Drunk man on the stoop

Today an inebriated young man, one of the 50th ramp transients, sat on our stoop and ate some soup from the 50th St Deli. Next to him he had a bag of two cans 12% alcoholic swill. Officer B. Hanson came to the scene about 10 minutes too late to catch the guy and said that nothing could be done and that no report could be filed. He said that I might be able to contact the liquor control board and they might set up a sting to catch the 50th St Deli in the act of selling to the inebriated, but unless the transients came into the house there was nothing he could do. I picked up the cans, as they were not on his person, and returned them to the 50th St Deli. I asked the proprietor to discontinue the sale of these sort of beverages, especially to those who are already obviously drunk.

Stop in and voice your concern today! The more they hear from us, the more chance we have of changing this.

Another letter from our neighbor Kelly!

Hello,

I am writing regarding the problem of public drinking and strangers coming onto my private property. I have noticed the problem has seemed to improve since we initially received Lisa DeAlva's letter. However, I strongly urge the City to adjust the AIA boundary to extend west of the 7-11 on NE 50th St (at 1st Ave NE), and I suggest moving it a good distance west beyond 1st Ave NE.

I live next door to the 7-11 (111 NE 50th St) and have been working from home this past year due to health issues. The same group of people would congregate daily in front of my house - drinking alcohol, sitting on my rockery (at times causing large rocks to fall from the rockery!), and many times actually on my property (inside the sidewalk). I got to where I was going out there daily asking them to please move elsewhere, and I have called the Police on occasion. Until recently I was living alone, so I was hesitant to talk to the homeless people outside. But at the same time I'm not going to let people intimidate me or take over my property.

Please do something to preserve our safety and our home values. Somehow my tax assessment increased $100,000 within the past couple of years, and I have a tiny house on a half-lot. So it's especially irritating that I have this negative activity to contend with.

In late 2007/early 2008, a man was bleeding and wrote "Indian Blood" in large letters on the concrete wall lining my driveway. He was later found lying across the street and taken away by Police - they commented that he had injected drugs. This was highly disturbing and intimidating, even to some male contractors working at my house, who ultimately called the Police.

Regarding the dispersion policy in general, I understand and congratulate the City for trying to address the overall problem. However I feel this approach is flawed. While we all wish this activity did not exist at all, it does and will continue. So it makes more sense to me that this activity stay centered in urban/commercial settings, rather than drive it into our neighborhoods. I wish I had a good solution to suggest at this time.

I do appreciate everyone's attention to this matter. And again, the problem seems to have improved somewhat. But we need to maintain the focus so it does not get out of hand again. Lisa, I want to make it to any future neighborhood meetings concerning this issue - so please include me in your communications. I really appreciate your efforts.

Sincerely,

Kelly W

Notes on AIA Meeting from Tuesday Sept. 8th

Okay, I'm over here in the wilds of Idaho and there is magically some WiFi floating through the air, so here goes...

On Tuesday, about 14 of us were able to gather over at the Good Shepherd Center picnic shelter to discuss our thoughts and feelings on the AIA situation and what our next moves should be regarding trying to get the AIA western boundary moved further west to at least include the 7-11 and 50th Street Market. In addition to all the personal experiences we've all been sharing via the blog (thanks again, Aaron!), e-mail and on Wallyhood, there were more to be shared and "tha doc" couldn't make the meeting but e-mailed me plenty of pictures to share of the drunks hanging out in stairwells, sleeping in people's yards, etc.

The idea was floated of getting a petition together that would appeal to the 50th Street Market and the 7-11 to voluntarily stop selling the fortified alcohol that seems to be causing the bulk of our neighborhood problems. Sounds like an effective idea. But if you're going to ask someone to give up prospective profits, what can you offer them in return? Well, how about asking them to carry some staple items desired by the neighborhood denizens who might purchase enough of those items on a regular basis to replace this lost income (and hopefully increase it!)? So, if everyone could come up with a list of 15 staple items you would purchase (be specific about brands), e-mail me your list and we could include that information in the petition. Some of our folks have had some positive personal experience with the owners of both establishments and it sounds like the people who own (manage?) the 7-11 aren't happy having a bunch of drunks coming in their place of business, either, and have, in fact, kicked them out when they're too inebriated. Sounds like maybe they would be open to banning the fortified booze if they aren't happy with the attendant behavior? Apparently the 50th Street Market is applying for a deli permit and if the selection is of good quality, that should certainly attract some desired customers. (In my book, it would be super-duper fabulous if the 50th Street Market could morph into something like Marketime Foods over on Fremont Ave.) Any other thoughts on information that should be included in the petition?

