I live four blocks from the skate park. When I heard the news that they were building it I thought it was a fantastic idea. I had a friend who had a teenage son at the time who helped build the skate park. I thought that it would give the kids something constructive to do during the weekends and summer months. I and many of my friends thought it was a good addition to the city. We have never felt so wrong.
Within the last month alone a young man was beaten bloody and collapsed on my brother”s carport. More times than I can count the underage kids travel the few blocks from the skate park to a lot called the “rocks” at the corner of Uhl and Alvita. They are up there all hours of the day and night. They continually drink, fight and smoke their marijuana in there. The foul smell travels from the “rocks” into my back yard. They litter their bottles and garbage in a nearby yard, while they graffiti and destroy a rock wall.
Several times my family and neighbors have called the police to no avail. We have asked the police if they could drive by a couple times a day to patrol. I was told they had more important things to do. If the police would drive by once a day in the afternoon, they would catch at least 10 or 11 kids up there drinking and who knows what else.
I really thought now we had the FBI investigation, a new police chief and some new officers things would be better for the citizens of Clearlake. Apparently that is wishful thinking. How long will it take for the police to fix this situation? Or will it take tragedy.
Heidi Penning
Clearlake
