Hello Neighbors!
(In English and Spanish)
TALCOTT FINE ARTS MUSEUM ACADEMY CAMPUS PARK
No Dogs, Bicycles or Glass
Playground is for Children 14 and Younger and Current Students of Talcott
The Field is for Ball Playing and Frisbee
Help Keep Your Playground Clean
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Older Post:
Recently, we asked neighbors if they would support restricting the Talcott playlot and field to children 12 years and under, unless with parental supervision. So far, 128 families have responded in favor, and 4 have opposed. Below are some of the stories people have shared:
From 500 N. Wood: (We live) around the block from Talcott School play lot and park. We are in strong support of restricting access to the Talcott School play lot and park at 1800 W. Ohio so it can be used by children under the age of 12 only or older children with parental supervision. I have seen and experienced gang members and older children in this lot causing a great deal of trouble for younger children and their families. The sale of drugs and drinking occur in this lot on a regular basis and as a concerned community member feel something should be done to reduce the amount of unsafe activity in our community.
From 1800 W. Race: Writing to share my support in restricting access to the Talcott play lot, hopefully including the basketball court. I quit taking my boys there last spring due to gang presence and obscene language.
From 1800 W. Superior: I am for restricting access to the Talcott School play-ground. I took my daughter there the other day and there were teenagers smoking pot…..not good. I think it’s a really good idea. Thanks for putting this together.
From 1700 W. Ohio: I was happy to see this note come in the mailbox as I had a disturbing incident happen the other day. I live on the 1700 block of W. Ohio st. I frequently walk down to the Talcott school park with my 3 kids to play. One day a couple months ago we arrived to find a group of about 8 boys around ages 10-12 huddled in a group talking and goofing off. (Granted, I don’t think this was a gang per se, but just some kids getting into trouble) I was minding my own business watching my kids play and pushing one on the swing. After a couple minutes some of the boys started breaking some sidewalk chalk all over the place. The boys were getting loud and swearing and just being rather obnoxious. None of their parents were around. I was the only parent there. From that point a couple of the boys began to write swear words and draw profane pictures on the school wall. Part of me wanted to yell at them and try to stop them, but I thought, there were like 8 of them and one of me with my 3 kids (did I mention one of my children is Autistic). I was afraid they would start swearing back at me and make a scene in front of my children. So instead I told my kids that we were going to go home, which I felt terrible about because we had only been there for like 10 minutes. I kept replaying the situation trying to figure out what was the right thing to do. Should I have called the police? I am PRO letting children use the park only with parental supervision, if the other children’s parents would have been present with them at the park I am sure the situation that I just described would not have happened.
From Wood and Race: I live on the corner of Wood and Race, where I received your note, and my husband and I are in total agreement with the suggestion to limit the Talcott playground to children under 12 years old. We have lived in the neighborhood for 10 years and have seen the “crowd” at the playground go from bad to worse. I have witnessed younger children being harrassed and one time beaten up (I called the police). I have been walking my dogs in the neighborhood for years and have been verbally assaulted by several teenagers hanging out in the playlot more times than I can count. We now have a young son who we take to the playground, but I will not go there on my own without my husband because of these incidents spanning probably 6 years. There is no legitimate reason for these high-school-age kids to be hanging out at Talcott School, other than sheer boredom…which can lead to bad intentions. I would feel much safer–and would be able to take my son to play there more often–if the age was limited to children who have a true interest in playing there for the right reasons: youth and innocence! I feel even more strongly about this situation now that I am a parent and will do whatever I can to help make this happen. (I might also add that this problem is mirrored at the playlot just east of the corner of Wolcott and Huron. I also like to take my son to this playground but often just pass by when a bunch of teenagers are hanging out there, taking up all the swings and hanging all over the play structure. I’m not sure if this is on anyone’s radar, but it is a problem there, too.) Thank you for your efforts and please let me know if I can assist in any further way!
From 1700W. Huron: Thank you for spreading this concern. We would like to see change. We very much agree that there should be restricted access to the
Talcott School Park so it can be used by children under 12 years of
age only or older childrren with parental supervison. We have
concerns about gang-related activities (tagging, drugs, etc.) after
witnessing some supscious behavior. We have been avoiding this
particular park.
From 1700 W. Erie: Please accept this email as strong support of pending signage for Talcott park. We encourage limiting gang activity by an means necessary. Our 7 year old likes to play in that park but we have not been in over a year due to those hanging out…what a shame. We have to control this before it continues what appears to be increasing dominance of the wrong element. Honestly we pay too much for our houses and taxes for the facilities to be used by gangs and not kids!
1600 West Erie. Safety first. Concerned neighbors, community residents primary objective is safety for the school children, the children who use the Boys & Girls Club, and neighboring residents. We followed advice of Police Captain 13th District. Overwhelming community support to post sign that would empower police to keep school property safe.
Shocking to hear Talcott LSC’s disregard for the childrens’ safety and police advice.