Just a quick reminder that today is our first big Hula Hoop Jam in the park on a lawn facing the salt marsh. There will be hoops to borrow or purchase ($20) for all ages & sizes (toddler/arm, kids, adult sized hoops.) We’ve had excellent feedback from everyone who has joined the Hoopers the last few days, so we have decided this will be a weekly event Sunday’s @ 3pm.
Please check the sledding hill and Indian Road Lawn (near 218th street) – we might have to move due to group size and available green space. You can’t miss us, we’ll be hula hooping. =)
it appears that our story is not the only example of inconsistent enforcement. here are some stories from your neighbors. names withheld, but easy enough to find if you are on any of the local yahoo groups.
from a long time Inwood resident:
The minute I saw this I knew they had to be with the Environmental Control Board, not parks officers. Just read Daniel’s account and, yep, Environmental Control Board. They kicked me out of Isham Park last summer; even though they only gave me a warning, they were quite aggressive about it. They especially freaked out when I took a picture of their vehicle with my iphone. In fact, they reversed toward me as I was taking the shot of their SUV. I could hear the guy on the passenger side saying, sounding panicked: “She’s taking our picture! She’s taking our picture!” Then they shouted at me as I was walking back toward my building with my dogs: “It’s late! You should be sleeping!” There are so many things wrong with this picture. First of all, they pulled up to me in an unmarked SUV, they were not in uniform, and they demanded my ID without identifying themselves as I think they are required to do. Secondly, a neighbor and I were sitting on a bench, talking quietly; my dogs were at my feet. Neighbors frequenting the park they live near late at night, talking quietly — that’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing. A desolate park is not a safe park. Thirdly, not everyone has an identical schedule. Some people walk their dogs extraordinarily late and extraordinarily early. When are people going to realize that that very fact — people out with their dogs, walking around the neighborhood at all hours, regularly, who have a great sense of what is a usual occurrence and what is not at any given time — help to keep a neighborhood safe?
A couple days after they warned me, the environmental control board ticketed a neighbor and fellow dog person. I believe the ticket was for $200. My neighbor is a nurse who works late; he usually gets home at around 1 AM. He lives on PTE and usually walks home via the steps leading up through Isham coming up from Broadway. But there had been muggings around that time, so instead of going up those back steps, he walked up to PTW. When he got up to Isham, he crossed over and took a shortcut through the park to get home. He had stopped at McDonalds and was carrying a McDonalds bag. When he exited Isham at PTE, he saw a black unmarked SUV sitting there. The guy on the passenger side rolled down his window and asked Mike to come over, so he did. Without identifying themselves, they asked for his ID. He gave it to them. They asked what he was doing. He explained that he had just gotten off work, he had stopped at McDonalds, and was on his way back to his building on PTE right near the park. They told him that the park was closed and wrote him a ticket. He did try to fight the ticket, explaining that he had grown up in the neighborhood, lived in the neighborhood, worked late, was just taking a shortcut through the park so he could get home faster — no dice. He had to pay.
Sorry for venting, but I’m just so over the Environmental Control Board. They remind me of Blackwater. I don’t know what their mission is, but they seem to operate in a shadowy way and they strike me as kind of aggressive. Granted, I have issues with folks who are blustery and aggressive and who bust balls for the sake of busting balls. But still.
from a friend who went out of his way to find out more information on our behalf:
While running in the park with (my dog) on this beautiful day, I ran into Inspector Capul and Officer Pabey in their patrol car out at the Dyckman Soccer Fields, and since they both know me, I brought up last night’s incident. They, of course, knew nothing about it, but when I told Inspector Capul that Daniel had caught the attention of the Police on his way IN to the park, and they acknowledged him and let him pass, he thought it would be strange that the Parks guys, whether PEP, or ECP, would then issue a ticket. Although he acknowledged that he has no control over Parks Dept people, there should at least be some understanding of what the rules are in this situation. I suggested that they use the police gates that are ALREADY there at the entrance, but bunched up, and that at whatever time the park “closes”, they pull those across the entrance with a sign explaining the hours. He said he’s take it up with Parks, and did agree that the various signs that exist are contradictory, and that even if they were clear, the various officials are all saying different things with regard to the times the park is off limits. If Parks wants no one in the park, they should just tell the cops to stop anyone at the entrance, since they’re parked there anyway.
