Conspicuous In Its Absence! (At Least To This Park Patron)

Gone is the lovely plastic porta john greeting everyone entering and leaving Oakdale Park that the Youth Department had been paying $225 per month for at least the past 5 years.  Either Calvin Lewis ran out of money to pay for the lovely plastic box, or he finally came to his senses over a year after he inherited it.

What is 60 x $250?  Enough to make you shit your pants?  Enough to hire an algae eradication professional?

When do you suppose Calvin will find the time to change his sign out front to let everyone visiting the park or passing by know that the park reopened to the public over two weeks ago and that wading and swimming in the lake is prohibited? 

WELCOME BACK TO OAKDALE!  KEEP YOUR CHILDREN, PETS, AND YOURSELVES OUT OF THE WATER UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS YEAR'S TOXIC ALGAE.  THE BEACH IS OPEN BUT THE LAKE IS NOT!  HAVE A GREAT DAY!

For more on the history of the porta john and other issues at Oakdale, click the link below:

I Just Gotta Say....

HUDseen has made the following point several times, but (I'm pretty sure) not yet this year.  As long as the Youth Department is responsible for maintaining all of Oakdale Park year-round, including the lake, problems there will continue to arise, and they will return and worsen year after year.  One of those problems is locating a public garbage can 15 feet from the shoreline near a picnic area.  The picture above was taken yesterday afternoon, about 24 hours after I noticed a large gathering of people and two cars in the open area (with one picnic table) directly across the lake from the beach.  To get the cars there, someone simply removed the rope across the back entrance on Glenwood and drove into the park.  And when they were done with their party, they left all their packaging and other waste they showed up with inside and next to the garbage can 15 feet from the water's edge. (Had the garbage can not been there, would they have taken their garbage home with them in the cars it arrived in? Or would they have left it in the same spot?)  Then they drove out of the park the way they came in, up that steep dirt and gravel hill that is known as a hiking trail.  I'm pretty sure the park patrons (Hudson residents???) returned the rope where they found it so that it could once again signal to all others that no unauthorized multi-ton vehicles are allowed inside Oakdale Park, including on its hiking trails.  Yes, the city keeps vehicles out of Oakdale Park with an easily removable rope!

Whatever!