An encampment comes down, a letter to parents about students at Safeway, a gun in the plaza, the death of a master painter and no mention of the Super Bowl.
Another sigh… The never ending effort of “formal society” to put resources toward removal of a “fairly impressive, semi-permanent. unpermitted structure”. Perhaps if it had a permit it could have stayed? But no. If for example space could be allocated for a “permitted” shelters, the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, then that would be attractive to others. Then just like the Domino Theory …. Well, better just to be glad that these people can’t get in their $80,000 SUV’s and show up at a Grocery Outlet.
Thanks for recording, but I wonder how this was a harm since it was so remote, a road needed to be made to destroy it.
As for the Grocery Outlet, people do drive outside town to buy at one. Also the store is not real competition to traditional grocery stores as it sells overstock goods
My excursions at Grocery Outlet are akin to food safaris, where I traverse the food jungle in search of the specific items that suit my needs. Always an adventure.
The structure was indeed impressive. It filled an urgent need with creativity and some skill, and it did no harm. It broke the rules, yes, but it breaks my heart to see it reduced to "trash and detritus" by city workers who surely took no satisfaction in their task. Thanks as usual for your reporting, even though this story brought me to tears for all those who have no choice but to sleep on the trail.
While I understand the necessity of removing a structure that is probably a dangerous fire hazard, my eternally 10 year old inner self winces at the removal of any treehouse, anywhere, for any reason. I will need to address this situation specifically when I found my micro-nation.
Decades ago 'Critical Thinking' was a required general education course at college. I wonder if this would be better required in high school along with a required course on being a good community member. While 'Civics' classes are taught in HS, maybe this needs to be broadened to include hyper-local citizenship manners
Easy to feel sentimental about an "impressive structure" when you aren't the one living next to Joe Rodota trail. But I do. Where you see "creativity", I see mounting piles of trash, discarded needles, stolen shopping carts, and permanent fire hazards that result in at least one actual fire every single year.
Many of the individuals here are drug addicts, and in fact choose to sleep by the trail, while actively refusing shelter. Yes, I’ve spoken with West County Community Services (WCCS) - and so can you, in case you want to confirm.
If you haven't been here after dark to hear the screaming, the fighting, or to see the police response, you aren't seeing the whole picture. It’s one thing to feel "heartbroken" from a distance, but it’s another thing entirely to have to deal with all this almost every day, and only see it get worse.
How cool would it be for the builder if this treehouse to be pointed toward some resources so that they could find work in construction…? Clearly they are driven and creative. This structure took serious effort.
Another sigh… The never ending effort of “formal society” to put resources toward removal of a “fairly impressive, semi-permanent. unpermitted structure”. Perhaps if it had a permit it could have stayed? But no. If for example space could be allocated for a “permitted” shelters, the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, then that would be attractive to others. Then just like the Domino Theory …. Well, better just to be glad that these people can’t get in their $80,000 SUV’s and show up at a Grocery Outlet.
Thanks for recording, but I wonder how this was a harm since it was so remote, a road needed to be made to destroy it.
As for the Grocery Outlet, people do drive outside town to buy at one. Also the store is not real competition to traditional grocery stores as it sells overstock goods
My excursions at Grocery Outlet are akin to food safaris, where I traverse the food jungle in search of the specific items that suit my needs. Always an adventure.
The structure was indeed impressive. It filled an urgent need with creativity and some skill, and it did no harm. It broke the rules, yes, but it breaks my heart to see it reduced to "trash and detritus" by city workers who surely took no satisfaction in their task. Thanks as usual for your reporting, even though this story brought me to tears for all those who have no choice but to sleep on the trail.
While I understand the necessity of removing a structure that is probably a dangerous fire hazard, my eternally 10 year old inner self winces at the removal of any treehouse, anywhere, for any reason. I will need to address this situation specifically when I found my micro-nation.
Decades ago 'Critical Thinking' was a required general education course at college. I wonder if this would be better required in high school along with a required course on being a good community member. While 'Civics' classes are taught in HS, maybe this needs to be broadened to include hyper-local citizenship manners
Easy to feel sentimental about an "impressive structure" when you aren't the one living next to Joe Rodota trail. But I do. Where you see "creativity", I see mounting piles of trash, discarded needles, stolen shopping carts, and permanent fire hazards that result in at least one actual fire every single year.
Many of the individuals here are drug addicts, and in fact choose to sleep by the trail, while actively refusing shelter. Yes, I’ve spoken with West County Community Services (WCCS) - and so can you, in case you want to confirm.
If you haven't been here after dark to hear the screaming, the fighting, or to see the police response, you aren't seeing the whole picture. It’s one thing to feel "heartbroken" from a distance, but it’s another thing entirely to have to deal with all this almost every day, and only see it get worse.
How cool would it be for the builder if this treehouse to be pointed toward some resources so that they could find work in construction…? Clearly they are driven and creative. This structure took serious effort.