For what it’s worth, Inspector Capul has always been very reasonable in talks and does seem to get the “common sense” aspects that drive us crazy. True, his hands are sometimes tied from his bosses, but I took him at his word that he’d have a talk with the Parks people to at least get on the same page about whether the park is “closed” or not, and at what times. It just doesn’t make any sense at all to be stopping community members and ticketing them when they are clearly not the problem they are there to combat.
a neighbor who fought a ticket and won:
Although this may have changed, it was my impression that Environmental Control officers do not have the authority to issue tickets regarding anything occurring on parks property. This definitely needs to be checked – but I have had a ticket dismissed in the past solely on the grounds that the park was not in the officers jurisdiction to issue summonses and I’ve had Environmental Control officers back down when I politely reminded them of the fact that they were acting outside of their jurisdiction.
A neighbor who knows the deal:
– There are no Environmental Control Board officers. The ECB is a city-run “court” that holds hearings on tickets that are issued by other agencies. http://home.nyc.gov/html/ecb/html/home/home.shtml
– Tickets issued by other agencies, like Parks, or DEP (Sanitation), or Dep’t of Buildings, can be heard by ECB, so the ticket may well say ECB on the top.
– It is important, if you have an encounter with a law-enforcement and get a ticket to appear before ECB, that you find out what agency the officer who issued the ticket works for. It’s not ECB.
– If we want safe parks and more patrols in the parks, we have to expect that the officers patrolling the parks will enforce the rules more than they have been enforced in the past. They’re not just out there walking or driving around to look nice.
– Most parks have a closing time. IHP’s is 1:00 am, according to the sign at Isham and Seaman entrance. It’s not a “temporary curfew.” What’s new, and hopefully not temporary, is more cop-like people enforcing the rules in the park. (Note — lack of little zip-lock bags on the steps behind the tennis courts.)
– The opening time (6:00 am) does not seem to be posted. That’s an administrative issue to take up with Jennifer Hoppa.
A neighbor replies to the above comment:
But it’s just not productive or pragmatic to be aggressive toward neighborhood people out walking their dogs, people who use the parks regularly and have a good sense of what is a usual occurrence and what is not, and who help to keep the parks safe. It would be smarter to work toward more collaboration and less antagonism.
and lastly, to the neighbor who appears to be new to Inwood: nothing is worth giving up a Manhattan Rent Stabilized Apartment! well, almost nothing.
Walking on eggshells….borderline harassment?! Two weeks ago I was standing across from the park entrance at 12:15am with my dogs talking to a friend. I saw a young man walk out of the park, alone, in front of the cops without a word being said to him. I then saw a friend walking her dogs inside the park entrance and she was told the park was closed. She replied that the sign says it closes at 1 a.m….This friend’s husband frequently walks their dogs as late as 1 or 2 a.m. and he said the cops simply drive by and wave at him! Last night I was in the dog run talking to another dog owner around 11 p.m., a police car came driving straight across the mud leaving deep tire tracks in the grass, directly towards the dog run, then circled the dog run three times in a row. Am I naive in hoping that these overzealous, questionable, inconsistent various authorities focus their energies on the real chaos that goes down in the summertime here?! I’m beginning to really question my attachment to my rent-stabilized apartment!
Santa is rescheduled to 12/12 at 12. See you then!
————-
Daniel and I have been members for Inwoof for 5 years now – we both started going to Homer’s Dog Run when we first brought home our babies. Him – Charley the boston terrier, me – Hunter, the goldendoodle. The dog run is where we met and fell in love. There is something about this community that *takes you there.* Lifelong friendships have formed in that dog run, new and old, and we are so excited that once again Santa Paws is Coming to Town.