Someone had mentioned in past posts their concern about pushing "our" problem into another neighborhood if the AIA boundary is changed. I would hope that wouldn't be the case if the fortified booze weren't available anywhere near us, but as a research measure and if you have the opportunity, in your neighborhood travels if you happen to see a place near 45th/50th and east of Latona that might possibly sell the cursed items (the list of names is long, but you know what to look for), could you make note of the business so we can compile some geographic intel for our case. For instance, maybe gas station mini marts might sell it or are there any little markets that might have some in their coolers? I think there is a market on the #26 route near Wallingford Ave. that might.

Some other concerns were about addressing the needs of these people who are using our neighborhood for a flophouse, storage facility, al fresco bathroom, battleground, etc. Many of these people are homeless and I would imagine the majority are alcoholics. One suggestion was made to print up resource information (shelters, bathroom facilities, showers, meals, detox info, etc.) on cards and get them laminated and hand them out to these people in hopes they can get the help they might want or need which might get them out of our neighborhood. My personal opinion is that if someone wants to drink and be homeless, that's definitely their decision and it isn't up to me to impose my will on them; I just don't want them in my yard or on my street (yes, I'm definitely a NIMBY/NIMFY on this issue!). From personal experience I can tell you that if someone doesn't want to stop drinking, they won't and you're wasting your time trying to make them. If someone prefers the relatively carefree lifestyle of living outside to that of a shelter existence that has chores and/or curfews, then that's what they're going to do. But if there are resources available for the people that might want to change their current alcoholic/homeless circumstances and we can share that information with them, great! Any specific resource suggestions?

Many people also would like to see a neighborhood meeting with Tim Burgess, Kimberlee Archie, Officer Testerman and anyone else that might be useful to our cause (suggestions?). Should we try to do the petition first or this meeting first?

There was also more discussion regarding 7-11's position on whether it's up to the franchisee to decide the exact inventory of each store or whether "corporate" decides. There was also concern 7-11 "corporate" would fight the boundary adjustment.

So, to wrap up my blabfest, I think we've got a pretty good start going on and if we can keep the momentum going and build it along the way, the veritable tsunami of information Ms. Archie and Mr. Burgess are receiving from us should help to get the AIA boundary moved sooner than later (I hope!). This is definitely a group effort and thanks everyone for your participation in this matter, whether in person or via e-mail/blogging!

Lisa

Meeting Tuesday September 8, 6:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Center picnic shelterHiHi

Hi All,

Okay, looks like maybe we've finally got this meeting thing ready to go. Unfortunately I have to be out of town all day Wednesday, so Tuesday night seemed the next best bet. Let's all meet over at the picnic shelter over at Good Shepherd Center at 6:30 this coming Tuesday evening. The picnic shelter is over on the west side of the building sort of between the playground and the pea patch area. If you get lost, call me at 547-2258 and we'll try to direct you. I haven't reserved the area and when Lynn and I scouted it out yesterday, the only inhabitant was a homeless dude sleeping in the corner so we should be okay. If not, we can just pull up a patch of grass nearby and carry on. I'll e-mail this information to everyone I have e-mail addresses for and also flyer the neighborhood for those who don't have internet access. I think the main idea is to discuss everyone's ideas for how to proceed with our desire to get the west boundary of the AIA moved further west (beyond 7-11 and the 50th Street Market), among other things. Look forward to seeing you there if you can make it and putting some faces to these names I've been hearing from! Thanks, Lisa De Alva

Planning The Meeting

Please visit the following link to vote for which date and time you would be available to gather for a meeting to discuss our alternatives:

http://www.doodle.com/ee7tqub4vafd6uhw

Just type your name in the space and put a check mark below all of the dates and times that could work for you and we will see what sort of consensus we can come to. With Lisa's and everyone's help we can develop an agenda for the meeting on the blog and have actionable items to discuss at the meeting. Looking forward to getting this rolling and moving the booze out of our neighborhood.

Live forum for discussing ideas?

One of my neighbors here on Thackeray doesn't have e-mail, but dropped a letter off at my house a few days ago in response to the AIA flyer she had gotten at her house. She has lived in our neighborhood for 43 years and would also like to see the AIA area extended to at least 1st NE. She made a suggestion that I think we be great if we could swing it: to get everyone together and have a meeting, sort of a live forum to discuss where everyone stands on this issue and how we might proceed. The suggestion of meeting over at Good Shepherd Center sounds great; it's close and there's plenty of room to spread out a beach towel to sit on or maybe the picnic shelter would be available. Maybe after work around 6:30 or so? Earlier, later? Any particular days better than others for most folks?

