking about you James. Your honest answer is appreciated. I am glad you have good sense on not publishing names of rape and domestic violence victims. Shows you are not a vicious editor like some others i know(n).
"My intentions of asking the editor about police reports has nothing to do with malice, but everything to do with at least partial fairness. Alot of people just read the paper for the police notes, thats a good example of malice. Lets be for real and realize that there is some favortism going on about keeping the names out of police reports if you are someone special or have enough money.....bet it happens everywhere. BTW, I am not speaking about you James. Your honest answer is appreciated. I am glad you have good sense on not publishing names of rape and domestic violence victims. Shows you are not a vicious editor like some others i know(n)."
well said.
Why don't you ask the ratio/percentage of hispanics who show up in the police reports as compared to their overall make-up percentage of the population?
Why don't you ask the ratio/percentage of hispanics who show up in the police reports as compared to their overall make-up percentage of the population?
just going by names, it doesnt seem all that high.
I know some hispanics in trouble and their names never showed up in the reports.
I look at the reports in every paper. The numbers are not THAT high. But as compared to the number of the population they represent it is VERY high. The smallness of the number is misleading.
Time for an expose on skateboard aged kids crime and the crime contribution from hispanics/
maybe
what is the motivation?
usually the poorer people are the ones that commit the most crimes. they're the ones who cant afford a good lawyer to get them off.
just kidding
but it is true that the lower socio economic level people are the ones commiting the most crimes.
im just not sure what the point would be in seeing whether there are more crimes committed by hispanics per population than whites, or blacks or whatever.
if you can tell me what the point is, ill look it up :)
in south carolina it was always the blacks that were doing all the crime.. they were the poorest there.
im not calling anyone a racist here. just talking about stats :)
the lawyer out there can't accept the idea that there are legal reasons to not mention names. I'm not a lawyer, but I can imagine just being arrested might not be enough. On the other hand, maybe withholding the name while other charges are pending.
Ask the other lawyer who is telling us the police are withholding names. I'm sure that person will give us the honest legal answer.
Teenagers/preteens have no concern of consequences because they rarely have had to face them. We(the adults) play the "kids will be kids" card and over look behavior that our parents would have never put up with in our youth. I know it it the responsibility of the younger generation to shock and dismay the older generations ( same was true in my youth) but by our turning a blind eye we are creating a generation of kids that expect to be bailed out of scrapes and do not know the concept of doing what is right. These "skateboarders" ( or the curfew breakers, or whoever) are the people who are going to care for us in our old age. I for one am pretty nervous about this thought!
what if, when kids get in trouble, we put their parents names in the paper.
that would be hard to do, but it would get some attention.
:)
I think that is a GREAT idea! It's about time the parents were held responsible!
GO JAMES GO!
May just be the best idea I've heard in a long, long while! I'm all for it.
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