Date:
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Time:
12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location:
Inwood Hill Park
Here’s my sketchy vid from last year:
Hopefully G will let me borrow her HD Flip so I can take a better one this Saturday. *hint hint*
Are you going? You don’t need to RSVP, but come through anyway so you can get to know your doggie neighbors.
the banner below says “drink responsibly” so is that like condoning the consumption of alcohol in the park on the sly? because we are notorious for bringing a great bottle of wine to these wonderful outdoor performances.
winter is over so it’s time to get off your ass, get out of the apartment, take a walk to the park and do something. lot’s of these events are FREE. and you know how much i love free shit.
Visit us at www.nyc.gov/parks
for the latest in Parks news and information.
Northern Manhattan Parks Programs & Events
June 1 through June 7, 2009
To read the full program descriptions, click on the program title. Please note the CORRECTION for the July 11th, Nature Adventures for Kids program at the bottom of this message.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Free Sunset Qi Gong Classes
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan
Category: Athletic Events, Education
Cost: Free
3rd Annual Toast to Fort Tryon Park
6:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan
Category: Cultural
Cost: $25 in advance; $35 at the door if space permits
Native American Ethnobotany with the Urban Park Rangers
12:00 p.m.
Location: Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan
Category: Cultural, Education, Nature, Tours
Cost: Free
Inwood Astronomy Programs
8:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Location: Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan
Category: Education, Kids, Nature
Cost: Free
Correction: The July Nature Adventures for Kids program was incorrectly listed in last week’s program advisory. The correct date is Saturday, July 11 at 10 a.m.
My husband is desperate for a date night, and I keep turning him down. I know, I know, “dating” your partner is healthy, but you can’t pry me away from these new babies even if your life depended on it. Well, with one exception…
The only event in our neighborhood I would even consider leaving my brood, or buying a new sling for is this one:
The 10th Anniversary Celebration Fundraiser
For Inwood Shakespeare Festival
In Inwood Hill Park Peninsula
How many summer nights have we escaped to the peninsula, blankets & picnic baskets in tow, to watch another fabulous performance by the Inwood Shakespeare Festival? Or how about those warm nights, when we are taking our evening stroll around the park with our pooches only to be drawn to the beautiful music floating over the salt marsh?
Inwoodites, we have to come out for this one in droves.
SUPPORT OUR BELOVED INWOOD SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL!!
Let’s mix and mingle, sip on a cocktail, and eat a snack donated from some of our favorite local restaurants! It’s time to enjoy yet another romantic evening on Lover’s Lane, perhaps dance to some live music… and it’s all right here in our own little ‘hood.
Tickets are available for $30 online via PayPal and will also be sold for $35 at the door.
if you were thinking about sending out a holiday card featuring you and your pets, throw on your favorite sweater and head over to Inwood Hill Park on Saturday, December 6th from noon to 1pm!
deets:
Hey everyone. Please save Saturday, December 6 for our annual visit from Santa Claus. We’ll begin the festivities at noon, and Santa will remain in costume for at least an hour, taking pictures with all of the wonderful dogs of Inwoof.
If your dog is shy, doesn’t like the run, or doesn’t play nicely with others, Santa will step outside of the run and take pictures with you in the circle around the flagpole. Santa has to feed the
reindeer at 1 pm, and they will be gathered by the flagpole, so please plan on this time frame. Santa loves everyone — cats and kids are welcome too! Let’s just meet at the reindeer hitching post to ensure everyone’s safety.
Santa’s elves will be distributing treats (we’ll have the ingredients list handy as to avoid any food allergies), maintaining order (yeah right), and helping you to get the best pictures. And
we’ll need some elves to hang posters at least a week before the event.
When you’re done taking pictures, please remember to go to our online market, CafePress.com/Inwoof, to turn some of those lovely pictures into holiday gifts. Inwoof uses their share of the profits towards special events and upkeep on the run.
RAIN DATE: Saturday, December 13, same time and place
SNOW DATE: Unless we have a blizzard or subzero temperatures, Santa would love to host a party in the snow, especially if some kind soul brings a coffee, light w/milk and sugar to the run.
We can use some Elf volunteers for the above-mentioned tasks and with setting up some decorations. Please RSVP to DogRunDeb@ aol (dot) com is keeping the list for Santa.
Thanks all!
Deb and St. Nick, the fat one in the red suit and the four legged whirlwind of holiday spirit
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