From some of the comments I'm reading on Wallyhood and on this blog, there seem to be a few folks who are against pushing the western border of the AIA further west to encompass the 7-11 and the 50th Street Market because that will only push the homeless alcoholics further into another neighborhood, thereby making it someone else's problem. I'm hopeful that wouldn't happen because the fortified alcohol wouldn't be available anywhere nearby so I don't see it getting pushed into Fremont and Greenlake. Aaron made an interesting suggestion:

In a preemptive effort to solve at least some of the problem, without depending entirely on the untimely bureaucracy inherent in a request to the city, I would like to propose that we write a coherent statement and request to the problem establishments. This letter should represent what reasonable changes we can imagine which would improve the current "chronic public inebriation" problem.

I have formed somewhat of a friendly relationship with the new owners of the 50th Street Market (mostly prior to their recent opening) and would be willing to hand deliver the statement to them and discuss the matter face to face. I would also be willing to forward the letter onto whatever local or corporate entity that controls the 7-11.

This is certainly something that might be best discussed at a meeting with everyone's immediate input. I'm concerned that if we are asking these people to stop selling something that makes them income and we aren't offering them anything in return as a way to recoup that lost income, that it won't be received well. As it is, it sounds like most people I've talked to only buy a newspaper, soft drinks or milk at the Market. Personally, I was hoping that when the 50th Street Market was re-opening that it would have received a bit of a facelift and been reborn as something like Marketime Foods over on Fremont Avenue in Fremont. I was over there today and had an interesting conversation with one of their employees who runs the liquor section. He told me they voluntarily signed a neighborhood agreement five years ago that said they wouldn't sell fortified alcohol. They didn't want the customers and the behavior that would have encouraged and it has worked well for them and the neighborhood, but they also have a pretty strong customer base due to the quality products they sell. I've left a note for the owner to give me a call when he's back in town next week so I can find out more.

My neighbor who left me the letter also made another good point: Find out what the needs of the "homeless" people are. Yesterday morning I was trimming the bushes on top of my retaining wall in hopes of discouraging the "piggy bank" that has cropped up there in past weeks. Someone is leaving piles of pennies there, in addition to personal belongings (another "storage locker" in my yard) a VCR and more Steel Reserve cans. As I was trimming, a trio of Native Americans were walking by and stopped to talk. I introduced myself to Reno, his wife Arlene and her aunt, Mynah. Turns out they've been contributing to the pile in case someone needs money for purchasing beer at the 7-11. I asked them not to do that anymore because I didn't want to be the 50th Street ATM/Steel Reserve dumping ground. They seemed cool with that (although there were more up there today) and we went on to talk about their lives. They said they live down near 50th and the freeway (Ju is pretty sure they, among others, are camping in the grassy portion of the onramp at 50th and I-5) and that they just like to drink but that they don't do IV drugs ("Those people are more on 45th") and they don't toss their beer cans around, in fact, they clean up after others so people won't get mad at them. So one of their needs is obviously a place to live. What about getting sober? Is that a "need"? I personally don't think it's my business to tell someone to stop drinking; I just don't want the "collateral damage" of that personal choice to affect me the way it has been. Any other ideas on what their needs could be? And how they might be addressed? I've done some work with people at Daybreak Star so I will see if there are any outreach programs "our" people could access. As far as the white dudes go (like the bleeding, blasted guy from last weekend), some of them seem older and might be veterans, so maybe there are some avenues there. I hate to sound like a Pollyanna, but it would be great if this could be a win-win-win situation somehow. Anyway, please ponder the idea of a community meeting over at Good Shepherd and let's see if we can make it happen while the weather is still nice and it would still be light outside. Thanks, Lisa

Part of the Solution

Here is a messgae that I just sent out to everyone. If anyone can help, please let me know.

Hi Lisa and all,

Yes, just to clarify, I did setup the blog.

In a preemptive effort to solve at least some of the problem, without depending entirely on the untimely bureaucracy inherent in a request to the city, I would like to propose that we write a coherent statement and request to the problem establishments. This letter should represent what reasonable changes we can imagine which would improve the current "chronic public inebriation" problem.

I have formed somewhat of a friendly relationship with the new owners of the 50th Street Market (mostly prior to their recent opening) and would be willing to hand deliver the statement to them and discuss the matter face to face. I would also be willing to forward the letter onto whatever local or corporate entity that controls the 7-11.

What I would appreciate help with is the gathering and organization of facts and opinions into an appropriate letter format. If anyone has the time or the knowledge, please let me know. Perhaps we may be able to fix this problem the good ol' fashioned and neighborly way?

Looking forward to hearing from any takers.

Aaron Armstrong
AIA@team-tea.com