On April 1, the Veteran’s park on the north end of Garberville was the scene of another disagreement—this time gentle.  The park has been cordoned off by orange webbing since many businesses and residents alike complained about what they perceived as hygiene and safety issues. In return, some homeless advocates charge that the homeless and others are merely using the park for what it was intended—”sitting in a place that by definition is meant to be sat in. Apparently, it is only for the use of the landed gentry, not the dispossessed class which has no other place to go.” (read the rest of this letter here.)

Yesterday, to quote Kathy Epling, “…Basically a group of people decided to sit in the park and talk to each other for a while on this beautiful day. Two sheriff’s cars (plus the officers of the law) pulled up; the officer chatting with Paul said there had been a complaint of trespassing from a citizen. The officer would not identify the person complaining but noted that the trespass was against the veterans; Paul noted that he is a member of Vets for Peace. Discussion ensued; Paul gave the officer his info.

I was told that at one point one of the officers talked about how they needed to make sure the park was being used properly”

“And how was that, asked one of the people?”

“Well, like people should just be sitting around talking to each other, enjoying the beautiful day.”

“Which is…what was going on.”

__________

Photo by Kathy Epling